Process gas supply device and substrate processing system equipped therewith

Abstract

To provide a process gas supply apparatus that stably controls the temperature of process gas and supplies the gas and a substrate processing system having the same.SOLUTION: A process gas supply apparatus comprises a gas hub to which process gas is supplied from a gas supply source, a plurality of gas lines propagating the process gas, which are branched and supplied with from the gas hub, and an integrated heater section that is arranged to wrap around the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub and simultaneously heats the gas hub and the plurality of gas lines.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a process gas supply device and a substrate processing system including the same, and more particularly, to a process gas supply device that stably controls and supplies the temperature of a process gas and a substrate processing system including the same.

Background Art

[0002] [[ID=Twelve]]In a substrate processing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, a process gas may be heated before being supplied to a chamber for stable reaction and particle control.

[0003] Conventionally, a gas line for supplying a process gas is wrapped with a heating jacket to individually heat each gas line. In such a case, problems such as different temperatures in specific parts cause problems such as particles during the process. That is, when a heating jacket is arranged to heat individual gas lines, it occupies a large amount of space due to restrictions such as space, and the number of heating zones increases, making it not only difficult to control, but also problems such as different temperatures according to the section of the heating jacket occur, and problems such as particles appear.

[0004] In order to solve such problems, it is necessary to stably maintain and manage the temperature of the entire gas line.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a process gas supply device and a substrate processing system equipped therewith, which can uniformly heat multiple gas lines that supply process gas to stably maintain and control the temperature of the process gas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A process gas supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a gas hub to which process gas is supplied from a gas supply source, a plurality of gas lines that propagate the process gas supplied branched from the gas hub, and an integrated heater unit that is arranged to surround the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub and heats the gas hub and the plurality of gas lines simultaneously.

[0008] The integrated heater unit may include a heat-conductive block enclosing the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub, and a heating element that at least partially contacts the heat-conductive block to heat the heat-conductive block.

[0009] The heat-conducting block may include a hub housing portion that encloses the gas hub and a gas line housing portion that encloses the plurality of gas lines.

[0010] Each of the plurality of gas lines comprises a horizontal line portion extending radially from the gas hub and a vertical line portion extending radially from the horizontal line portion, and the gas line housing may comprise a first line housing portion that encloses the horizontal line portion and a second line housing portion that encloses the vertical line portion.

[0011] The first line housing section and the second line housing section may have different shapes.

[0012] The gas hub may be composed of multiple units stacked vertically, and the hub housing may enclose multiple gas hubs together.

[0013] The aforementioned plurality of gas lines are connected to each of the gas hubs in equal numbers, and the gas line housing section may consist of multiple sections, each housing a gas line in the same direction.

[0014] Each of the multiple gas hubs is connected to a plurality of gas supply lines that supply the process gas, and the process gas may include a plurality of gases that are supplied to different gas hubs.

[0015] The plurality of gas lines may extend radially in a symmetrical manner with respect to the gas hub.

[0016] The aforementioned heat-conducting block may contain aluminum.

[0017] The heating element may include a cartridge heater.

[0018] The process gas supply device may further include a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the thermally conductive block.

[0019] The integrated heater unit may further include an insulating section that encloses the heat-conducting block.

[0020] The aforementioned heat insulating portion may contain glass fibers.

[0021] A substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a process gas supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of shower heads to which the process gas is supplied, each branched from the gas hub, and a plurality of substrate support parts arranged corresponding to the plurality of shower heads.

[0022] The substrate processing system may further include a plurality of sub-chambers, each of which is arranged in pairs with the plurality of shower heads and the plurality of substrate support parts.

[0023] The plurality of shower heads may be arranged symmetrically.

[0024] Each of the gas hubs may be supplied with one type of gas among the process gases.

Advantages of the Invention

[0025] The process gas supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve the uniformity of heating of a plurality of gas lines by wrapping a plurality of gas lines and a gas hub together through an integrated heater unit and heating the gas hub and the plurality of gas lines simultaneously. Thereby, the temperature of the process gas can be uniformly and stably maintained and managed at all locations. Through this, it is possible to prevent particles and the like generated during the process due to problems such as different temperatures of the process gas at specific parts, and it becomes possible to perform a stable reaction of the process gas.

