Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To prevent abnormal discharging at an electrode part connected to a stage inside a vacuum container.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method to be performed in a substrate processing device including a vacuum container, a stage disposed in the vacuum container and having a heater, a gas supply part that supplies gas into the vacuum container, an exhaust device that exhausts gas in the vacuum container, and an electrode part that is connected to the stage, applies voltage to the heater, and is disposed in the vacuum container is to perform a discharging countermeasure process including the steps of stopping the application of voltage to the heater while the pressure in the vacuum container is in a discharge pressure range, in which discharging occurs in the vacuum container, by referring to the discharge pressure range on the basis of Paschen's law, and starting the application of voltage to the heater again when the pressure in the vacuum container is out of the discharge pressure range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a degassing apparatus for removing impurities from the surface of a substrate by heat. The degassing apparatus adjusts the pressure inside a vacuum chamber to a high vacuum, places the substrate on a heatable stage, and heats the substrate to remove moisture and gases adhering to the substrate, thereby removing impurities from the surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-252271 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] This disclosure provides a technology that can prevent abnormal discharge in an electrode connected to a stage inside a vacuum vessel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing method is performed in a substrate processing apparatus having a vacuum vessel, a stage disposed inside the vacuum vessel and having a heater, a gas supply unit for supplying gas into the vacuum vessel, an exhaust device for exhausting gas from inside the vacuum vessel, and an electrode unit connected to the stage and for applying voltage to the heater, the electrode unit being installed inside the vacuum vessel, The atmosphere inside the vacuum container is an argon gas atmosphere. Based on Paschen's Law, refer to the discharge pressure range in which a discharge occurs within the vacuum container, and while the pressure within the vacuum container is within the discharge pressure range, The gas supplied into the vacuum container is switched from argon gas to nitrogen gas, and the nitrogen gas is supplied into the vacuum container. The steps include: when the pressure inside the vacuum container falls outside the discharge pressure range, The system switches back from nitrogen gas to argon gas and supplies the argon gas into the vacuum container.A substrate processing method is provided which includes the step of performing a discharge prevention treatment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] One aspect of this design is that it can prevent abnormal discharge in the electrode section connected to the stage inside the vacuum container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the configuration and operation of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an example of operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating Paschen's Law. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] A figure showing an example of a substrate processing system according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The following describes embodiments for implementing this disclosure with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0009] In this specification, deviations in directions such as parallel, right angles, orthogonal, horizontal, vertical, up and down, and left and right are permitted to the extent that they do not impair the effects of the embodiment. The shape of the corners is not limited to right angles and may be rounded in an arc shape. Parallel, right angles, orthogonal, horizontal, vertical, circular, and coincidence may include approximately parallel, approximately right angles, approximately orthogonal, approximately horizontal, approximately vertical, approximately circular, and approximately coincidence.

[0010] [Example of a substrate processing apparatus configuration] Referring to Figure 1, an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration and operation of a substrate processing apparatus PM1 according to one embodiment. In Figure 1, an example of the configuration of a degassing apparatus that removes impurities from the surface of a substrate by heat will be given and explained as an example of a substrate processing apparatus PM1.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1(a), the substrate processing apparatus PM1 includes a vacuum vessel 10, a stage 11, a gas supply unit 17, and an exhaust device 20. The vacuum vessel 10 has a transport port 15 on its side wall, and the transport port 15 is provided with a gate valve 16 for opening and closing the transport port 15. The stage 11 is located inside the vacuum vessel 10. The upper surface of the stage 11 is a mounting surface on which the substrate W is placed. The substrate is transported in through the transport port 15 by opening the gate valve 16 and placed on the mounting surface of the stage 11. After the substrate W is transported in, the gate valve 16 is closed. The stage 11 is made of a dielectric material such as ceramics and has a metal heater 12 built inside. The specific structure of the heater 12 is not shown in the illustration, but it may be in any shape, such as spiral. As shown in Figure 1(b), the substrate W placed on the stage 11 is heated by the heater 12. The mechanism for heating the substrate W may be provided not only in the stage 11, but also anywhere in the vacuum container 10.

