Semiconductor manufacturing equipment and semiconductor manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing method capable of reducing a process time.SOLUTION: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 is equipped with a canister 10 capable of storing a raw material gas Gm, a fill tank 20 installed downstream of the canister, a process chamber 30 installed downstream of the fill tank, a tank downstream valve V5 installed on the channel between the fill tank 20 and the process chamber 30, an exhaust line 40 connected to the process chamber 30, an exhaust valve V7 installed on the exhaust line 40, a first concentration meter UV1 installed on the channel between the fill tank 20 and the process chamber 30, and a second concentration meter UV2 installed on the exhaust line 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing method, and more particularly to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with a concentration meter and a semiconductor manufacturing method using the same.

[0002] A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is configured to supply a material gas to a process chamber and form a film on a wafer or a substrate by a method such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition). As a device for controlling the flow rate of the gas supplied to the process chamber, a mass flow controller (thermal mass flow controller) or a pressure type flow control device is widely used.

[0003] In recent years, a type of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has also been developed that vaporizes or sublimates a liquid or solid material by a heater to generate a desired gas in a canister and supplies this gas to a process chamber. Examples of the liquid or solid material include hafnium chloride (solid at room temperature), organic lanthanum compounds (solid at room temperature), and organic ruthenium compounds (liquid at room temperature). These materials are used as precursor materials for forming high dielectric constant films (High-k films) such as hafnium oxide films and lanthanum oxide films, and ruthenium-containing electrode films.

[0004] By forming a gate insulating film or a capacitor dielectric film of a transistor using the above high dielectric constant film instead of a conventional silicon oxide film, high density and miniaturization of an integrated circuit can be achieved. In addition, hafnium dioxide-based compounds are also attracting attention as materials for manufacturing high-performance ferroelectric memories. Ruthenium-containing materials are expected to be next-generation fine wiring materials or barrier metal layer materials that replace copper wiring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] In the ALD method, pulsed batches of gas are repeatedly supplied to the process chamber. In this process, before film formation, it is necessary to clean the process chamber to remove any remaining unwanted chemicals. Traditionally, this cleaning was performed by stopping the supply of raw material gas and then continuously flowing an inert gas or the like into the process chamber for a certain period of time while exhausting the system. However, with this method, it is difficult to determine whether the cleaning has been reliably performed, and a practical solution was to continue flowing the cleaning gas for an unnecessarily long time.

[0007] Furthermore, when continuously supplying gas in the CVD method, the mixing ratio of the material gas and diluent gas is sometimes adjusted to control the concentration of the process gas before supplying it to the chamber. In this case, to determine whether the gas filled in the process chamber has the desired concentration, it is preferable to directly measure the gas concentration in the process chamber using a concentration meter. However, it is not easy to place a concentration meter inside the process chamber, and even if the concentration meter is placed in one location, it may be difficult to determine whether the gas concentration inside the chamber is uniform. For this reason, a practical approach has been to continue flowing the mixed gas, whose concentration has been confirmed, for a relatively long period of time until the gas concentration in the process chamber becomes uniform and reaches the desired concentration, and then close the exhaust system and start the film deposition process.

[0008] Thus, in semiconductor manufacturing equipment compatible with ALD and CVD methods, excessive flow of clean gas or concentration-adjusted process gas into the chamber leads to wasted gas consumption and process delays. Therefore, there was a demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and methods that could accommodate both ALD and CVD methods and shorten process time by minimizing the period of wasted gas outflow. Furthermore, such semiconductor manufacturing equipment and methods were required to be effective even in systems that use liquid or solid materials as gas sources and where a dilution gas line is connected to the process gas supply line.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main objective is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing method that can handle both batch and continuous supply of gas, and can shorten the process time by reducing the period of wasted gas outflow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a canister capable of storing material gas, a fill tank provided downstream of the canister, a process chamber provided downstream of the fill tank, a tank downstream valve provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber, an exhaust line connected to the process chamber, an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line, a first concentration meter provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber, and a second concentration meter provided in the exhaust line.

[0011] In one embodiment, a dilution gas supply line is connected to the flow path between the fill tank and the first concentration meter, and a dilution gas supply valve is provided in the dilution gas supply line.