[0026] And when such a process gas supply device is applied to a substrate processing system in which a plurality of shower heads and a plurality of substrate support parts form a plurality of sub-chambers, each of the plurality of gas lines branched from the gas hub and connected to the plurality of shower heads respectively can be uniformly heated to supply process gas at a uniform temperature to the plurality of shower heads respectively. Thereby, the uniformity of the process among the plurality of sub-chambers is improved, and it becomes possible to perform processing of substrates of excellent quality on a plurality of substrates simultaneously.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing a process gas supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Diagram showing a process gas supply device including a plurality of gas hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Partial cross-sectional view showing a first line accommodating part and a second line accommodating part according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram showing a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]Cross-sectional view showing multiple sub-chambers according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments disclosed below and can be embodied in a variety of different forms, and these embodiments are provided merely to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform a person of ordinary skill of the scope of the invention. In describing the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and the drawings may be partially exaggerated in size to accurately illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and in the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a process gas supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 1(a) is an exploded perspective view of the process gas supply device, and Figure 1(b) is a perspective view of the assembled state of the process gas supply device.

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, a process gas supply device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a gas hub 110 to which process gas is supplied from a gas supply source (not shown), a plurality of gas lines 120 that propagate the process gas supplied branched from the gas hub 110, and an integrated heater unit 130 that is arranged to surround the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110 and simultaneously heats the gas hub 110 and the plurality of gas lines 120.

[0031] The gas hub 110 is capable of receiving process gas from a gas supply source (not shown), and a gas supply line 21 is connected to it, allowing the process gas to be supplied from the gas supply source (not shown) via the gas supply line 21. Here, the gas hub 110 may be filled with the process gas first (or initially), and after the process gas is completely filled inside and the internal pressure is uniform, it can be branched into a plurality of gas lines 120 and supplied to each gas line 120. For example, the gas hub 110 can have the same number of subspaces as the number of branched gas lines 120, and each of the subspaces can communicate with each other and be filled with all of the process gas supplied from one gas supply line 21, and can be partially closed off by partitions or the like to divide the area. In this case, the process gas can be supplied to each gas line 120 after each of the subspaces has been filled and the pressure in all of the subspaces is the same (or uniform) (or after).

[0032] Multiple gas lines 120 can branch from the gas hub 110, and the process gas branched from the gas hub 110 can be supplied and flow through them, propagating the supplied process gas to the sub-chambers 215 and / or showerheads 210. For example, each gas line 120 branched from the gas hub 110 can be connected to a different sub-chamber 215 and / or showerhead 210, and processing steps can be performed on each substrate 10 at the processing station of each sub-chamber 215. In this case, processes can be performed independently in each sub-chamber 215, and the same process can be performed, or different processes can be performed in each.

[0033] The integrated heater unit 130 can be arranged to enclose multiple gas lines 120 and a gas hub 110, allowing the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120 to be heated simultaneously, and enabling uniform heating of the process gas within the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120. This improves the uniformity of heating in the multiple gas lines 120, and allows the temperature of the process gas flowing through the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120 to be maintained uniformly and stably at all points within the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120. Through this, it is possible to prevent the generation of particles during the process due to problems such as differences in the temperature of the process gas in specific parts of the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120, and enable a stable reaction of the process gas.

[0034] Here, the integrated heater unit 130 may include a thermally conductive block 131, 132 that encloses a plurality of gas lines 120 and a gas hub 110, and a heating element 133 that at least partially contacts the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 and heats them. The thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 can enclose a plurality of gas lines 120 and a gas hub 110, and can be heated by the heating element 133 to transfer heat to the plurality of gas lines 120 and gas hub 110, so that the process gas in the gas hub 110 and the plurality of gas lines 120 is heated. For example, the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 can enclose a plurality of gas lines 120 and a gas hub 110 all at once, so that the gas hub 110 and the plurality of gas lines 120 are heated simultaneously by heat conduction.

[0035] The heating element 133 can at least partially contact the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 to heat them, and heat can be transferred to the multiple gas lines 120 and gas hub 110 via the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 to heat them. In this case, the heating element 133 can be in close contact with the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 to allow heat to be smoothly conducted (or transferred) to the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132. On the other hand, the heating element 133 is detachable from the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 and can be replaced by attaching it to or removing it from the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132.