[0012] Electrode sections 13a and 13b are installed inside the vacuum vessel 10, separated by a distance d. In this structure, the electrode sections 13a and 13b penetrate the bottom wall of the vacuum vessel 10, and are positioned inside the vacuum vessel 10 and connected to the stage 11. The ends of the electrode sections 13a and 13b are connected to the input and output ends of the heater 12, respectively. The electrode sections 13a and 13b are power supply lines for applying voltage from a power supply 14 located outside the vacuum vessel 10 to the heater 12, and are insulated from their surroundings. The electrode sections 13a and 13b are collectively referred to as electrode section 13.

[0013] The gas supply unit 17 supplies an inert gas into the vacuum chamber 10 from the gas supply line L1 via the flow controller 18. The flow controller 18 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller.

[0014] An example of the inert gas supplied by the gas supply unit 17 into the vacuum chamber 10 is argon gas. In this case, the atmosphere of the gas in the vacuum chamber 10 is an argon gas atmosphere. In this specification, the inert gas includes nitrogen gas, and the gas supply unit 17 may supply nitrogen gas as another example of the inert gas into the vacuum chamber 10. In this case, the atmosphere of the gas in the vacuum chamber 10 is a nitrogen gas atmosphere. The gas supply unit 17 may switch between supplying argon gas and nitrogen gas into the vacuum chamber 10 at the timing described later, and set the atmosphere of the gas in the vacuum chamber 10 to an atmosphere of either argon gas or nitrogen gas or an atmosphere in which these gases are mixed.

[0015] The exhaust device 20 exhausts the gas in the vacuum chamber 10 and makes the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 in a vacuum state. The exhaust device 20 is connected, for example, to a gas discharge port 25 provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber 10. The exhaust device 20 may include a pressure regulating valve 27 and a vacuum pump. The pressure regulating valve 27 is connected to the gas discharge port 25, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 10 is adjusted by the pressure regulating valve 27. The vacuum pump includes a dry pump 22 and a turbo molecular pump 21. The turbo molecular pump 21 is disposed on the downstream side of the pressure regulating valve 27, and the dry pump 22 is disposed on the downstream side of the turbo molecular pump 21. The turbo molecular pump 21 is connected to the dry pump 22 via an exhaust line L2. Also, the dry pump 22 is connected to a gas discharge port 26 provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber 10 via an exhaust line L3.

[0016] An on-off valve 23 is provided in the exhaust line L2, and an on-off valve 24 is provided in the exhaust line L3. First, the on-off valve 24 is opened, the on-off valve 23 is closed, and the inside of the vacuum vessel 10 is evacuated from the gas outlet 26 by the dry pump 22 (rough evacuation). Then, the on-off valve 23 is opened, the on-off valve 24 is closed, and the inside of the vacuum vessel 10 is further evacuated by the turbo molecular pump 21, which has a smaller exhaust volume than the dry pump 22, using the turbo molecular pump 21 (fine evacuation). Thereby, the vacuum vessel 10 can be brought into a high-vacuum state. After that, during the degassing process, the on-off valve 24 is opened, the on-off valve 23 is closed, and the inside of the vacuum vessel 10 is evacuated from the gas outlet 26 by the dry pump 22. After the degassing process, the on-off valve 23 is opened again, the on-off valve 24 is closed, and the inside of the vacuum vessel 10 is evacuated from the gas outlet 25 by the turbo molecular pump 21 and the dry pump 22.

[0017] The control device 30 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the substrate processing apparatus PM1 to perform the various steps described herein. The control device 30 may be configured to control each element of the substrate processing apparatus PM1 to perform the various steps described herein. In one embodiment, some or all of the control device 30 may be included in the substrate processing apparatus PM1. The control device 30 may include a processing unit, a storage unit, and a communication interface. The control device 30 is implemented, for example, by a computer. The processing unit may be configured to perform various control operations by reading a program from the storage unit and executing the read program. This program may be stored in the storage unit in advance, or it may be retrieved via a medium when needed. The retrieved program is stored in the storage unit and read from the storage unit and executed by the processing unit. The medium may be various storage media readable by a computer, or it may be a communication line connected to a communication interface. The processing unit may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface may communicate with the substrate processing device PM1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0018] In the substrate processing apparatus PM1, the substrate W is loaded into the vacuum chamber 10 and placed on the stage 11, and the substrate W is heated by the heater 12. When loading the substrate W into the vacuum chamber 10, an inert gas is supplied to the vacuum chamber 10. As a result, the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 is pressurized, and moisture and organic matter on the surface of the substrate W, which is heated in an inert gas atmosphere, are removed, and impurities are removed from the surface of the substrate W. The process of removing impurities from the surface of the substrate W by heating it is also called "degassing".

