Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method that improve throughput in a film forming process that includes a first film forming step for forming a SiN film, an etching step for etching the SiN film, and a second film forming step for forming the SiN film.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device 100 includes a processing container 1 that accommodates a substrate W, a processing gas supply unit that supplies processing gas into the processing container, an exhaust unit that exhausts the inside of the processing container, a heating mechanism that heats the processing container, and cooling gas injection units 51 and 52 that inject cooling gas to cool the substrate, and the temperature changes during film formation and etching are performed in a short time by injecting cooling gas onto the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus for forming a SiN film on a substrate. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a film formation process including a first film formation step of forming a SiN film, an etching step of etching the SiN film, and a second film formation step of forming a SiN film.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On one aspect, the present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for improving throughput.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including a processing container for accommodating a substrate, a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing container, an exhaust unit for exhausting the inside of the processing container, a heating mechanism provided around the processing container for heating the processing container, and a cooling gas injection unit for injecting a cooling gas for cooling the substrate accommodated in the processing container, wherein the cooling gas injection unit has a gas nozzle for injecting the cooling gas onto the substrate accommodated in the processing container, and includes a cooling gas supply pipe penetrating through the side wall of the heating mechanism and the processing container, and a gas cooling device provided outside the heating mechanism for supplying the cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe. One of the cooling gas supply pipes branches within the processing container and has a plurality of gas nozzles, A substrate processing apparatus is provided.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] In one respect, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that improve throughput. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a substrate processing apparatus with the processing container cut horizontally. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which the processing container is cut vertically along AA. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram showing another configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus in which the processing container is cut vertically along AA. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating an example of substrate processing. [Figure 6] A graph illustrating temperature control in an example of substrate processing. [Figure 7] An example of experimental results obtained by repeatedly injecting and stopping cooling gas. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating another example of substrate processing. [Figure 9] A graph illustrating temperature control of a substrate using temperature control of a heating mechanism. [Figure 10] A graph illustrating temperature control of a substrate using temperature control via cooling gas injection. [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] [Substrate Processing Equipment] The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 when the processing container 1 is cut horizontally. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 when the processing container 1 is cut vertically along line AA. Note that the heating mechanism 50 is not shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0010] The substrate processing apparatus 100 has a cylindrical processing container 1 with a top and an open bottom. The entire processing container 1 is made of, for example, quartz. A top plate 2 made of quartz is provided near the top of the processing container 1, and the area below the top plate 2 is sealed. A cylindrical metal manifold 3 is connected to the opening at the bottom of the processing container 1 via a sealing member 4 such as an O-ring.

[0011] The manifold 3 supports the lower end of the processing container 1, and a wafer boat (substrate holder) 5, on which a large number of semiconductor wafers (for example, 25 to 150 wafers, hereinafter referred to as "substrates W") are placed in multiple layers, is inserted into the processing container 1 from below the manifold 3. In this way, a large number of substrates W are housed in the processing container 1 in a substantially horizontal manner with spacing along the vertical direction. The wafer boat 5 is made of, for example, quartz. The wafer boat 5 has three rods 6 (two are shown in Figure 1), and the large number of substrates W are supported by grooves (not shown) formed in the rods 6.

[0012] The wafer boat 5 is placed on the table 8 via a heat-insulating tube 7 made of quartz. The table 8 is supported on a rotating shaft 10 that passes through a metal (stainless steel) cover 9 that opens and closes the opening at the lower end of the manifold 3.

[0013] A magnetic fluid seal 11 is provided at the penetration portion of the rotating shaft 10, which hermetically seals the rotating shaft 10 and supports it so that it can rotate. A sealing member 12 is provided between the periphery of the lid 9 and the lower end of the manifold 3 to maintain airtightness inside the processing container 1.

[0014] The rotating shaft 10 is attached to the tip of an arm 13 supported by a lifting mechanism (not shown) such as a boat elevator. The wafer boat 5 and the lid 9 are lifted and lowered integrally and inserted into and removed from the processing vessel 1. Note that the table 8 may be fixed to the lid 9 side so that the substrate W can be processed without rotating the wafer boat 5.

[0015] The substrate processing apparatus 100 also has a gas supply unit (processing gas supply unit) 20 that supplies a predetermined gas such as a processing gas and a purge gas into the processing vessel 1.

