Information processing device and parameter control program

Abstract

To improve uniformity of substrate processing results.SOLUTION: An information processing device is provided, which includes a data acquisition part for acquiring execution result data including an execution result of substrate processing based on a process parameter including pressure in a substrate processing device, and sensor data of the pressure in the substrate processing device, a simulation execution part for inputting the execution result data to a simulation model preliminarily stored in a storage part, and calculating pressure in the substrate processing device predicted to come close to a target value of a substrate processing result, and an optimization part for calculating a prediction value of a substrate processing result based on the process parameter including the calculated pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and a parameter control program.

Background Art

[0002] For example, it has been proposed to measure the temperature inside a processing chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and use the measurement result for controlling the process conditions of substrate processing executed inside the processing chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of improving the uniformity of substrate processing results.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a data acquisition unit that acquires execution result data including an execution result of substrate processing based on process parameters including the pressure inside a substrate processing apparatus and sensor data of the pressure inside the substrate processing apparatus; a simulation execution unit that inputs the execution result data into a simulation model stored in a storage unit in advance and calculates the pressure inside the substrate processing apparatus predicted to approach a target value of the substrate processing result; and an optimization unit that calculates a predicted value of the substrate processing result based on the process parameters including the calculated pressure.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect, the uniformity of substrate processing results can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A figure showing an example of a film deposition method by ALD according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] Experimental results showing the correlation between the opening degree of an APC control valve according to one embodiment and the in-plane uniformity of film thickness. [Figure 6] Experimental results showing the correlation between the opening degree of an APC control valve according to one embodiment and the in-plane uniformity of film thickness. [Figure 7] Experimental results showing the correlation between the opening degree of an APC control valve according to one embodiment and the in-plane uniformity and inter-plane uniformity of film thickness. [Figure 8] A diagram illustrating the relationship between boat rotation and film thickness distribution. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating the role of the APC control valve opening. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing an example of substrate processing according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] A flowchart showing an example of parameter control processing according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] A figure illustrating an example of the effects of parameter control processing according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0009] [Circuit board processing system] First, an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system 100 according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing system 100 has substrate processing devices 120a and 120b and control devices 121a and 121b in factory A. The substrate processing device 120a and the control device 121a are connected by wire or wireless. The substrate processing device 120b and the control device 121b are connected by wire or wireless.

[0010] The control device 121a may be installed inside the substrate processing apparatus 120a. The control device 121b may be installed outside the substrate processing apparatus 120b. Furthermore, the substrate processing system 100 may have other substrate processing apparatuses and control devices within the same factory A or another factory.

[0011] The substrate processing devices 120a and 120b are connected to the host device 130 via network N1. The substrate processing device 120a performs substrate processing under the control of control device 121a based on instructions from the host device 130. The substrate processing device 120b performs substrate processing under the control of control device 121b based on instructions from the host device 130. The host device 130 is connected to the server device 150 via network N2, such as the Internet. In the following description, the substrate processing devices 120a and 120b will be collectively referred to as the substrate processing device 120. Also, the control devices 121a and 121b will be collectively referred to as the control device 121.

[0012] The substrate processing apparatus 120 is equipped with sensors such as a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. Sensor data detecting the status of the substrate processing apparatus 120 is managed for each substrate processing apparatus 120. These multiple sensor data are stored within each substrate processing apparatus 120 and managed by the control device 121. The display unit that displays the "predicted value of the substrate processing result," which will be described later, may be the display unit of the control device 121, the display unit of the substrate processing apparatus 120, the display unit of the information processing apparatus 140, or the display unit of other equipment.