[0019] The temperature of the substrate W does not rise easily with radiant heat alone within the vacuum chamber 10. Therefore, the vacuum chamber 10 is filled with an inert gas and pressurized to a high pressure to raise the temperature inside the vacuum chamber 10 and heat the substrate W. The inert gas used to pressurize the vacuum chamber 10 to a high pressure is argon gas or nitrogen gas. In the process of supplying argon gas into the vacuum chamber 10 and increasing the pressure, the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 10 is denoted as "p", and the voltage applied to the heater 12 is denoted as "V". B When this is done, a discharge occurs based on Paschen's law shown in Figure 3. The horizontal axis represents the product of the pressure p inside the vacuum container 10 and the distance d between the electrodes 13a and 13b, pd [Torr cm], and the vertical axis represents the voltage V applied to the heater 12. B [Volts(V)] is shown. The distance d (distance between electrodes) between electrodes 13a and 13b is a constant value.

[0020] According to Paschen's law, during the process of supplying gas into a vacuum chamber 10 to increase or decrease its pressure, when the pressure p inside the vacuum chamber 10 passes through a region where a discharge occurs, an abnormal discharge (abnormal current value) occurs between the electrodes 13a and 13b. For example, the voltage V applied to the heater 12, shown on the vertical axis of Figure 3. B Let's take the case where the voltage is 200[V] and argon gas is supplied into the vacuum container 10 as an example. In this case, for example, during the boosting process, there is a region where a discharge occurs between the electrode parts 13 inside the vacuum container 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "discharge pressure range"). Applied voltage V B When the voltage is 200[V], the discharge pressure range is indicated by the arrow and the letter "Pa" in Figure 3. Discharge occurs between the electrode parts 13 inside the vacuum container 10 within the discharge pressure range, not only during the pressure increase process but also during the pressure decrease process.

[0021] If a discharge occurs between the electrodes 13, dielectric breakdown will occur in the electrodes 13, causing an overcurrent to flow through the electrodes 13 (abnormal discharge). This will trigger a circuit breaker to protect the power supply, causing the power supply 14 to trip (shut down), which will cause operational problems for the substrate processing apparatus PM1. As a result, the substrate W cannot be heated, and the throughput of the degassing process will decrease. Therefore, it is important to take some measures to prevent the power supply 14 from tripping.

[0022] Therefore, in order to prevent abnormal discharge, during the process of increasing and decreasing the pressure inside the vacuum container 10, the voltage applied to the heater 12 is turned off while within the discharge pressure range. Then, after passing through the discharge pressure range, the voltage applied to the heater 12 is automatically adjusted to be turned on.

[0023] By providing a sequence that can control the steps for performing the above discharge prevention treatment, it is possible to perform degassing treatment by heating the substrate W while preventing burnout of the electrode parts 13 due to abnormal discharge between the electrode parts 13. Below, we will describe a substrate processing method, using an example in which argon gas is supplied to the vacuum container 10 as an inert gas when the substrate W is brought in.

[0024] [Substrate Processing Method] The substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus PM1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figures 1 to 3 are used to illustrate an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus PM1 during the execution of the substrate processing method ST. Figure 4 is a flowchart of an example of the substrate processing method ST according to one embodiment. The substrate processing method ST shown in Figure 4 includes discharge prevention processing, and each process is automatically controlled by the control device 30.