[0016] The gas supply unit 20 has gas supply pipes 21, 22, 23, and 24. The gas supply pipe 21 is formed of, for example, quartz, penetrates the side wall of the manifold 3 inward, bends upward, and extends vertically. A plurality of gas holes 21g are formed at predetermined intervals over a vertical length corresponding to the wafer support range of the wafer boat 5 in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe 21. Each gas hole 21g discharges gas in the horizontal direction. The gas supply pipe 22 is formed of, for example, quartz, penetrates the side wall of the manifold 3 inward, bends upward, and extends vertically. A plurality of gas holes 22g are formed at predetermined intervals over a vertical length corresponding to the wafer support range of the wafer boat 5 in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe 22. Each gas hole 22g discharges gas in the horizontal direction. The gas supply pipe 23 is formed of, for example, quartz and is composed of a quartz pipe that penetrates the side wall of the manifold 3 inward and bends upward. The gas supply pipe 24 is formed of, for example, quartz and is composed of a short quartz pipe provided through the side wall of the manifold 3.

[0017] The gas supply pipe 21 has its vertical portion (the vertical portion where the gas hole 21g is formed) provided inside the processing container 1. The processing gas is supplied from the gas supply source 21a to the gas supply pipe 21 through a gas pipe. The gas pipe is provided with a flow controller 21b and an on-off valve 21c. Thereby, the processing gas from the gas supply source 21a is supplied into the processing container 1 through the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 21. Note that, as the processing gas supplied from the gas supply source 21a, for example, raw material gases (precursor gases) such as HCD(Si2Cl6) gas and AlCl gas can be used.

[0018] The gas supply pipe 22 has its vertical portion (the vertical portion where the gas hole 22g is formed) provided in the plasma generation space described later. The processing gas is supplied from the gas supply source 22a to the gas supply pipe 22 through a gas pipe. The gas pipe is provided with a flow controller 22b and an on-off valve 22c. Thereby, the processing gas from the gas supply source 22a is supplied into the plasma generation space through the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 22, is plasmaized in the plasma generation space, and is supplied into the processing container 1. Note that, as the processing gas supplied from the gas supply source 22a, for example, reaction gases (nitriding gas, oxidizing gas) such as NH3 gas and O3 gas can be used.

[0019] The etchant gas is supplied from the gas supply source 23a to the gas supply pipe 23 through a gas pipe. The gas pipe is provided with a flow controller 23b and an on-off valve 23c. Thereby, the etchant gas from the gas supply source 23a is supplied into the processing container 1 through the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 23. As the etchant gas, for example, hydrogen halides such as hydrogen fluoride (HF) can be used.

[0020] The gas supply pipe 24 is supplied with purge gas from a purge gas supply source (not shown) via gas piping. The gas piping (not shown) is equipped with a flow controller (not shown) and an on / off valve (not shown). As a result, the purge gas from the purge gas supply source is supplied into the processing container 1 via the gas piping and gas supply pipe 24. As the purge gas, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) or nitrogen (N2) can be used. Although the case in which the purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply source to the processing container 1 via the gas piping and gas supply pipe 24 has been described, the system is not limited to this, and the purge gas may be supplied from either gas supply pipe 21 or 23.

[0021] A plasma generation mechanism 30 is formed in a portion of the side wall of the processing container 1. The plasma generation mechanism 30 converts the processing gas from the gas supply source 22a into plasma.

[0022] The plasma generation mechanism 30 comprises a plasma compartment wall 32, a pair of plasma electrodes 33 (one is shown in Figure 1), a power supply line 34, a high-frequency power supply 35, and an insulating protective cover 36.

[0023] The plasma compartment wall 32 is hermetically welded to the outer wall of the processing vessel 1. The plasma compartment wall 32 is made of, for example, quartz. The plasma compartment wall 32 has a concave cross-section and covers the opening 31 formed in the side wall of the processing vessel 1. The opening 31 is elongated in the vertical direction so as to cover all the substrates W supported by the wafer boat 5 in the vertical direction. A gas supply pipe 22 for discharging processing gas is located in the inner space defined by the plasma compartment wall 32 and communicating with the inside of the processing vessel 1, i.e., the plasma generation space. The gas supply pipe 21 for discharging processing gas is located near the substrates W along the inner wall of the processing vessel 1 outside the plasma generation space.

[0024] A pair of plasma electrodes 33 (one is shown in Figure 1) each have an elongated shape and are arranged facing each other vertically on the outer surfaces of the walls on both sides of the plasma compartment wall 32. Each plasma electrode 33 is held by a holding part (not shown) provided, for example, on the side of the plasma compartment wall 32. A power supply line 34 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33.

[0025] The power supply line 34 electrically connects each plasma electrode 33 to the high-frequency power supply 35. In the illustrated example, one end of the power supply line 34 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33, and the other end is connected to the high-frequency power supply 35.

[0026] The high-frequency power supply 35 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33 via a power supply line 34 and supplies high-frequency power of, for example, 13.56 MHz to the pair of plasma electrodes 33. This applies high-frequency power to the plasma generation space defined by the plasma partition wall 32. The processing gas discharged from the gas supply pipe 21 is plasma-generated in the plasma generation space to which high-frequency power is applied and supplied to the inside of the processing container 1 through the opening 31.