[0036] Here, the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 may include a hub housing portion 131 that encloses the gas hub 110 and a gas line housing portion 132 that encloses a plurality of gas lines 120. The hub housing portion 131 can enclose the gas hub 110, cover the entire outer surface of the gas hub 110, and contact (or be in close contact with) the outer surface of the gas hub 110 to transmit (or conduct) the heat of the heating element 133 to the gas hub 110, thereby heating the gas hub 110 for heating the process gas.

[0037] The gas line housing section 132 can be coupled (or connected) to the hub housing section 131 (integrally), and can enclose multiple gas lines 120, with each gas line 120 extending from the hub housing section 131 in the direction in which it branches from the gas hub 110. For example, the gas line housing section 132 can enclose multiple gas lines 120 collectively by surrounding (or encircling) the hub housing section 131 and extending outward from its outer surface (or circumferential surface), or it can enclose each gas line 120 in each (branching) direction (or the same direction) by extending in the branching direction of the gas lines 120 in contact with the outer surface of the hub housing section 131. Through this, the gas line housing 132 can be in close contact with (or in contact with) the outer surface of each of the multiple gas lines 120, thereby conducting (or propagating) the heat of the heating element 133 to all of the multiple gas lines 120, and thereby heating the multiple gas lines 120, and the process gas within the multiple gas lines 120 can be heated. On the other hand, the gas line housing 132 can be composed of two blocks, each block having grooves cut into it to match the shape of the gas line 120, and having a shape that can enclose the gas line 120.

[0038] In this case, the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 may contain aluminum (Al), and can be manufactured from aluminum, which has a high heat transfer rate. When forming the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 from aluminum, the excellent thermal conductivity of aluminum allows the heat from the heating element 133 to be quickly transmitted to the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120, and it is easy to process (or design). For example, the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be configured (or designed) to enclose the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120, and can be processed into a shape that encloses the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120 and assembled on the outside of the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120, and the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120 can be (easily) placed inside the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the design (or configuration) of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be easily carried out by manufacturing them from aluminum.

[0039] Furthermore, the heating element 133 may include a cartridge heater. The cartridge heater can be inserted (or fitted) at least in part into the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, thereby contacting the inner surfaces of the conductive blocks 131 and 132 to heat them, and allowing the gas hub 110 and the multiple gas lines 120 to be (indirectly) heated by conducting (or propagating) heat through the conductive blocks 131 and 132. Here, the cartridge heater is replaceable, and the specifications and quantity of the cartridge heaters installed (or fitted) into the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be determined according to (or to match) the size of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 and the target heating temperature.

[0040] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a process gas supply device equipped with a plurality of gas hubs according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a first line housing section and a second line housing section according to one embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first line housing section and Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the second line housing section.

[0041] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, each of the multiple gas lines 120 may include a horizontal line portion 120a extending radially from the gas hub 110 and a vertical line portion 120b extending vertically from the horizontal line portion 120a in the radial direction. The horizontal line portion 120a is connected to the gas hub 110 and can extend radially (or outward) from the gas hub 110, and each of the multiple gas lines 120 can extend radially (for example, horizontally) toward the corresponding shower head 210 and connect to the corresponding vertical line portion 120b, so that each of the multiple gas lines 120 can be connected to the corresponding shower head 210.

[0042] The vertical line section 120b is connected to the horizontal line section 120a and can extend from the horizontal line section 120a in the radial vertical direction (for example, up and down direction), and can extend radially vertically toward the respective corresponding shower heads 210 and be connected to the respective corresponding shower heads 210.

[0043] Through this, the process gas branched from the gas hub 110 can flow through the multiple gas lines 210 and be supplied to each showerhead 210 of the multiple subchambers 215, thereby enabling independent processing steps for the substrate 10 to be performed in each of the multiple subchambers 215 where the multiple showerheads 210 are each located.

[0044] In this case, the gas line housing section 132 may include a first line housing section 132a that encloses the horizontal line section 120a and a second line housing section 132b that encloses the vertical line section 120b. The first line housing section 132a can enclose the horizontal line section 120a, is connected (or coupled) to the hub housing section 131 and can extend radially along the horizontal line section 120a, and can transmit heat from the heating element 133 to the horizontal line section 120a.

[0045] The second line housing section 132b can enclose the vertical line section 120b, is connected to the first line housing section 132a, and extends radially vertically along the vertical line section 120b, thereby transferring heat from the heating element 133 to the vertical line section 120b.