[0012] In one embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus further includes a control device that controls the supply of gas to the process chamber based on the measured values ​​of the first concentration meter and the second concentration meter, and the control device is configured to determine that the gas concentration in the process chamber is that concentration when the concentrations output by the first concentration meter and the second concentration meter are approximately the same.

[0013] In one embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus further comprises a third concentration meter for measuring the concentration of the material gas stored in the canister.

[0014] In one embodiment, the canister is configured to vaporize or sublimate a liquid or solid material to generate a material gas.

[0015] A semiconductor manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is carried out using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a canister capable of storing material gas; a fill tank provided downstream of the canister; a process chamber provided downstream of the fill tank; a tank downstream valve provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber; an exhaust line connected to the process chamber; an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line; a first concentration meter provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber; and a second concentration meter provided in the exhaust line. The method includes the steps of: supplying the material gas in the canister to the fill tank with the tank downstream valve closed; opening the tank downstream valve to supply the material gas supplied to the fill tank to the process chamber; after a chemical reaction has occurred in the material gas supplied to the process chamber, opening the dilution gas supply valve and the exhaust valve to supply and exhaust dilution gas to the process chamber; stopping the supply and exhaust of the dilution gas based on the output of the second concentration meter; and executing a process in the process chamber after the step of stopping the supply and exhaust of the dilution gas.

[0016] The semiconductor manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is carried out using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a canister capable of storing material gas; a fill tank provided downstream of the canister; a process chamber provided downstream of the fill tank; a tank downstream valve provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber; a dilution gas supply line connected to the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber; a dilution gas supply valve provided in the dilution gas supply line; an exhaust line connected to the process chamber; an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line; a first concentration meter provided in the flow path between the connection part of the dilution gas supply line and the process chamber; and a second concentration meter provided in the exhaust line. The process includes the steps of: supplying the material gas in the canister to the fill tank with the tank downstream valve closed; opening the tank downstream valve to supply the material gas supplied to the fill tank to the process chamber; opening the dilution gas supply valve and the exhaust valve to supply and exhaust a mixed gas of the material gas and dilution gas to the process chamber; adjusting the concentration of the mixed gas by controlling the flow rate of the dilution gas based on the output of the first concentration meter; determining the concentration of the mixed gas in the process chamber by referring to both the output of the first concentration meter and the output of the second concentration meter; and executing a process in the process chamber using the mixed gas which has been determined to be at a predetermined concentration.

[0017] In one embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus further comprises a purge gas supply line provided downstream of the fill tank, and the semiconductor manufacturing method further includes the steps of supplying purge gas from the purge gas supply line to the process chamber via the fill tank after performing a process in the process chamber using the mixed gas, and stopping the supply of purge gas when the concentration of the material gas falls below a predetermined concentration by referring to the outputs of the first concentration meter and the second concentration meter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the semiconductor manufacturing method and the semiconductor manufacturing method of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the outflow of waste gas and shorten the process time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart showing a semiconductor manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart showing a semiconductor manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0021] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a canister 10 including a material gas supply source and a third valve (canister valve) V3 provided on the outlet side thereof, a filter tank 20 provided in a flow path on the downstream side of the canister 10, a process chamber 30 provided on the downstream side of the filter tank 20, and an exhaust line 40 for exhausting the process chamber 30. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 is configured to be able to supply the material gas Gm in the canister 10 to the process chamber 30 after temporarily storing it in the filter tank 20.

[0022] In this embodiment, the canister 10 is equipped with a heater (not shown) and is configured to heat and gasify a material gas supply source that is liquid or solid at room temperature, such as hafnium chloride, an organic lanthanum compound, or an organic ruthenium compound. Inside the canister 10, gasification is carried out until a vapor pressure determined by the gas temperature and material is reached, as long as there is a sufficient amount of material gas supply source. However, the canister 10 is not limited to this and may be a pressure vessel that stores the material in a gaseous state from the beginning.

[0023] A fourth valve (tank upstream valve) V4 is provided on the upstream side of the fill tank 20, and a fifth valve (tank downstream valve) V5 is provided on the downstream side of the fill tank 20. In addition, a sixth valve (chamber upstream valve) V6 is provided on the upstream side of the process chamber 30, and a seventh valve (exhaust valve) V7 is provided in the downstream exhaust line 40.