[0027] The insulating protective cover 36 is attached to the outside of the plasma compartment wall 32 so as to cover the plasma compartment wall 32. A refrigerant passage (not shown) is provided in the inner portion of the insulating protective cover 36, and the plasma electrode 33 is cooled by flowing a refrigerant such as cooled nitrogen (N2) gas through the refrigerant passage. A shield (not shown) may also be provided between the plasma electrode 33 and the insulating protective cover 36 so as to cover the plasma electrode 33. The shield is made of a good conductor such as metal and is grounded.

[0028] An exhaust port (exhaust section) 40 for vacuuming the inside of the processing container 1 is provided on the side wall portion of the processing container 1 facing the opening 31. The exhaust port 40 is formed to be long and narrow vertically, corresponding to the wafer boat 5. An exhaust port cover member 41, which is formed in a U-shape in cross-section, is attached to the portion of the processing container 1 corresponding to the exhaust port 40. The exhaust port cover member 41 extends upward along the side wall of the processing container 1. An exhaust pipe 42 for exhausting the processing container 1 through the exhaust port 40 is connected to the lower part of the exhaust port cover member 41. An exhaust device 44, which includes a pressure control valve 43 for controlling the pressure inside the processing container 1 and a vacuum pump, is connected to the exhaust pipe 42, and the inside of the processing container 1 is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 42 by the exhaust device 44.

[0029] A cylindrical heating mechanism 50 is provided around the processing container 1. The heating mechanism 50 heats the processing container 1 and the substrate W inside it. The heating mechanism 50 controls the temperature of the processing container 1 to a desired temperature (for example, 600°C). As a result, the substrate W inside the processing container 1 is heated by radiant heat from the walls of the processing container 1, etc.

[0030] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a cooling gas injection unit that cools the substrate W by injecting cooling gas onto the substrate W. The cooling gas injection unit comprises a gas cooling device 51 and a cooling gas supply pipe 52 having a gas nozzle 52g.

[0031] The gas cooling device 51 is a device that supplies cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe 52. An inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) can be used as the cooling gas. The gas cooling device 51 includes, for example, a cooler that cools the inert gas supplied from a gas supply source, a flow controller, and an on-off valve. The cooler cools the inert gas to a desired temperature to generate cooling gas. The flow controller controls the flow rate of the cooling gas supplied to the cooling gas supply pipe 52. The on-off valve controls the supply or cessation of cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe 52. The gas cooling device 51 is located outside the cylindrical heating mechanism 50. Furthermore, the temperature of the cooling gas is lower than the temperature of the processing container 1 controlled by the heating mechanism 50 (e.g., 600°C) (e.g., -100°C to 30°C).

[0032] The cooling gas supply pipe 52 penetrates the heating mechanism 50 provided around the processing container 1 and the side wall of the processing container 1, and injects cooling gas from the gas nozzle 52g onto the substrate W placed on the wafer boat 5 from the side. By injecting cooling gas from the cooling gas supply pipe 52 onto the substrate W, the temperature of the substrate W inside the processing container 1 is lowered. Conversely, by stopping the injection of cooling gas from the cooling gas supply pipe 52, the temperature of the substrate W inside the processing container 1 is raised by radiant heat from the wall surface of the processing container 1, etc.

[0033] By positioning the cooling gas supply pipe 52 to penetrate the side wall of the processing container 1, the length of the piping from the side wall of the processing container 1 to the gas nozzle 52g can be shortened, reducing the temperature rise of the cooling gas flowing through the cooling gas supply pipe 52 due to the heat of the processing container 1. In other words, the temperature of the cooling gas injected onto the substrate W can be kept low, allowing the substrate W to be cooled down rapidly. Furthermore, the cooling gas that has cooled the substrate W is exhausted from the exhaust port 40. This suppresses the temperature drop of the side wall of the processing container 1.

[0034] Furthermore, multiple cooling gas supply pipes 52 are provided. In addition, a gas nozzle 52g is provided for each substrate W that is placed in multiple stages on the wafer boat 5. In the example shown in Figure 3, one cooling gas supply pipe 52 has one gas nozzle 52g, and one cooling gas supply pipe 52 is provided for each substrate W, and one gas nozzle 52g is provided for each substrate W. This makes it possible to spray cooling gas at the same airflow rate and velocity onto each of the substrates W placed in multiple stages on the wafer boat 5. Thus, the temperature of each of the substrates W arranged in multiple stages can be reduced.

[0035] The substrate processing apparatus 100 also has a control unit 60. The control unit 60 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100, for example, the supply and cessation of gases by opening and closing valves 21c to 23c, the control of gas flow rate by flow controllers 21b to 23b, and exhaust control by exhaust device 44. The control unit 60 also controls the on / off of high-frequency power by high-frequency power supply 35, and the temperature of the processing container 1 and the substrate W inside it by heating mechanism 50. The control unit 60 also controls the temperature of the substrate W by gas cooling device 51.