[0046] Here, the first line housing portion 132a and the second line housing portion 132b may be formed as a single unit, or they may be joined to each other as a single unit.

[0047] On the other hand, the gas hub 110 can be composed of multiple units and stacked vertically (or vertically in the radial direction), and the hub housing 131 can enclose multiple gas hubs 110 together. The gas hub 110 can be composed of multiple units, and each of the multiple gas hubs 110 can be filled with the process gas (independently or individually). In this case, each gas hub 110 can be filled with the same gas, or it can be filled with different gases, and depending on the number of process gases, some groups of gas hubs 110 may be filled with the same gas, while each of the remaining gas hubs 110 may be filled with a different gas that is not the same as (or different from) the gas filling the gas hubs 110 in the group. Furthermore, the multiple gas hubs 110 can be stacked vertically (for example, up and down), and at least two or more gas lines 120 can be branched from and connected to each gas hub 110, and each gas line 120 connected to (or branched from) each gas hub 110 can extend radially from each gas hub 110. This prevents interference between the multiple gas lines 120 and allows the process gas to be stably supplied to each of the multiple shower heads 210. In addition, when the multiple gas hubs 110 are stacked vertically, the multiple gas lines 120 can branch horizontally from each gas hub 110 and extend, allowing the gas to flow (or be supplied) uniformly to each gas line 120 branching from each gas hub 110.

[0048] Here, the hub housing section 131 extends in the stacking direction of the multiple gas hubs 110 and can enclose the multiple gas hubs 110 together (or as a whole). As the multiple gas hubs 110 are stacked in the vertical direction and the housing section extends vertically along the stacking direction, the multiple gas hubs 110 can be easily enclosed as a whole. This allows the multiple gas hubs 110 to be heated uniformly, improves the uniformity of heating among the multiple gas hubs 110, and allows the temperature of the process gas filling each of the multiple gas hubs 110 to be maintained uniformly and stably in all of the gas hubs 110.

[0049] In this case, multiple gas lines 120 can be connected to each gas hub 110 in equal numbers, and multiple gas line housing sections 132 can be configured to enclose gas lines 120 in the same direction separately. Multiple gas lines 120 can be connected to each gas hub 110 in equal numbers, and the number of gas lines 120 connected to each gas hub 110 may be the same as the number of shower heads 210 (which blow the process gas onto each of the different substrates), and the processing process can be carried out while supplying (or blowing) the process gas to each substrate 10.

[0050] Furthermore, the gas lines 120 extending from each (different) gas hub 110 and connected to the same shower head 210 can also be stacked vertically, just like the gas hubs 110, and the gas line housing section 132 can enclose (or together) the gas lines 120 stacked vertically in the same direction, or it can be composed of multiple sections to enclose the gas lines 120 in the same direction separately. The gas line housing section 132 can enclose two or more gas lines 120 extending vertically (or in the stacking direction of the gas lines in the same direction) together, thereby enabling the gas lines 120 to be heated uniformly and improving the uniformity of heating of the gas lines 120, and enabling the temperature of the process gas filling each of the gas lines 120 to be maintained uniformly and stably at all points in the gas lines 120.

[0051] When the gas lines 120 in the same direction are stacked in the vertical direction, the first line housing section 132a and the second line housing section 132b may have different shapes. For example, the first line housing section 132a may be (relatively) longer in the vertical direction in which the horizontal line sections 120a of the gas lines 120 in the same direction are stacked and in the extension direction in which the horizontal line sections 120a of the gas lines 120 in the same direction extend, and (relatively) narrower (or smaller) in width (or length) in directions intersecting the vertical direction and the extension direction. The second line housing section 132b may be (relatively) longer in the vertical direction in which the vertical line sections 120b of the gas lines 120 in the same direction extend, and (relatively) smaller (or narrower) in length (or width) in two intersecting directions (for example, the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction) that intersect the vertical direction. On the other hand, in the second line housing section 132b, one or more (e.g., four) additional auxiliary blocks can be inserted into the space between the gas lines 120 in the main block to improve heat conduction efficiency, and the heat conduction of the heat-conducting blocks 131 and 132 can also be improved.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first line housing portion 132a may be a rectangular parallelepiped with a rectangle that is long in the vertical direction and has a small (or narrow) width in the direction intersecting the vertical direction and the extension direction, extending in the extension direction. The second line housing portion 132b may be a rectangular parallelepiped with a square that has the same width in the (two) intersecting directions, extending in the vertical direction, so that the vertical line portion 120b maintains a similar (or identical) distance from the center of each corresponding shower head 210. In this case, the vertical line portions 120b of the gas lines 120 in the same direction can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of each corresponding shower head 210, and may be at the same distance from the center of each corresponding shower head 210. The second line housing portion 132b may be arranged in contact with the surface of the first line housing portion 132a in the direction intersecting the vertical direction and the extension direction, as shown in Figure 2, rather than the surface of the first line housing portion 132a in the extension direction.