[0025] When the substrate processing method ST shown in Figure 4 is started, in step S1, the control device 30 controls the exhaust of gas by the exhaust device 20 (turbomolecular pump 21 and dry pump 22) when the substrate processing apparatus PM1 is idling. At this point, as shown in Figure 1(a), the substrate processing apparatus PM1 is in an idling state, and the turbomolecular pump 21 and dry pump 22 exhaust gas from the vacuum container 10 through the gas outlet 25, reducing the pressure inside the vacuum container 10.

[0026] In step S3, the control device 30 opens the gate valve 16, loads the substrate W through the transport port 15, and places the substrate W on the mounting surface of the stage 11. The control device 30 also applies voltage from the power supply 14 to the heater 12 to heat the substrate W. After loading the substrate W, the control device 30 closes the gate valve 16. At this point, as shown in Figure 1(b), the substrate W is loaded into the vacuum chamber 10 and heated by the heater 12.

[0027] In step S5, the control device 30 switches from the turbomolecular pump 21 and the dry pump 22 to the dry pump 22 and controls the exhaust by the dry pump 22. At this point, as shown in Figure 1(c), the dry pump 22 exhausts the gas from the vacuum vessel 10 through the gas outlet 26, creating a vacuum inside the vacuum vessel 10.

[0028] In step S7, the control device 30 continues to exhaust air using the dry pump 22 while supplying argon gas from the gas supply unit 17 into the vacuum vessel 10. At this point, as shown in Figure 1(d), exhaust air is being pumped using the dry pump 22 and argon gas is being supplied into the vacuum vessel 10. At this time, the supplied argon gas increases the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 10, which was in a high vacuum state. In this case, the conductance of the exhaust line L3 and the output of the dry pump 22 may be adjusted to adjust the amount of air being pumped by the dry pump 22.

[0029] In step S9, the control device 30 heats the vacuum chamber 10 and the stage 11 by increasing the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 10 and applying voltage to the heater 12, thereby heating the substrate W and performing degassing. At this point, as shown in Figure 2(a), the vacuum chamber 10 and the heater 12 are heated. As a result, moisture and organic matter on the surface of the substrate W are removed, and impurities can be removed from the surface of the substrate W.

[0030] In step S11, the control device 30, based on Paschen's law, determines the pressure p in the vacuum chamber 10 and the voltage V applied to the heater 12. BDetermine whether to perform the discharge countermeasure process. When argon gas is supplied into the vacuum vessel 10, based on Paschen's law in FIG. 3, the gas species, the pd value and the voltage V at this time B The implementation of the discharge countermeasure process is determined from the combination.

[0031] As a result of the determination of the implementation of the discharge countermeasure process, in step S13, the control device 30, based on Paschen's law, when it is determined that the pd value is within the discharge pressure range at the voltage V B proceeds to step S15 and turns off the power supply 14 of the heater 12. Thereby, the occurrence of abnormal discharge can be prevented.

[0032] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the applied voltage V B to the heater 12 is 200 [V], during the process of increasing the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 10, while the pd value is smaller than the range of the discharge pressure Pa with respect to the pressure p inside the vacuum vessel 10, the power supply 14 maintains the on state. When the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 10 gradually increases and the pd value falls within the range of the discharge pressure Pa, the power supply 14 is turned off, and the applied voltage V B from the power supply 14 to the heater 12 is set to 0V. The discharge pressure range is determined by the applied voltage to the heater 12, the pressure p inside the vacuum vessel 10, and the gas species. The control device 30 executes step S13 by referring to the preset discharge pressure range for each combination of the applied voltage to the heater 12, the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 10, and the gas species based on Paschen's law.

[0033] When the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 10 further increases and in step S13, the control device 30 determines that the pd value is greater than the discharge pressure range, in step S17, the power supply 14 is turned on again.

[0034] Note that the processes of steps S11 to S17 may be performed immediately after the process of step S7. Also, the processes of steps S11 to S17 are executed not only during the pressure increase process inside the vacuum vessel 10 but also during the pressure decrease process inside the vacuum vessel 10.

[0035] In step S19, the control device 30 determines whether or not to terminate the degassing process. If it is determined that the degassing process should continue, the processes in steps S9 to S19 are executed.