[0036] The control unit 60 may be, for example, a computer. Furthermore, the computer program that controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing device 100 is stored in a storage medium. The storage medium may be, for example, a flexible disk, compact disk, hard disk, flash memory, DVD, etc.

[0037] The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is not limited to this. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing another configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus 100, obtained by vertically cutting the processing container 1 along AA. Note that the heating mechanism 50 is not shown in Figure 4.

[0038] In the example shown in Figure 4, the configuration of the cooling gas supply pipe 52A is different. The other configurations are the same, and redundant explanations are omitted. The cooling gas supply pipe 52A branches within the processing container 1 and has multiple (three in the example in Figure 4) gas nozzles 52g. One gas nozzle 52g is provided for each substrate W. This reduces the number of cooling gas supply pipes 52A that penetrate the heating mechanism 50 and the side walls of the processing container 1.

[0039] Although not shown in the diagram, a configuration may also be provided with one gas nozzle 52g for every two substrates W. One substrate W is placed on top of the other substrate W, and one gas nozzle 52g injects cooling gas between the one substrate W and the other substrate W. In other words, one gas nozzle 52g injects cooling gas onto the back surface of one substrate W and also into the front surface of the other substrate W. This cools down the two substrates W with the cooling gas injected from one gas nozzle 52g. The cooling gas supply pipe may be a cooling gas supply pipe 52 (see Figure 3) having one gas nozzle 52g, or it may be a cooling gas supply pipe 52A (see Figure 4) having multiple (for example, three) gas nozzles 52g.

[0040] [Substrate processing using substrate processing equipment] Next, an example of substrate processing using the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of substrate processing. Figure 6 is a graph illustrating temperature control in an example of substrate processing. Here, we will explain using the case where Si2Cl6 gas is used as the raw material gas and NH3 gas is used as the reaction gas, and a SiN film is deposited on the substrate W using an ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) cycle.

[0041] In step S100, the control unit 60 performs a cooling process. In the cooling process, cooling gas is injected from the gas nozzle 52g to cool the substrate W. In the cooling process, the on-off valve of the gas cooling device 51 is opened to supply cooling gas from the gas cooling device 51 to the cooling gas supply pipe 52, and the cooling gas is injected from the gas nozzle 52g onto the substrate W to cool the substrate W. As a result, the temperature of the substrate W is cooled to temperature T1. When the temperature of the substrate W stabilizes at temperature T1, the on-off valve of the gas cooling device 51 is closed and the process proceeds to step S101.

[0042] In step S101, the control unit 60 performs a raw material gas supply process as the first processing step. The raw material gas supply process is the process of supplying Si2Cl6 gas, which is the raw material gas, into the processing container 1 as the first processing gas. In the raw material gas supply process, the on / off valve 21c is opened to supply the raw material gas (Si2Cl6) from the gas supply source 21a to the processing container 1 via the gas supply pipe 21. As a result, a precursor containing Si is adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate W.

[0043] In step S102, the control unit 60 performs a purging process. The purging process is a process of purging excess raw material gas etc. from the processing container 1. In the purging process, the on-off valve 21c is closed to stop the supply of raw material gas. As a result, the purge gas that is constantly supplied from the gas supply pipe 24 purges excess raw material gas etc. from the processing container 1.

[0044] Furthermore, in step S102, the substrate W inside the processing container 1 is heated by radiant heat from the walls of the processing container 1, and the temperature of the substrate W is raised from temperature T1 to temperature T2. Therefore, the purging step in step S102 also serves as a heating step to raise the temperature of the substrate W.

[0045] In step S103, the control unit 60 performs a reaction gas supply step as a second processing step. The reaction gas supply step is a step of supplying the active species of NH3 gas, which is the reaction gas, as the second processing gas into the processing container 1. In the reaction gas supply step, the reaction gas (NH3) is supplied from the gas supply source 22a through the gas supply pipe 22 into the plasma compartment wall 32 by opening the on-off valve 22c. In addition, high-frequency power is applied to the plasma electrode 33 by the high-frequency power supply 35 to generate plasma in the plasma compartment wall 32. Then, the active species of the reaction gas (NH3) is generated and supplied into the processing container 1 from the opening 31. As a result, the Si-containing precursor adsorbed on the surface of the substrate W is nitrided, and SiN is formed on the surface of the substrate W.

[0046] In step S104, the control unit 60 performs a purging process. The purging process is a process of purging excess reaction gas, etc., from the processing container 1. In the purging process, the on-off valve 22c is closed to stop the supply of reaction gas. As a result, the purge gas that is constantly supplied from the gas supply pipe 24 purges excess reaction gas, etc., from the processing container 1.