[0053] Through this, even if the process gas contains multiple gases, all gases can be stably supplied to the respective corresponding shower heads 210, and the uniformity of each gas can be improved.

[0054] On the other hand, the horizontal line section 120a may include a first horizontal line 121a, a second horizontal line 122a, a third horizontal line 123a, a fourth horizontal line 124a, a fifth horizontal line 125a, a sixth horizontal line 126a, a seventh horizontal line 127a, and an eighth horizontal line 128a, and the first horizontal line 121a, the second horizontal line 122a, the third horizontal line 123a, the fourth horizontal line 124a, the fifth horizontal line 125a, the sixth horizontal line 126a, the seventh horizontal line 127a, and the eighth horizontal line 128a can be stacked in the vertical direction and can be accommodated in the first line housing section 132a.

[0055] Furthermore, the vertical line section 120b may include a first vertical line 121b, a second vertical line 122b, a third vertical line 123b, a fourth vertical line 124b, a fifth vertical line 125b, a sixth vertical line 126b, a seventh vertical line 127b, and an eighth vertical line 128b, where the first vertical line 121b, the second vertical line 122b, the third vertical line 123b, the fourth vertical line 124b, the fifth vertical line 125b, the sixth vertical line 126b, the seventh vertical line 127b, and the eighth vertical line 128b can be positioned at similar distances from the center of the respective corresponding shower head 210 and can be accommodated in the second line housing section 132b.

[0056] Here, each of the multiple gas hubs 120 can be connected to a plurality of gas supply lines 21 that supply the process gas, and the process gas may include a plurality of gases that are supplied to different gas hubs 110. Each of the multiple gas hubs 120 can be connected to a plurality of gas supply lines 21 that supply the process gas from the gas supply source (not shown), and each gas hub 120 can be connected to a different gas supply line 21, through which each gas hub 120 can be independently filled with gas.

[0057] In this case, the process gas may include a plurality of gases supplied to different gas hubs 110, and the plurality of gases may be the same as or different from the number of gas hubs 110, but there should be two or more. For example, the plurality of gases may be different, and at least one of the type and function of the gases may be different. If the number of the plurality of gases is the same as the number of gas hubs 110, each gas hub 110 can be filled with one gas each via each gas supply line 21, and if the number of gas hubs 110 is greater than the number of the plurality of gases, each gas can be supplied to at least one gas hub 110, while some of the plurality of gases can be supplied to two or more gas hubs 110, and even in such a case, each gas can be supplied to each gas hub 110 via its respective gas supply line 21.

[0058] Furthermore, the multiple gas lines 120 can extend radially in a symmetrical manner around the gas hub 110, and the length (or extension length) from the gas hub 110 to each corresponding shower head 210 may be the same. The multiple shower heads 210 can also be arranged symmetrically around the gas hub 110, and by making the length of the multiple gas lines 120 from the gas hub 110 to each corresponding shower head 210 the same, the (same) process gas can be uniformly supplied to each of the multiple shower heads 210, thereby improving the process uniformity (or processing uniformity) among the multiple sub-chambers 215 in which the multiple shower heads 210 are each arranged.

[0059] On the other hand, the process gas may include a source gas (S), a reactant gas (R) that reacts with the source gas, a source purge gas (SP) that purges the source gas, and a reactant purge gas (RP) that purges the reactant gas. For example, the source gas may include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), dichlorosilane (DCS), SiH2Cl2, etc., and the reactant gas may include ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen (H2), etc. The source purge gas and the reactant purge gas may be inert gases, may include nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), and argon (Ar), etc., and may be the same type (or identical) gas or different type (or different) gases.

[0060] The process gas supply device 100 according to the present invention may further include a temperature measuring unit (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132.

[0061] The temperature measuring unit (not shown) can measure the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and can control the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 by measuring their temperatures. Here, the temperature measuring unit (not shown) may be equipped with a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple.