[0036] If it is determined in step S19 that the degassing process is complete, the process proceeds to step S21, where the control device 30 stops supplying argon gas to the vacuum chamber 10 and stops applying voltage from the power supply 14 to the heater 12. As a result, as shown in Figure 2(b), the supply of argon gas is stopped and the heating of the substrate W is stopped. The argon gas is then exhausted from the vacuum chamber 10 by the dry pump 22.

[0037] In step S23, the control device 30 switches from the dry pump 22 to the turbomolecular pump 21, which has a smaller exhaust volume, and evacuates the inside of the vacuum vessel 10 using the turbomolecular pump 21. As a result, as shown in Figure 2(c), argon gas is exhausted from inside the vacuum vessel 10 by the turbomolecular pump 21.

[0038] In step S25, the control device 30 opens the gate valve 16 and discharges the degassed substrate W from the transport port 15. After the substrate W is discharged, the control device 30 closes the gate valve 16 and terminates the process. As a result, as shown in Figure 2(d), the substrate processing apparatus PM1 enters an idle state until the processing of the next substrate begins.

[0039] As described above, according to the substrate processing method of this disclosure, in the substrate processing apparatus PM1, a discharge prevention process including the following steps 1 and 2 is performed during degassing. Step 1 involves referring to the discharge pressure range in which discharge occurs in the vacuum chamber 10 based on Paschen's law, and turning off the voltage applied to the heater 12 while the pressure in the vacuum chamber 10 is within the discharge pressure range. Step 2 is performed after the process of step 1, and when the pressure in the vacuum chamber 10 goes outside the discharge pressure range, the voltage applied to the heater 12 is turned on again.

[0040] By performing the discharge prevention process including steps 1 and 2, it is possible to prevent dielectric breakdown between the electrode parts 13 and the occurrence of abnormal discharge in the substrate processing apparatus PM1, in which the electrode parts 13 that supply voltage to the heater 12 are installed inside the vacuum container 10. In particular, step 1 can prevent abnormal discharge in the electrode parts 13 connected to the stage 11 inside the vacuum container 10. Furthermore, step 2 can suppress the temperature drop of the substrate W on the stage 11.

[0041] In step 1, the time for which the voltage applied to the heater 12 is turned off is approximately 1 second or less. Furthermore, since the stage 11 is made of ceramics or the like, it has heat capacity and the function of retaining heat. For this reason, the temperature drop of the substrate W on the stage 11 due to turning off the voltage applied to the heater 12 is slight, and the voltage applied to the heater 12 is immediately automatically controlled to be turned on again. In this way, while preventing abnormal discharge in the electrode section 13, the substrate W can be heated to a high pressure on the heater 12 in a short time, and the degassing process can be performed.

[0042] [Example 1] For example, in Modification 1, in step 1, instead of turning off the voltage applied to the heater 12 while the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 10 is within the discharge pressure range, a voltage lower than the voltage previously applied to the heater 12, at a level that does not cause abnormal discharge, may be applied. The upper limit of the voltage lower than the voltage previously applied to the heater, at a level that does not cause abnormal discharge, may be 100V.

[0043] Let's take the case where argon gas is used, as shown in Figure 3, as an example. Voltage V BWithin the discharge pressure range (Pa) when the voltage is 200[V], instead of turning off the voltage applied to the heater 12, a voltage of 100[V] is applied to the heater 12, which is lower than the voltage applied to the heater 12 immediately beforehand and is at a level that does not cause abnormal discharge. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, abnormal discharge based on Paschen's law is not prevented regardless of which gas is supplied into the vacuum chamber 10. Furthermore, the temperature drop of the substrate W can be made smaller compared to when the voltage applied to the heater 12 is turned off.

[0044] [Differentiation 2] For example, in Modification 2, the supply of argon gas and nitrogen gas may be switched in steps 1 and 2. That is, in Modification 2, in step 1, when the pressure inside the vacuum container 10 is within the discharge pressure range, instead of turning off the voltage applied to the heater 12, the gas supplied to the vacuum container 10 is switched from argon gas to nitrogen gas, and nitrogen gas is supplied to the vacuum container 10. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, when using argon gas, abnormal discharge occurs in the discharge pressure range (Pa) based on Paschen's law, but abnormal discharge occurs in the electrode section 13 by supplying nitrogen gas.