[0024] A purge gas supply line 50, which has a second valve (purge gas supply valve) V2, is connected to the flow path between the canister valve V3 and the tank upstream valve V4. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 can optionally supply either or both purge gas Gp and / or material gas Gm to the process chamber 20 by controlling the opening and closing of the purge gas supply valve V2 and the canister valve V3.

[0025] Furthermore, a dilution gas supply line 60 having a first valve (dilution gas supply valve) V1 is connected to the flow path between the tank downstream valve V5 and the chamber upstream valve V6. A flow rate control device 62 is provided in the dilution gas supply line 60. For example, a thermal mass flow controller or a pressure flow controller can be used as the flow rate control device 62. By adjusting the opening degree of the control valve of the flow rate control device 62 (for example, a proportional valve such as a piezoelectric element driven valve), the dilution gas Gd can be supplied to the process chamber 20 at any desired flow rate.

[0026] For the first to seventh valves V1 to V7 provided in each flow path, on / off valves with excellent shut-off and responsiveness, such as AOV (air-driven valve), solenoid valve, or electric valve, are preferably used. However, the system is not limited to these, and control valves with adjustable opening degrees can also be used for the first to seventh valves V1 to V7.

[0027] Furthermore, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a first concentration meter (chamber upstream concentration meter) UV1 is provided in the flow path between the connection point J of the dilution gas supply line 60 to the process gas supply line and the chamber upstream valve V6 on the upstream side of the process chamber 30. In addition, a second concentration meter (exhaust line concentration meter) UV2 is provided in the exhaust flow path 40 on the downstream side of the process chamber 30, more specifically, in the flow path between the exhaust valve V7 and an exhaust device such as a vacuum pump (not shown).

[0028] As the first concentration meter UV1 and the second concentration meter UV2, for example, optical concentration meters disclosed in Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2020 / 158506) by the present applicant can be used. This optical concentration meter is integrated in-line into a fluid system and is configured to measure the absorbance of the gas in a measuring cell by measuring the transmitted light intensity of light that has passed through the measuring cell into which the gas is introduced. From the measured absorbance, the gas concentration can be calculated based on the Lambert-Beer law.

[0029] The wavelength of the light source is appropriately selected according to the absorption characteristics of the gas being measured. For example, when forming a film using hafnium chloride (HfCl4) as a raw material, chlorine gas (Cl2) may be generated as an unwanted gas inside the process chamber 20 after the reaction. In this case, the concentration of the remaining chlorine gas can be appropriately measured by using a second concentration meter UV2 equipped with a light source that emits ultraviolet light in the range of approximately 280 nm to approximately 380 nm (for example, ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 300 nm), which chlorine gas absorbs well.

[0030] Furthermore, the inventors have confirmed that many organometallic gases readily absorb ultraviolet light at approximately 300 nm, while common diluent gases (such as N2, Ar, He, and H2) hardly absorb ultraviolet light at approximately 300 nm. Therefore, by using the first concentration meter UV1, which has an ultraviolet light source of an appropriate wavelength, the concentration of organometallic gas components in a mixed gas of organometallic gas and diluent gas can be measured. For example, an LED or laser diode can be used as the ultraviolet light source, and for example, a Si photodiode can be used as the photodetector for measuring transmitted light intensity. In this specification, ultraviolet light refers to light with a wavelength of 10 nm to 400 nm.

[0031] (Batch supply) The following describes a batch gas supply method using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. It is assumed that sufficient material gas Gm is pre-generated or stored in the canister 10. Furthermore, the process chamber 30 is pre-vacuumed using the exhaust line 40, and the exhaust valve V7 is closed under reduced pressure.

[0032] In batch supply, as shown in step S1 of Figure 2, first, with the second valve V2 and fifth valve V5 closed, the third valve V3 and fourth valve V4 are opened, and the material gas inside the canister 10 is stored in the fill tank 20. The fill tank 20 is usually formed to have a smaller capacity than the process chamber 30, but is configured to store high-pressure gas inside. Note that the fill tank 20 is not limited to being a separate tank attached to the flow path, but may be a container-like space formed within a metal block that extends beyond the flow paths before and after it.

[0033] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 may also be equipped with a pressure sensor (not shown) capable of measuring the pressure inside the fill tank 20. This allows for determination of whether or not a desired amount of gas has been stored in the fill tank 20. The fill tank 20 may also be equipped with a heater for maintaining the temperature of the gas.