[0062] For example, the process gas supply device 100 of the present invention may further include a control unit (not shown) that controls the heating element 133 to adjust the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be divided into a plurality (e.g., 9) zones, and each zone can be controlled to a target temperature (or required temperature) via the control unit (not shown). Here, the control unit (not shown) can read the temperature of each zone via the temperature measuring unit (not shown) and control the output of the heating element 133 (e.g., output energy or energy release intensity) to reach the control temperature (or target temperature). At this time, the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be read using thermocouples provided outside the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and a control thermocouple and a monitor thermocouple may be provided for each zone. The control thermocouple can be used to control the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the monitor thermocouple can be used to detect abnormal temperatures and activate an automatic locking device such as an interlock. On the other hand, the plurality of areas may be heating zones (heater zones or heating zones) where the heating element 133 is located.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit (not shown) may include a Heater Temperature Controller (HTC), which can control the target temperature by adjusting the operating time of a contactless relay (circuit breaker) such as a Solid State Relay (SSR) after comparing the current temperature of each area with the control temperature. The set temperature of the heating area may differ for each area and can be determined between 100 and 180°C, and each heating area may be provided with two thermocouples. In this case, the control thermocouple is connected to the Heater Temperature Controller and can be used to control the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the monitor thermocouple is connected to a Process Device Controller (PDC) and can activate an interlock relay in the event of a temperature anomaly.

[0064] For example, the hub housing 131 can form a single heating zone by connecting four cartridge heaters in series, and the temperature of the hub housing 131 can be controlled by assembling K-type thermocouples on the lower part of the heat-conductive blocks 131 and 132. The first line housing 132a can be used as a single heating zone by connecting five cartridge heaters in series, and multiple heating zones (for example, four in total) can be formed, one in each direction, and the temperature of the first line housing 132a can be controlled by assembling K-type thermocouples on the outside of the heat-conductive blocks 131 and 132. The second line housing 132b can be used as a single heating zone by connecting four cartridge heaters in series, and multiple heating zones (for example, four in total) can be formed, one in each direction, and the temperature of the second line housing 132b can be controlled by assembling K-type thermocouples on the sides of the heat-conductive blocks 131 and 132.

[0065] Furthermore, the integrated heater unit 130 may also include an insulating section that encloses the heat-conducting blocks 131 and 132. The insulating section can enclose the heat-conducting blocks 131 and 132, preventing heat loss to the outer casing of the heat-conducting blocks 131 and 132.

[0066] The aforementioned heat insulating portion may contain glass fiber, and the heat conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be wrapped in an insulator made of glass fiber material.

[0067] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a plurality of sub-chambers according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, but matters that overlap with the above-mentioned parts in relation to the process gas supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

[0069] A substrate processing system 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a process gas supply device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of shower heads 210 to which the process gas is supplied, branched from the gas hub 110, and a plurality of substrate support parts 220 arranged corresponding to the plurality of shower heads 210.

[0070] The process gas supply device 100 may be a process gas supply device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and can supply the process gas at a uniform temperature to each of the multiple shower heads 210. The details have been described above and will be omitted here.

[0071] Multiple shower heads 210 are branched from the gas hub 110 and each can be supplied with the process gas, and can blow the process gas onto the substrate 10 for processing the substrate, and can be arranged in each sub-chamber 215.

[0072] Multiple substrate support units 220 can be arranged to correspond to multiple shower heads 210, and can support the substrate 10 to be processed. They can be arranged in each sub-chamber 215, and the process gas can be blown onto the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support units 220 to perform substrate processing such as deposition.

[0073] The substrate processing system 200 according to the present invention may further include a plurality of sub-chambers 215, each of which is arranged in pairs with a plurality of shower heads 210 and a plurality of substrate support parts 220.

[0074] Multiple sub-chambers 215 can be arranged with multiple shower heads 210 and multiple substrate support parts 220 in pairs, allowing processes to be performed on multiple substrates 10 (simultaneously), and each sub-chamber 215 can perform processing on each substrate 10. In this case, the multiple sub-chambers 215 can be spatially separated (or isolated) by partitions or the like to form a chamber module, or they can be partitioned into multiple sub-chambers 215 (for example, a first sub-chamber, a second sub-chamber, a third sub-chamber, and a fourth sub-chamber) within the chamber wall 230, where processes are performed independently in each region. For example, the first sub-chamber 215a, second sub-chamber 215b, third sub-chamber 215c, and fourth sub-chamber 215d arranged within the chamber wall 230 of the chamber module may only be spatially partitioned within the chamber wall 230, communicate with each other, and not spatially separated by partitions or the like.