[0045] In step 2, when the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 10 falls outside the discharge pressure range, the supply of argon gas is switched again from nitrogen gas to argon gas, and argon gas is supplied to the vacuum chamber 10. As a result, the applied voltage V to the heater 12 increases, as shown in Figure 3. B This prevents abnormal discharge without reducing the voltage. Furthermore, it allows for a smaller temperature drop in the substrate W compared to turning off or lowering the voltage applied to the heater 12. Additionally, by supplying nitrogen gas only when the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 10 is within the discharge pressure range, the time the substrate W is exposed to nitrogen gas can be minimized. This minimizes the formation of nitrides, such as nitriding of the film on the substrate W.

[0046] However, if the formation of the above-mentioned nitrides is undesirable, it is preferable to perform the discharge prevention treatment of Embodiment or Modification 1 rather than the discharge prevention treatment of Modification 2. In other words, it is preferable to supply argon gas, an inert gas, when the substrate W is brought in. This is because argon gas is inert and does not react with the film formed on the substrate W, whereas nitrogen gas reacts with the film on the substrate and nitrides the film. However, nitrogen gas may also be used. Krypton gas may also be used as the inert gas. Furthermore, in Embodiment, Modification 1 and Modification 2, it is also possible to supply a mixed gas of argon gas and nitrogen gas. The mixing ratio of the two gases is determined according to the film on the substrate W and the process.

[0047] [Circuit board processing system] An example of a substrate processing system including a substrate processing apparatus PM1 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing system 1 according to one embodiment. The substrate processing system 1 according to one embodiment is configured as a multi-chamber type having a plurality of process modules PM. The substrate processing system 1 is used in one step of semiconductor manufacturing, and substrates are sequentially transported to each process module PM by a plurality of transport modules TM, and appropriate substrate processing is performed in each process module PM. Examples of substrate processing performed by the process modules PM include degassing, film deposition, etching, ashing, and cleaning.

[0048] The substrate processing system 1 transports the substrate W from an atmospheric environment to a vacuum environment, then processes the substrate W in each transport module TM and each process module PM in the vacuum environment, and after processing, transports the substrate W from the vacuum environment back to the atmospheric environment. Therefore, the substrate processing system 1 includes a front module FM (e.g., EFEM: Equipment Front End Module) that transports the substrate in an atmospheric environment, and a load lock module LLM that switches between an atmospheric environment and a vacuum environment. The substrate processing system 1 also has a control device 80 that controls the front module FM, the load lock module LLM, each process module PM, and each transport module TM.

[0049] The front module FM has multiple load ports 51, a series of loaders 52 adjacent to each load port 51, and an alignment device 53 (orienter) provided adjacent to the loaders 52. Each load port 51 is set with a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) containing multiple substrates W (unprocessed substrates W) from the previous manufacturing process, and an empty FOUP containing substrates W that have been processed by the substrate processing system 1.

[0050] The loader 52 is formed as a rectangular box with a clean space inside. The front module FM is equipped with an air transport device 54 inside the loader 52. The alignment device 53 works in cooperation with the air transport device 54 to adjust the circumferential position of the substrate W removed from the FOUP and the support posture of the substrate W by the air transport device 54.

[0051] The atmospheric transport device 54 transports the substrate W, which has been aligned in the alignment device 53, into the load lock module LLM. The atmospheric transport device 54 then unloads the substrate W from the load lock module LLM and places it into the FOUP via the clean space within the loader 52.

[0052] Two load lock modules LLM are provided between the front module FM and the transport module TM. A gate valve 61 is provided between each load lock module LLM and the front module FM to maintain airtightness within the load lock module LLM. Additionally, a gate valve 62 is provided between the load lock module LLM and the transport module TM to maintain airtightness between the load lock module LLM and the transport module TM.

[0053] The load lock module LLM allows the substrate W to be transported to the transport module TM by receiving the substrate W from the front module FM in an atmospheric environment and then reducing the pressure to a vacuum environment. Furthermore, the load lock module LLM allows the substrate W to be transported to the front module FM by receiving the substrate W from the transport module TM in a vacuum environment and then increasing the pressure to an atmospheric environment. Note that the substrate processing system 1 may have only one load lock module LLM.