[0034] After the material gas is stored in the fill tank 20, the third valve V3 and the fourth valve V4 are normally closed. Also, if the material gas is subsequently supplied in batches from the fill tank 20, the first valve V1 of the dilution gas line 60 is closed.

[0035] Next, as shown in step S2, with the fourth valve V4 closed, the fifth valve V5 and the sixth valve V6 are opened, and the material gas inside the fill tank 20 is supplied to the process chamber 30 all at once. This causes a chemical reaction of the material gas to occur on the wafer in the process chamber 30.

[0036] After the material gas has been supplied in batches to the process chamber 30 in this manner, the fifth valve V5 and the sixth valve V6 are normally closed, and then the third valve V3 and the fourth valve V4 are opened to supply the material gas Gm from the canister 10 to the fill tank 20 for the next batch supply.

[0037] On the other hand, unwanted gases (such as chlorine gas) may be generated inside the process chamber 30 as the chemical reaction progresses. In this case, it is necessary to remove the unwanted gases generated by the chemical reaction from inside the chamber before performing the next process, such as electrolytic treatment of the material gas adsorbed on the wafer.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, after the chemical reaction has proceeded, as shown in step S3, the first valve V1, the sixth valve V6, and the seventh valve V7 are opened to supply the dilution gas Gd from the dilution gas line 60 to the process chamber 30 and exhaust it.

[0039] At this time, the concentration of unwanted gases contained in the gas flowing through the exhaust line 40 can be measured using the second concentration meter UV2. Therefore, the cleaning status of the process chamber 30 can be monitored, and as shown in step S4, by determining whether or not the concentration of unwanted gases has decreased to approximately 0, it is possible to know whether or not the cleaning of the chamber has been completed.

[0040] In step S4, if it is determined that the concentration of unwanted gases has not decreased to nearly zero based on the output of the second concentration meter UV2, the process returns to step S3 and continues supplying and exhausting the dilution gas. The discharge of unwanted gases progresses over time, and the concentration of unwanted gases in the exhaust gas also decreases over time. On the other hand, in step S4, if it is determined that the concentration of unwanted gases has decreased to nearly zero (UV2 output is below a predetermined threshold), it is determined that sufficient cleaning of the process chamber 30 has been achieved, and as shown in step S5, the supply of dilution gas is stopped by closing the first valve V1 and the sixth valve V6, and the cleaning of the chamber is terminated.

[0041] Subsequently, the chamber is evacuated as needed, the exhaust valve V7 is closed, and then the next chamber process (e.g., electrolytic treatment of adsorbed gas) is performed as shown in step S6. In this embodiment, the next process can be executed as soon as sufficient exhaust of unwanted gas is confirmed using the second concentration meter UV2, thus minimizing the time required for cleaning, preventing unnecessary consumption of dilution gas, and shortening the overall process time. Furthermore, since the next process is performed only after confirming that sufficient exhaust of unwanted gas has been achieved, a degradation in the quality of the formed semiconductor device can be prevented.

[0042] Furthermore, by sequentially repeating processes such as batch supply of material gas from the fill tank 20, chamber cleaning, electrolytic treatment, and exhaust in the same manner thereafter, a desired high-quality film can be produced on the wafer. According to the above method, each cleaning is performed reliably and in the shortest possible time, so a good film deposition process can be executed.

[0043] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes an apparatus for detecting impurities (such as water vapor) using an adsorption spectroscopy measurement system installed in the exhaust line of a process chamber. However, the apparatus in Patent Document 2 is merely designed to enable the detection of trace amounts of water vapor as impurities in the chamber during a typical semiconductor manufacturing process, and does not shorten the process time during batch gas supply.

[0044] (Continuous supply) The following describes a method for continuous gas supply using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100. As with batch supply, it is assumed that sufficient material gas Gm is pre-generated or stored in the canister 10. Furthermore, the process chamber 30 is pre-vacuumed using the exhaust line 40, and is assumed to be in a reduced-pressure state with the exhaust valve V7 closed.

[0045] In continuous supply, as with batch supply, first, as shown in step S11 of Figure 3, the second valve V2 and the fifth valve V5 are closed, and the third valve V3 and the fourth valve V4 are opened to store the material gas in the canister 10 into the fill tank 20.

[0046] After the material gas is stored in the fill tank 20, the third valve V3 and the fourth valve V4 are closed. Next, as shown in step S12, with the third valve V3 and the fourth valve V4 closed, the fifth valve V5 and the sixth valve V6 are opened to supply the material gas in the fill tank 20 to the process chamber 30.