[0075] On the other hand, the first sub-chamber 215a, the second sub-chamber 215b, the third sub-chamber 215c, and the fourth sub-chamber 215d can each be processed independently and can be composed of the same components such as the shower head 210 and the substrate support part 220, and may be distinguished by assigning sub-chamber numbers 215 to them in terms of position (or region).

[0076] For example, the first sub-chamber 215a may include a first substrate support portion 220a on which the first substrate 10 is supported, and a first shower head 210a disposed on the first substrate support portion 220a and blowing a gas for substrate processing onto the first substrate 10 supported by the first substrate support portion 220a. The second sub-chamber 215b may include a second substrate support portion 220b on which the second substrate 10 is supported, and a second shower head 210b disposed on the second substrate support portion 220b and blowing a gas for substrate processing onto the second substrate 10 supported by the second substrate support portion 220b.

[0077] The first shower head 210a and the second shower head 210b are each connectable to the gas line 120 and can be installed in the first sub-chamber 215a and the second sub-chamber 215b, respectively. They are capable of selectively supplying one of several gases and blowing the supplied process gas. In this case, the first shower head 210a and the second shower head 210b may be supplied with the same gas or with different gases.

[0078] The first substrate support section 220a and the second substrate support section 220b are respectively arranged in the first sub-chamber 215a and the second sub-chamber 215b, and can support the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 10, respectively. Through this, processing of multiple substrates 10 can be performed simultaneously in one chamber module, thereby improving the process yield.

[0079] Here, the multiple shower heads 210 can be arranged symmetrically, and by arranging them symmetrically around the gas hub 110, the lengths of the multiple gas lines 120 from the gas hub 110 to each corresponding shower head 210 can be made the same, the (same) process gas can be uniformly supplied to each of the multiple shower heads 210, and the process uniformity (or processing uniformity) among the multiple sub-chambers 215 in which the multiple shower heads 210 are each disposed is improved.

[0080] Furthermore, each gas hub 110 can be supplied with one of the process gases. In other words, only one gas may be supplied to the gas hub 110, and the supplied gas may not be changed, thus preventing multiple gases from reacting within the gas hub 110, gas line 120, and / or shower head 210 and generating particles during the process.

[0081] On the other hand, the plurality of gases can be selectively supplied to the first sub-chamber 215a, the second sub-chamber 215b, the third sub-chamber 215c, and the fourth sub-chamber 215d, and the plurality of gases can be distinguished and supplied to the first sub-chamber 215a, the second sub-chamber 215b, the third sub-chamber 215c, and the fourth sub-chamber 215d, respectively. Generally, the same gas can be supplied to all of the first subchamber 215a, second subchamber 215b, third subchamber 215c, and fourth subchamber 215d. However, the gases can also be distinguished and different gases can be supplied to the first subchamber 215a, second subchamber 215b, third subchamber 215c, and fourth subchamber 215d, and at least one of the subchambers 215a, second subchamber 215b, third subchamber 215c, and fourth subchamber 215d can be supplied with a different gas than the other subchambers. In this case, the number of gas hubs 110 may be the same as the number of gases, the same as the number of subchambers 215, and the number of subchambers 215 may be the same as the number of gases.

[0082] Therefore, the substrate processing system 200 according to the present invention applies the process gas supply device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention to a plurality of sub-chambers 215 formed (or configured) by a plurality of shower heads 210 and a plurality of substrate support parts 220, so that each of the plurality of gas lines 120 that branch off from the gas hub 110 and are connected to each of the plurality of shower heads 210 are uniformly heated and the process gas at a uniform temperature is supplied to each of the plurality of shower heads 210, thereby improving the process uniformity among the plurality of sub-chambers 215 and enabling substrate processing of excellent quality to be performed simultaneously on the plurality of substrates.