[0047] In step S104, the control unit 60 performs a purging process and a cooling process. The cooling process involves injecting cooling gas from the gas nozzle 52g to cool the substrate W. In the cooling process, the on-off valve of the gas cooling device 51 is opened to supply cooling gas from the gas cooling device 51 to the cooling gas supply pipe 52, and the cooling gas is injected onto the substrate W from the gas nozzle 52g to cool the substrate W. As a result, the temperature of the substrate W is reduced from temperature T2 to temperature T1. Once the temperature of the substrate W stabilizes at temperature T1, the on-off valve of the gas cooling device 51 is closed and the process proceeds to step S105.

[0048] In step S105, the control unit 60 determines whether a predetermined number of cycles have been repeated, considering steps S101 to S104 as one cycle of the ALD cycle. If the predetermined number of cycles has not been repeated (S105 - NO), the control unit 60 returns to step S101 and repeats the ALD cycle. If the predetermined number of cycles has been repeated (S105 - YES), the control unit 60 terminates the substrate processing (film deposition process).

[0049] The temperature control by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is shown by the solid line in Figure 6. In the temperature control by the substrate processing apparatus 100, the temperature of the substrate W is set to temperature T1 in the raw material gas supply process, and the temperature of the substrate W is set to temperature T2 (T2 > T1) in the reaction gas supply process.

[0050] Here, other temperature control methods are shown by the dashed lines in Figure 6. In other temperature control methods, the control unit 60 controls the heating mechanism 50 so that the temperature of the side wall of the processing container 1 reaches a predetermined temperature, thereby controlling the temperature so that the temperature of the substrate W remains constant at temperature T0 during the ALD cycle, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 6.

[0051] Incidentally, in the raw material gas supply process of step S101, the temperature T0 of the substrate W is higher than the temperature range in which the raw material gas undergoes ALD reaction, and there is a risk that it will enter the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) reaction range. For this reason, other temperature control methods may result in reduced controllability of the SiN film thickness.

[0052] On the other hand, in the reaction gas supply step S103, the temperature T0 of the substrate W is lower than the ideal temperature at which the active species of the reaction gas react with the precursor adsorbed on the surface of the substrate W, resulting in a lower reaction rate (nitriding rate). Therefore, with other temperature control methods, the SiN film deposition rate may decrease.

[0053] In contrast, in the temperature control by the substrate processing apparatus 100, the temperature of the substrate W is set to temperature T1 (T1 < T0) in the raw material gas supply process. Thereby, the precursor can be adsorbed on the surface of the substrate W in the temperature range where the ALD reaction occurs. Further, in the temperature control by the substrate processing apparatus 100, the temperature of the substrate W is set to temperature T2 (T2 > T0) in the reaction gas supply process. Thereby, the reaction rate (nitridation rate) can be promoted. Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 100, the temperature of the substrate W can be rapidly cooled and heated.

[0054] Note that the temperature T1 of the substrate W in the raw material gas supply process may be constant regardless of the number of ALD cycles. Also, the temperature T1 of the substrate W in the raw material gas supply process may be changed according to the increase in the number of ALD cycles.

[0055] Here, a film formation process of embedding a SiN film in a concave portion such as a trench formed in the substrate W will be described as an example. When the temperature is high and the decomposition of the precursor progresses, the precursor is adsorbed on the upper side (entrance side) of the concave portion, and the amount of the precursor reaching the lower side (bottom side) of the concave portion decreases. Therefore, the coverage when embedding the SiN film in the concave portion decreases. In contrast, it may be controlled to increase the temperature T1 of the substrate W in the raw material gas supply process according to the increase in the number of ALD cycles. That is, when the number of ALD cycles is small, since the aspect ratio of the concave portion is large, the temperature T1 of the substrate W in the raw material gas supply process is lowered. Thereby, the precursor can reach the lower side (bottom side) of the concave portion. And when the number of ALD cycles is large, since the aspect ratio of the concave portion is small, the temperature T1 of the substrate W in the raw material gas supply process is increased. Thereby, the coverage when embedding the SiN film in the concave portion can be improved.

[0056] Also, the temperature T2 of the substrate W in the reaction gas supply process may be constant regardless of the number of ALD cycles. Also, the temperature T2 of the substrate W in the reaction gas supply process may be changed according to the increase in the number of ALD cycles.