[0047] At this time, as shown in step S13, the concentration of the material gas can be checked using the first concentration meter UV1, and the flow rate of the dilution gas Gd can be adjusted by controlling the opening and closing of the first valve V1 of the dilution gas supply line 60 and adjusting the opening degree of the control valve of the flow rate control device 62, thereby adjusting the concentration of the mixed gas flowing into the process chamber 30. During concentration adjustment, the exhaust valve V7 is open, and the mixed gas continues to flow out.

[0048] However, immediately after the output of the first concentration meter UV1 reaches the desired concentration, the gas concentration in the process chamber 30, including the gas before concentration adjustment is complete, may not yet have reached the desired concentration. Therefore, even after the flow rate control of the diluted gas based on the first concentration meter UV1 is complete, it is necessary to continue flowing the mixed gas through the process chamber 30 for a relatively long period of time to adjust the gas concentration in the process chamber 30 to the desired concentration. Furthermore, if only the output of the first concentration meter UV1 is referenced, information on the gas concentration in the process chamber 30 cannot be obtained, so it is necessary to continue flowing the mixed gas for a relatively long period of time.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, the output of the second concentration meter UV2, which is installed in the exhaust line 40, is also referenced in addition to the output of the first concentration meter UV1 to determine whether the gas concentration in the process chamber has settled within the desired concentration range. Specifically, as shown in step S14, the outputs of both the first concentration meter UV1 and the second concentration meter UV2 are monitored, and when both are within the desired concentration range, it is determined that the adjustment of the gas concentration in the process chamber is complete, and the exhaust valve V7 is closed in step S15.

[0050] To perform the above process, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 is equipped with a control device (not shown) that can control the gas supply to the process chamber 30 based on the outputs of a first concentration meter UV1 and a second concentration meter UV2. This control device monitors the outputs of the first concentration meter UV1 and the second concentration meter UV2 and is configured to determine that the gas concentration inside the process chamber 30 has reached approximately the same concentration when their outputs become approximately the same. Here, "approximately the same concentration" or "same concentration" means that the difference between the concentration output by the first concentration meter UV1 and the concentration output by the second concentration meter UV2 is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold set as an allowable error range (for example, a value set to 0-10% of the concentration output by the first concentration meter UV1).

[0051] Subsequently, as shown in step S16, once it is confirmed using a pressure sensor (not shown) that the process chamber 30 is filled with the desired amount (predetermined pressure) of material gas of the desired concentration, the first valve V1, fifth valve V5, and sixth valve V6 on the gas supply side are closed to stop the gas supply, as shown in step S17, and then processing in the chamber, such as ionization treatment, is performed. This ensures that the material gas concentration adjustment is completed reliably and quickly, and then the desired film deposition process can be carried out.

[0052] Furthermore, after the film deposition process is completed, as shown in step S18, the first valve V1 and the third valve V3 are closed, and the second valve V2, the fourth valve V4, the fifth valve V5, the sixth valve V6, and the seventh valve V7 are opened, and a purge gas (for example, an inert gas such as N2, Ar, or He) Gp is ​​flowed into the process chamber 30 using the purge gas supply line 50 to exhaust any remaining material gas (step S18).

[0053] Even in this case, the material gas concentration can be measured both upstream and downstream of the process chamber 30 using the first concentration meter UV1 and the second concentration meter UV2 (step S19). This ensures that the material gas concentration in the process chamber is reliably reduced to below a predetermined concentration, and eliminates the need to perform the purging process for longer than necessary. As a result, the purging process can be completed in a relatively short time (step S20), allowing for a quick transition to the next process.

[0054] (Embodiment 2) Figure 4 shows the configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Similar to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 of this embodiment is configured to supply the material gas Gm1 in the canister 10 to the process chamber 30 via the fill tank 20. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200, components similar to those in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted below.

[0055] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 differs from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1 in that, in addition to the first canister 10, it also has a second canister 18 and a third canister 19 as material gas supply sources. An eighth valve (second canister valve) is provided in the outlet flow path of the second canister 18, and a ninth valve (third canister valve) is provided in the outlet flow path of the third canister 19.