[0054] Furthermore, the substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment has multiple (four) transport modules TM installed side by side, and multiple (eight) process modules PM installed adjacent to each transport module TM.Hereafter, the multiple transport modules TM will be referred to as the first transport module TM1, the second transport module TM2, the third transport module TM3, and the fourth transport module TM4, in order from the proximal side to the distal side of the two load lock modules LLM.The first transport module TM1, the second transport module TM2, the third transport module TM3, and the fourth transport module TM4 constitute a group of transport modules arranged linearly along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the loader 52.

[0055] On the other hand, the multiple process modules PM are installed in pairs, four on the left side of the transport module group and four on the right side, corresponding to the four transport modules TM. In the following, using Figure 1 as an example, the process modules PM installed to the left of each transport module TM will be referred to as the left column process module group, and the process modules PM installed to the right of each transport module TM will be referred to as the right column process module group. The left column process module group and the right column process module group extend parallel to each transport module group.

[0056] The left-hand column of process modules consists of the first process module PM1, the third process module PM3, the fifth process module PM5, and the seventh process module PM7, arranged in order from the proximal to distal side of the load lock module LLM. The right-hand column of process modules consists of the second process module PM2, the fourth process module PM4, the sixth process module PM6, and the eighth process module PM8, arranged in order from the proximal to distal side of the load lock module LLM.

[0057] The first process module PM1 is positioned to the left and in the middle of the first transport module TM1 and the second transport module TM2, and is connected to the first transport module TM1 and the second transport module TM2. The second process module PM2 is positioned to the right and in the middle of the first transport module TM1 and the second transport module TM2, and is connected to the first transport module TM1 and the second transport module TM2.

[0058] The third process module PM3 is positioned to the left and in the middle of the second transport module TM2 and the third transport module TM3, and is connected to the second transport module TM2 and the third transport module TM3. The fourth process module PM4 is positioned to the right and in the middle of the second transport module TM2 and the third transport module TM3, and is connected to the second transport module TM2 and the third transport module TM3.

[0059] The fifth process module PM5 is positioned to the left and in the middle of the third transport module TM3 and the fourth transport module TM4, and is connected to the third transport module TM3 and the fourth transport module TM4. The sixth process module PM6 is positioned to the right and in the middle of the third transport module TM3 and the fourth transport module TM4, and is connected to the third transport module TM3 and the fourth transport module TM4.

[0060] The seventh process module PM7 is located to the left of the fourth transport module TM4 and is connected to the fourth transport module. The eighth process module PM8 is located to the right of the fourth transport module TM4 and is connected to the fourth transport module TM4.

[0061] Each transport module TM is equipped with a transport robot 32. Each transport module TM is formed as a hexagonal box in plan view. The first transport module TM1 is connected to two load lock modules LLM, the first process module PM1, and the second process module PM2, respectively. The second transport module TM2 is connected to the first process modules PM1 to the fourth process module PM4. The third transport module TM3 is connected to the third process modules PM3 to the sixth process module PM6, respectively. The fourth transport module TM4 is connected to the fifth process module PM5 to the eighth process module PM8, respectively.

[0062] The transport robot 32 is configured to be movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable in the horizontal direction, and has forks to hold the substrate W horizontally during transport. The transport robots 32 provided in each of the first transport module TM1 to the fourth transport module TM4 can be operated independently of each other under the control of the control device 80. The transport robot 32 moves forward and backward with respect to the two load lock modules LLM and the first process modules PM1 to the eighth process modules PM8 to transfer and receive the substrate W.

[0063] Meanwhile, multiple process modules PM house the substrate W inside and perform substrate processing. The process modules PM are formed in a polygonal shape (pentagon) when viewed from above. Between each transport module TM and each process module PM, there is a gate valve 16 that communicates with the space between them and allows the substrate W to pass through.