[0057] Although the first processing step for supplying the first processing gas is described as a raw material gas supply step for supplying a raw material gas (precursor gas) into the processing container 1, and the second processing step for supplying the second processing gas is described as a reaction gas supply step for supplying a reaction gas to the processing container 1, the process is not limited to these. For example, the raw material gas may be a gas containing Si and the reaction gas may be a gas containing N, and this process can be applied to the deposition of a silicon nitride film. Alternatively, the raw material gas may be a gas containing Si and the reaction gas may be a gas containing O, and this process can be applied to the deposition of a silicon oxide film. Furthermore, the raw material gas may be a gas containing Al and the reaction gas may be a gas containing N, and this process can be applied to the deposition of an aluminum nitride film. Additionally, the raw material gas may be a gas containing Al and the reaction gas may be a gas containing O, and this process can be applied to the deposition of an aluminum oxide film. Moreover, the combinations of raw material gas and reaction gas are not limited to these.

[0058] Furthermore, although the explanation described the substrate processing as being performed using a plasma ALD process that generates plasma in the reaction gas supply step, it is not limited to this. It may also be applied to a configuration in which the substrate processing is performed using a thermal ALD process that does not use plasma in the reaction gas supply step.

[0059] Furthermore, although the explanation used the ALD process for film deposition as an example, it is not limited to this and may also be applied to etching processes using the ALE (Atomic Layer Etching) process.

[0060] Figure 7 shows an example of experimental results when the injection and stopping of cooling gas is repeated. Figure 7(a) shows the flow rate of cooling gas injected from the gas nozzle 52g. Figure 7(b) shows the temperature of the substrate W. Figure 7(c) shows the temperature of the side wall of the processing container 1. Figure 7(d) shows the heater power of the heating mechanism 50. Here, the heating mechanism 50 controls the heater power so that the temperature of the side wall of the processing container 1 reaches a predetermined set temperature (600°C in this case).

[0061] Although not shown in the diagram, when controlling the heating mechanism 50 to lower the temperature of the processing container 1 by 100°C, and thereby lowering the temperature of the substrate W inside the processing container 1 by 100°C, it took a long time because the heat capacity of the processing container 1 and other components is large. Similarly, when raising the temperature back to the original temperature, it also took a long time due to the large heat capacity of the processing container 1 and other components.

[0062] In response to this, as shown in Figure 7(a), the injection and stopping of cooling gas was repeated at 2-minute intervals. As shown in Figure 7(b), the temperature of the substrate W decreased by approximately 100°C with 2 minutes of cooling gas injection. Furthermore, stopping the cooling gas allowed the temperature to rise back to its original level. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 100 was able to rapidly raise and lower the temperature of the substrate W.

[0063] As shown in Figure 7(c), the temperature of the processing container 1 is reduced by injecting cooling gas. Also, as shown in Figure 7(d), the heating mechanism 50 controls the heater power. As a result, the temperature change of the side wall of the processing container 1 is kept within the range of -1°C to +1°C. This makes it possible to suppress the shape that the temperature change of the side wall of the processing container 1 has on the substrate processing process without changing the set temperature of the heating mechanism 50.

[0064] Next, another example of substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be explained using Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another example of substrate processing.

[0065] In step S201, the control unit 60 performs a first film formation process as the first processing step. The first film formation process is a process of performing a film formation process on a substrate W having recesses such as trenches formed therein. In the first film formation process, as the first processing gas, for example, a raw material gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 21, and a reaction gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 22 to perform a film formation process on the substrate W. Note that the film formation process may be a film formation process using an ALD reaction, a film formation process using a CVD reaction, or other film formation processes. Here, the heating mechanism 50 controls the heater power so that the temperature of the side wall of the processing container 1 becomes a predetermined set temperature T3. In the first film formation process, the temperature of the substrate W is the temperature T3.

[0066] In step S202, the control unit 60 performs a temperature reduction process. The temperature reduction process is a process of injecting a cooling gas from the gas nozzle 52g to reduce the temperature of the substrate W. In the temperature reduction process, by opening the on-off valve of the gas cooling device 51, a cooling gas is supplied from the gas cooling device 51 to the cooling gas supply pipe 52, and the cooling gas is injected from the gas nozzle 52g onto the substrate W to reduce the temperature of the substrate W. As a result, the temperature of the substrate W is cooled to a temperature T4 (T4 < T3). When the temperature of the substrate W stabilizes at the temperature T4, the on-off valve of the gas cooling device 51 is closed, and the process proceeds to step S203.

[0067] In step S203, the control unit 60 performs an etching process as the second processing step. The etching process is a process of etching the film formed on the upper side of the recesses such as trenches. In the etching process, as the second processing gas, for example, an etchant gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 23 to perform an etching process on the substrate W. As a result, the film can be embedded from the bottom side of the recess of the substrate W. Here, in the etching process, the temperature of the substrate W is the temperature T4.