[0056] The second canister 18 and the third canister 19 are connected to the flow path between the canister valve V3 of the first canister 10 and the tank upstream valve V4. In this configuration, by controlling the opening and closing of each canister valve V3, V8, and V9, any material gas Gm1, Gm2, and Gm3 can be switched and supplied to the fill tank 20 and the process chamber 30.

[0057] In the ALD method, a precursor material gas is supplied, then the system is evacuated, and then a different material gas is supplied to initiate a reaction and deposit a film. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 is suitable for use in batch supply, as it allows for easy switching of gas types. However, the materials contained in the canister are not limited to different materials but may be the same material.

[0058] It goes without saying that each canister 10, 18, and 19 may be connected in any manner, not limited to the illustrated configuration, as long as the material gas can be supplied to the fill tank 20. ,centre 20 fil tank above Four or more canisters may be connected to the flow side.

[0059] In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200, similar to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1, a first concentration meter UV1 is provided upstream of the process chamber 30, and a second concentration meter UV2 is provided in the exhaust line 40. Therefore, in batch gas supply, a cleaning process to remove unwanted gases from the process chamber 30 can be efficiently performed. Furthermore, in continuous gas supply, the concentration of the mixed gas in the chamber can be efficiently controlled.

[0060] Furthermore, when various material gases are used as described above, the types of gases produced by the chemical reaction can also vary. For this reason, it may be advantageous for the first concentration meter UV1 and the second concentration meter UV2 to be configured to measure the concentrations of various gases. Accordingly, the first concentration meter UV1 and the second concentration meter UV2 may be configured to output light of multiple wavelengths, corresponding to the absorption characteristics of each gas type. For example, by using a light source that can output near-infrared light in addition to ultraviolet light, it is possible to detect not only chlorine gas and organometallic gases but also water concentration.

[0061] (Embodiment 3) Figure 5 shows the configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 300 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Similar to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 300 of this embodiment is configured to supply the material gas Gm in the canister 10 to the process chamber 30 via the fill tank 20. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 300, components similar to those in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted below.

[0062] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 300 differs from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1 in that it is additionally equipped with a third concentration meter UV3 capable of measuring the concentration of material gas in the canister 10. The other configurations are the same as those of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1, with a first concentration meter UV1 provided upstream of the process chamber 30 and a second concentration meter UV2 provided in the exhaust line 40. Therefore, in batch gas supply, a cleaning process to remove unwanted gas from the process chamber 30 can be efficiently performed. Furthermore, in continuous gas supply, the concentration of the mixed gas in the chamber can be efficiently controlled.

[0063] In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 300, the state of the material gas inside the canister 10 can be determined based on the output of the third concentration meter UV3. For example, when generating material gas by gasifying liquid or solid material in the canister 10, if the output of the third concentration meter UV3 drops significantly below normal levels, it can be determined that the liquid or solid material has run out and gas generation is not progressing. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 300 may also be configured to issue a warning to the user when the output of the third concentration meter UV3 falls below a threshold during operation.

[0064] In addition, although the above describes an embodiment in which the third concentration meter UV3 is provided in the canister 10 of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1, the embodiment is not limited to this, and each of the multiple canisters 10, 18, and 19 in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 of Embodiment 2 may be provided with a concentration meter corresponding to each gas type. Furthermore, the third concentration meter UV3 may be located inside the canister 10, or it may be located in the flow path between the outlet of the canister 10 and the canister valve V3.

[0065] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications are possible. For example, a fourth concentration meter may be added to the fill tank 20 to measure the concentration of the gas in the tank. [Industrial applicability]

[0066] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and semiconductor manufacturing method according to embodiments of the present invention are suitably used for performing film deposition processes in semiconductor manufacturing by CVD or ALD methods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Canister 18. Second Canister 19. Third Canister 20 Fill Tank 30 process chambers 40 Exhaust line 50 Purge gas supply line 60 Dilution gas supply line 62 Flow control device 100, 200, 300 Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment UV1 First Concentration Meter (Chamber Upstream Concentration Meter) UV2 Second Concentration Meter (Exhaust Line Concentration Meter) UV3 3rd densitometer (canister densitometer) V1 First valve (dilution gas supply valve) V2 Second valve (purge gas supply valve) V3 Third valve (canister valve) V4 4th valve (tank upstream valve) V5 5th valve (tank downstream valve) V6 6th valve (upper chamber valve) V7 7th valve (exhaust valve) V8 8th valve (2nd canister valve) V9 9th valve (3rd canister valve)