[0064] In each process module PM, the process module PM1 (substrate processing device PM1), to which the substrate W is first transported from the load lock module LLM, executes the substrate processing method shown in Figure 4, and degassing is performed. This removes impurities such as moisture from the surface of the substrate W in process module PM1 (substrate processing device PM1). During degassing, the discharge prevention treatment prevents the occurrence of abnormal discharge between the electrode parts 13.

[0065] After impurities have been removed from the substrate W in process module PM1 (substrate processing device PM1), the substrate W is transported to one or more other process modules PM via the first transport module TM1, etc. In one or more process modules PM, substrate processing such as film deposition, etching, ashing, and cleaning is performed on the substrate W. After degassing is performed in the first process module PM1, the substrate processing performed in each or one or more of the second process modules PM2 to the eighth process modules PM8 may be different or the same. After processing is complete, the substrate W is returned to FOUP via the load lock module LLM and loader 52.

[0066] It should be noted that the substrate processing system 1 in Figure 5 is just one example, and there are various system configurations depending on the application and purpose. For example, the process module may consist of two modules, the first process module PM1 and the second process module PM2, and the transport module TM may be just one first transport module TM1 adjacent to the process module PM.

[0067] As described above, the substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment can prevent abnormal discharge from occurring between the electrode portions 13 in the vacuum container 10, based on Paschen's law.

[0068] The substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be otherwise configured and combined in a non-consistent manner.

[0069] In this specification, as an example of a substrate processing apparatus PM1, a degassing apparatus that removes impurities from the substrate surface by heat has been described. However, the substrate processing apparatus of this disclosure is not limited to a degassing apparatus and can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a heater on the stage. In a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a heater on the stage, substrate processing such as film deposition and etching can be performed.

[0070] The substrate processing apparatus of this disclosure can be applied to any of the following: a single-wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates one by one, a batch processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once, and a semi-batch processing apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] PM1 Substrate Processing Equipment 10 Vacuum container 11 stages 12 Heaters 14 Power supply 17 Gas Supply Department 20 Exhaust system 21 Turbomolecular pumps 22 Dry pump 13, 13a, 13b electrode part 30 Control device

Claims

1. Vacuum container and A stage having a heater is placed inside the vacuum vessel, A gas supply unit that supplies gas into the vacuum container, An exhaust device for exhausting the gas inside the vacuum container, An electrode unit connected to the stage and for applying voltage to the heater, the electrode unit installed inside the vacuum container, A substrate processing method performed in a substrate processing apparatus having, The atmosphere inside the vacuum container is an argon gas atmosphere. Based on Paschen's Law, the step of referring to the discharge pressure range in which a discharge occurs in the vacuum vessel, and switching the gas supplied to the vacuum vessel from argon gas to nitrogen gas while the pressure in the vacuum vessel is within the discharge pressure range, and supplying the nitrogen gas to the vacuum vessel, When the pressure inside the vacuum container falls outside the discharge pressure range, the step of switching again from the nitrogen gas to the argon gas and supplying the argon gas into the vacuum container, A substrate processing method that includes a discharge prevention treatment.

2. The type of gas supplied into the vacuum container, the pressure inside the vacuum container, and the voltage applied to the heater are used to determine whether or not to perform the discharge prevention process based on Paschen's law. The substrate processing method according to claim 1.

3. Vacuum container and A stage having a heater is placed inside the vacuum vessel, A gas supply unit that supplies gas into the vacuum container, An exhaust device for exhausting the gas inside the vacuum container, An electrode unit connected to the stage and for applying voltage to the heater, the electrode unit installed inside the vacuum container, A substrate processing apparatus having a control unit, The atmosphere inside the vacuum container is an argon gas atmosphere. The control unit, Based on Paschen's Law, the step of referring to the discharge pressure range in which a discharge occurs in the vacuum vessel, and switching the gas supplied to the vacuum vessel from argon gas to nitrogen gas while the pressure in the vacuum vessel is within the discharge pressure range, and supplying the nitrogen gas to the vacuum vessel, When the pressure inside the vacuum container falls outside the discharge pressure range, the step of switching again from the nitrogen gas to the argon gas and supplying the argon gas into the vacuum container, A substrate processing apparatus that controls discharge prevention processing, including the process described above.

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