[0068] In step S204, the control unit 60 performs a temperature increase process. In the temperature increase process, the substrate W in the processing container 1 is heated by radiant heat from the wall surface of the processing container 1 or the like, and the temperature of the substrate W is increased from the temperature T4 to the temperature T3. When the temperature of the substrate W stabilizes at the temperature T3, the process proceeds to step S204.

[0069] In step S205, the control unit 60 performs a second film deposition process as a third processing step. The second film deposition process is a process of depositing a film on a substrate W in which recesses such as trenches have been formed. In the second film deposition process, a raw material gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 21 and a reaction gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 22 as a third processing gas to deposit a film on the substrate W. The film deposition process may be a film deposition process using an ALD reaction, a film deposition process using a CVD reaction, or any other film deposition process. Here, the heating mechanism 50 controls the heater power so that the temperature of the side wall of the processing container 1 reaches a predetermined set temperature T3. In the first film deposition process, the temperature of the substrate W is at temperature T3.

[0070] This allows for the deposition of a film in the recessed areas using a bottom-up approach.

[0071] Figure 9 is a graph illustrating the temperature control of the substrate W using the temperature control of the heating mechanism 50. In Figure 9, the vertical axis represents temperature, and the horizontal axis represents time.

[0072] As shown in Figure 9, in temperature control of the substrate W using the temperature control of the heating mechanism 50, the processing container 1 etc. have a large heat capacity, so the cooling process in step S202 and the heating process in step S204 take longer than the etching process in step S203. As a result, the total time required from step S201 to step S205 is also longer.

[0073] Figure 10 is a graph illustrating the temperature control of the substrate W using temperature control by cooling gas injection. In Figure 10, the vertical axis represents temperature, and the horizontal axis represents time.

[0074] As shown in Figure 10, temperature control of the substrate W using cooling gas injection significantly shortens the cooling step in step S202 and the heating step in step S204, and also shortens the overall time required from step S201 to step S205. This improves the productivity of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0075] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the above embodiments, including combinations with other elements. These aspects can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention and can be appropriately determined according to their application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] W board 100 Substrate Processing Equipment 1. Processing container 2 Ceiling panels 3 Manifold 4. Sealing member 5. Wafer boat (substrate holder) 6 rods 7 Heat insulation cylinder 8 tables 9 Lid 10 Rotation axis 11 Magnetic fluid seals 12 sealing member 13 Arms 20 Gas Supply Department 30 Plasma generation mechanism 40 Exhaust port (exhaust section) 50 Heating mechanism 51 Gas cooling system (cooling gas injection unit) 52, 52A Cooling gas supply pipe (cooling gas injection section) 52g gas nozzle 60 Control Unit

Claims

1. A processing container for housing the substrate, A processing gas supply unit that supplies processing gas into the processing container, An exhaust unit for exhausting the contents of the processing container, A heating mechanism is provided around the processing container to heat the processing container, The processing container includes a cooling gas injection unit that injects a cooling gas to cool the substrate housed in the processing container, The cooling gas injection unit is The processing container has a gas nozzle for injecting the cooling gas onto the substrate housed within the processing container, and the heating mechanism and the cooling gas supply pipe penetrate the side wall of the processing container, The system includes a gas cooling device provided outside the heating mechanism, which supplies the cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe, One of the cooling gas supply pipes branches within the processing container and has a plurality of gas nozzles, Circuit board processing equipment.

2. By stopping the injection of the cooling gas from the cooling gas supply pipe, the substrate is heated by the radiant heat from the wall surface of the processing container heated by the heating mechanism. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The substrate holder is equipped with a substrate holder that supports multiple substrates in multiple stages, Multiple cooling gas supply pipes are provided. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. One gas nozzle is provided for each of the substrates. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. One gas nozzle is provided for each of the two substrates. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A processing container for housing the substrate, A processing gas supply unit that supplies processing gas into the processing container, An exhaust unit for exhausting the contents of the processing container, A heating mechanism is provided around the processing container to heat the processing container, A cooling gas injection unit that injects a cooling gas to cool the substrate housed in the processing container, It comprises a control unit and, The aforementioned processing gas supply unit is The gas supply pipe has a vertical portion that penetrates the side wall of the manifold supporting the lower part of the processing container and is positioned inside the processing container. The cooling gas injection unit is The processing container has a gas nozzle for injecting the cooling gas onto the substrate housed within the processing container, and the heating mechanism and the cooling gas supply pipe penetrate the side wall of the processing container, The system includes a gas cooling device provided outside the heating mechanism, which supplies the cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe, The control unit, The heating mechanism is configured to control the temperature of the processing container so that it reaches a predetermined set temperature. The control unit, A cooling step in which the cooling gas injection unit is controlled to inject the cooling gas onto the substrate and lower the substrate to a first temperature, A first processing step is performed in which, after the cooling step, the processing gas supply unit is controlled to supply the first processing gas, which has been heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe, to the substrate. After the first processing step, a heating step is performed to raise the temperature of the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature using radiant heat from the processing container, A second processing step is performed after the heating step, in which the processing gas supply unit is controlled to supply the second processing gas, which has been heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe, to the substrate. Configured to control, Circuit board processing equipment.