Claims

1. A canister that can store material gases, A fill tank is provided downstream of the canister, A process chamber provided downstream of the fill tank, A tank downstream valve is provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber, An exhaust line connected to the process chamber, An exhaust valve provided in the aforementioned exhaust line, A first concentration meter is provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber, A second concentration meter installed in the exhaust line and Equipped with, A dilution gas supply line is connected to the flow path between the fill tank and the first concentration meter, and a dilution gas supply valve is provided in the dilution gas supply line. During batch supply, the following steps are performed: supplying the material gas in the canister to the fill tank with the tank downstream valve closed; opening the tank downstream valve to supply the material gas supplied to the fill tank to the process chamber; after a chemical reaction occurs in the material gas supplied to the process chamber, opening the dilution gas supply valve and the exhaust valve to supply and exhaust dilution gas to the process chamber; stopping the supply and exhaust of the dilution gas based on the output of the second concentration meter; and executing the process in the process chamber after stopping the supply and exhaust of the dilution gas. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus configured to perform the following steps during continuous supply: supplying the material gas in the canister to the fill tank with the tank downstream valve closed; opening the tank downstream valve to supply the material gas supplied to the fill tank to the process chamber; opening the dilution gas supply valve and the exhaust valve to supply and exhaust a mixed gas of the material gas and dilution gas to the process chamber; adjusting the concentration of the mixed gas by controlling the flow rate of the dilution gas based on the output of the first concentration meter; determining the concentration of the mixed gas in the process chamber by referring to both the output of the first concentration meter and the output of the second concentration meter; and executing a process in the process chamber using the mixed gas determined to be at a predetermined concentration.

2. The system further includes a control device that controls the supply of gas to the process chamber based on the measured values ​​of the first and second concentration meters, The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine that the gas concentration in the process chamber is the same when the concentrations output by the first concentration meter and the second concentration meter are approximately the same.

3. Concentration of the material gas stored in the canister The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a third concentration meter for measuring [amount].

4. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the canister is configured to generate a material gas by vaporizing or sublimating a liquid or solid material.

5. A semiconductor manufacturing method using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a canister capable of storing material gas; a fill tank provided downstream of the canister; a process chamber provided downstream of the fill tank; a tank downstream valve provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber; an exhaust line connected to the process chamber; an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line; a first concentration meter provided in the flow path between the fill tank and the process chamber; and a second concentration meter provided in the exhaust line, wherein the apparatus is used to manufacture a semiconductor. A dilution gas supply line is connected to the flow path between the fill tank and the first concentration meter, and a dilution gas supply valve is provided in the dilution gas supply line. During batch supply, the process involves supplying the material gas in the canister to the fill tank with the downstream valve of the tank closed, The steps include opening the downstream valve of the tank to supply the material gas supplied to the fill tank to the process chamber, After a chemical reaction occurs in the material gas supplied to the process chamber, the dilution gas supply valve and the exhaust valve are opened to supply and exhaust the dilution gas to the process chamber. A step of stopping the supply and exhaust of the dilution gas based on the output of the second concentration meter, The process is to stop the supply and exhaust of the dilution gas, followed by the process to be carried out in the process chamber. Perform During continuous supply, With the downstream valve of the tank closed, the process involves supplying the material gas in the canister to the fill tank. The steps include opening the downstream valve of the tank to supply the material gas supplied to the fill tank to the process chamber, The steps include opening the dilution gas supply valve and the exhaust valve to supply and exhaust a mixed gas of the material gas and dilution gas to the process chamber, A step of adjusting the concentration of the mixed gas by controlling the flow rate of the dilution gas based on the output of the first concentration meter, A step of determining the concentration of the mixed gas in the process chamber by referring to both the output of the first concentration meter and the output of the second concentration meter, A step of executing a process in the process chamber using a mixed gas determined to be at a predetermined concentration. A semiconductor manufacturing method that performs this process.

6. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus further includes a purge gas supply line provided upstream of the fill tank, During the continuous supply, the process is carried out in the process chamber using the mixed gas, and then the purge gas is supplied to the process chamber from the purge gas supply line via the fill tank. The process involves stopping the supply of purge gas when the concentration of the material gas falls below a predetermined concentration, based on the output of the first concentration meter and the second concentration meter. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 5, further comprising the following steps.

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