[0083] Thus, in this invention, by enclosing multiple gas lines and a gas hub together via an integrated heater unit and simultaneously heating the gas hub and multiple gas lines, the uniformity of heating of the multiple gas lines can be improved, thereby enabling the temperature of the process gas to be maintained uniformly and stably at all points. Through this, it is possible to prevent particles and other issues that may occur during the process due to differences in the temperature of the process gas in specific parts, and stable reaction of the process gas becomes possible. Furthermore, when such a process gas supply device is applied to a substrate processing system in which multiple shower heads and multiple substrate support parts form multiple sub-chambers, each of the multiple gas lines branching from the gas hub and connected to each of the multiple shower heads is uniformly heated, and process gas at a uniform temperature can be supplied to each of the multiple shower heads. This improves the uniformity of the process between the multiple sub-chambers, and enables the simultaneous processing of multiple substrates to produce substrates of superior quality.

[0084] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above. Anyone with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs will understand that various modifications can be made and equivalent other embodiments can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, the scope of technical protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 10: Circuit board 21: Gas supply line 100: Process gas supply device 110: Gas Hub 120: Gas line 120a: Horizontal line section 120b: Vertical line section 121a: First horizontal line 121b: First vertical line 122a: Second horizontal line 122b: Second vertical line 123a: Third horizontal line 123b: Third vertical line 124a: Fourth horizontal line 124b: Fourth vertical line 125a: Fifth horizontal line 125b: The fifth vertical line 126a: The sixth horizontal line 126b: The sixth vertical line 127a: The 7th horizontal line 127b: The 7th vertical line 128a: The 8th horizontal line 128b: The 8th vertical line 130: Integrated heater unit 131: Hub housing 132: Gas line housing 132a: First line housing 132b: Second line housing section 133: Heating element 200: PCB Processing System 210: Shower head 210a: First shower head 210b: Second shower head 215: Subchamber 215a: First subchamber 215b: Second subchamber 215c: Third sub-chamber 215d: Fourth subchamber 220: Circuit board support section 220a: First substrate support part 220b: Second substrate support section 230: Chamber wall

Claims

1. A gas hub from which process gas is supplied from a gas supply source, Multiple gas lines that propagate the process gas, which is branched off from the gas hub and supplied therefrom, An integrated heater unit is provided, which is arranged to enclose the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub, and which simultaneously heats the gas hub and the plurality of gas lines. Equipped with, The aforementioned integrated heater unit is The plurality of gas lines and the heat-conducting block enclosing the gas hub, A heating element that contacts the heat-conducting block at least partially to heat the heat-conducting block, Equipped with, The aforementioned thermally conductive block is The hub housing portion enclosing the aforementioned gas hub, A gas line housing section that encloses the aforementioned multiple gas lines, Equipped with, The aforementioned gas hub is composed of multiple components stacked vertically, The hub housing is a process gas supply device that encloses multiple gas hubs together.

2. Each of the plurality of gas lines comprises a horizontal line portion extending radially from the gas hub and a vertical line portion extending perpendicularly from the horizontal line portion in the radial direction, The aforementioned gas line housing section is A first line housing section that encloses the aforementioned horizontal line section, A second line receiving section encloses the aforementioned vertical line section, A process gas supply device according to claim 1, comprising the following:

3. The process gas supply device according to claim 2, wherein the first line housing section and the second line housing section have different shapes from each other.

4. The aforementioned plurality of gas lines are connected to each of the gas hubs in equal numbers. The process gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the gas line housing section is composed of multiple sections and encloses each gas line in the same direction.

5. Multiple gas supply lines are connected to each of the multiple gas hubs to supply the process gas. The process gas supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process gas includes a plurality of gases supplied to different gas hubs.

6. The process gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas lines extend radially in a symmetrical manner with respect to the gas hub.

7. The process gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the heat conductive block comprises aluminum.

8. The process gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a cartridge heater.

9. The process gas supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the heat conductive block.

10. The process gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the integrated heater section further comprises an insulating section that encloses the heat conductive block.

11. The process gas supply device according to claim 10, wherein the heat insulating part includes glass fibers.

12. A process gas supply device according to any one of claims 1-11, A plurality of showerheads, each supplied with the process gas branched from the gas hub, Multiple substrate support parts are provided, each corresponding to the multiple shower heads, A substrate processing system comprising the above.

13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of sub-chambers in which the plurality of shower heads and the plurality of substrate support parts are each arranged in pairs.

14. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of shower heads are arranged symmetrically.

15. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, wherein one of the process gases is supplied to each of the gas hubs.

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