7. The control unit, The processing gas supply unit is configured to control the first processing step and the second processing step to be repeated. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The first processing step involves supplying a raw material gas as the first processing gas, The second processing step involves supplying a reaction gas as the second processing gas. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7.

9. A processing container for housing the substrate, A processing gas supply unit that supplies processing gas into the processing container, An exhaust unit for exhausting the contents of the processing container, A heating mechanism is provided around the processing container to heat the processing container, A cooling gas injection unit that injects a cooling gas to cool the substrate housed in the processing container, It comprises a control unit and, The aforementioned processing gas supply unit is The gas supply pipe has a vertical portion that penetrates the side wall of the manifold supporting the lower part of the processing container and is positioned inside the processing container. The cooling gas injection unit is The processing container has a gas nozzle for injecting the cooling gas onto the substrate housed within the processing container, and the heating mechanism and the cooling gas supply pipe penetrate the side wall of the processing container, The system includes a gas cooling device provided outside the heating mechanism, which supplies the cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe, The control unit, The heating mechanism is configured to control the temperature of the processing container so that it reaches a predetermined set temperature. The control unit, A first processing step involves controlling the processing gas supply unit to supply the first processing gas, which has been heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe, to the substrate. After the first processing step, a cooling step is performed in which the cooling gas injection unit is controlled to inject the cooling gas onto the substrate to lower the substrate to a first temperature, A second processing step is performed after the cooling step, in which the processing gas supply unit is controlled to supply the second processing gas, which has been heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe, to the substrate. After the second processing step, a heating step is performed to raise the temperature of the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature using radiant heat from the processing container, A third processing step is performed, after the heating step, by controlling the processing gas supply unit to supply the third processing gas, which has been heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe, to the substrate. Configured to control, Circuit board processing equipment.

10. The first processing step is a first film formation step, The second processing step is an etching step, The third processing step is the second film formation step. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9.

11. The heating step is: The injection of the cooling gas is stopped, and the substrate is heated by radiant heat from the wall surface of the processing container heated by the heating mechanism. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

12. A substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a processing container for housing a substrate; a processing gas supply unit for supplying processing gas into the processing container; an exhaust unit for exhausting the inside of the processing container; a heating mechanism provided around the processing container for heating the processing container; and a cooling gas injection unit for injecting cooling gas to cool the substrate housed in the processing container, wherein the cooling gas injection unit has a gas nozzle for injecting the cooling gas onto the substrate housed in the processing container; a cooling gas supply pipe penetrating the heating mechanism and the side wall of the processing container; and a gas cooling device provided outside the heating mechanism for supplying the cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe, One of the cooling gas supply pipes branches within the processing container and has a plurality of gas nozzles, The heating mechanism is controlled so that the temperature of the processing container reaches a predetermined set temperature. A cooling step in which the cooling gas is injected to lower the temperature of the substrate, The process includes a heating step in which the cooling gas is stopped and the substrate is heated by radiant heat from the processing container, Substrate processing method.

13. The system comprises a processing container for housing a substrate, a processing gas supply unit for supplying processing gas into the processing container, an exhaust unit for exhausting the contents of the processing container, a heating mechanism provided around the processing container for heating the processing container, and a cooling gas injection unit for injecting cooling gas to cool the substrate housed in the processing container. The processing gas supply unit comprises a gas supply pipe having a vertical portion that penetrates the side wall of the manifold supporting the lower part of the processing container and is positioned inside the processing container. A substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a cooling gas injection unit having a gas nozzle for injecting the cooling gas onto the substrate housed in the processing container; a cooling gas supply pipe penetrating the heating mechanism and the side wall of the processing container; and a gas cooling device provided outside the heating mechanism for supplying the cooling gas to the cooling gas supply pipe, The heating mechanism is controlled so that the temperature of the processing container reaches a predetermined set temperature. A cooling step in which the cooling gas injection unit is controlled to inject the cooling gas onto the substrate and to lower the temperature of the substrate to a first temperature, A first processing step is performed in which, after the cooling step, the processing gas supply unit is controlled to supply the first processing gas, which has been heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe, to the substrate. After the first processing step, the cooling gas injection unit is controlled to stop the cooling gas, and the substrate is heated to a second temperature higher than the first temperature by radiant heat from the processing container. A second processing step is included, after the heating step, in which the processing gas supply unit is controlled to supply a second processing gas heated in the vertical portion of the gas supply pipe to the substrate. Substrate processing method.

Images