[0013] The control device 121 processes computer-executable instructions for causing the substrate processing apparatus 120 to perform substrate processing such as film formation and etching. The control device 121 may be configured to control each element of the substrate processing apparatus 120 to execute various substrate processes. In one embodiment, the control device 121 may include a processing unit, a storage unit, and a communication interface. The control device 121 is realized by, for example, a computer. The processing unit may be configured to perform various control operations by reading a program from the storage unit and executing the read program. This program may be stored in the storage unit in advance, or may be acquired via a medium when necessary. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit and read from the storage unit by the processing unit and executed. The program includes a parameter control program. The medium may be various recording media readable by a computer or a communication line connected to the communication interface. The processing unit may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface may communicate with the substrate processing apparatus 120 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0014] An information processing device 140a is connected to the substrate processing device 120a. The information processing device 140a acquires the execution result of the substrate processing executed by the substrate processing device 120a (hereinafter, also referred to as "process result"), the process parameters used for the execution, and a plurality of sensor data managed by the substrate processing device 120a. An information processing device 140b is connected to the substrate processing device 120b. The information processing device 140b acquires the execution result of the substrate processing executed by the substrate processing device 120b, the process parameters used for the execution, and a plurality of sensor data managed by the substrate processing device 120b. In the following description, the information processing devices 140a and 140b are also collectively referred to as the information processing device 140. One substrate processing device 120 and one information processing device 140 may be connected one-to-one, or a plurality of substrate processing devices 120 and one information processing device 140 may be connected many-to-one. Instead of providing the information processing device 140, the host device 130 or the server device 150 may function as the information processing device 140.

[0015] [Substrate Processing Device] Next, an example of the substrate processing device 120 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing an example of the substrate processing device according to an embodiment. In FIG. 2, a plasma processing device that performs substrate processing using plasma will be described as an example of the substrate processing device 120. The substrate processing device 120 has a processing container 1 in the shape of a cylindrical body with a ceiling and an open bottom end. The whole of the processing container 1 is formed of, for example, quartz. Near the upper end inside the processing container 1, a ceiling plate 2 formed of quartz is provided, and the area below the ceiling plate 2 is sealed. To the open bottom end of the processing container 1, a metal manifold 3 formed in a cylindrical shape is connected via a seal member 4 such as an O-ring.

[0016] The manifold 3 supports the lower end of the processing container 1, and a boat 5, on which multiple substrates W (for example, 25 to 150) are placed in multiple layers, is inserted into the processing container 1 from below the manifold 3. In this way, multiple substrates W are housed in the processing container 1 in a substantially horizontal manner with spacing along the vertical direction. The boat 5 is made of, for example, quartz. The substrates W may be, for example, semiconductor wafers. The boat 5 is an example of a substrate holder that holds multiple substrates W placed in multiple layers. By inserting the boat 5 into the processing container 1 of the substrate processing apparatus 120, processing of multiple substrates W is performed simultaneously.

[0017] Boat 5 is placed on a table 8 via an 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 manifold 3.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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, and the boat 5 and lid 9 move up and down together and are inserted into and removed from the processing container 1. Alternatively, the table 8 may be fixed to the lid 9 side, allowing the substrate W to be processed without rotating the boat 5.

[0020] The substrate processing apparatus 120 has a gas supply unit 20 that supplies predetermined gases such as processing gas and purge gas into the processing container 1.

[0021] The gas supply unit 20 has gas supply pipes 21 to 23. Gas supply pipes 21 and 22 are made of, for example, quartz, and penetrate the side wall of the manifold 3 inward, bend upward, and extend vertically. Multiple gas holes 21a and 22a are formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical portions of gas supply pipes 21 and 22, respectively, over a length corresponding to the base support range of the boat 5. Each gas hole 21a and 22a discharges gas horizontally. Gas supply pipe 23 is made of, for example, quartz, and consists of a short quartz pipe that penetrates the side wall of the manifold 3. In the illustrated example, there are two gas supply pipes 21 and one gas supply pipe each of 22 and 23.

[0022] The gas supply pipe 21 has its vertical portion located inside the processing container 1. Silicon (Si)-containing gases (raw material gases), such as silane (SiH4) gas, are supplied to the gas supply pipe 21 from a raw material gas supply source via gas piping. A flow control device and an on / off valve are provided in the gas piping. As a result, the raw material gas is supplied to the processing container 1 at a predetermined flow rate from the raw material gas supply source through the gas piping and the gas supply pipe 21.

[0023] The vertical portion of the gas supply pipe 22 is located in the plasma generation space, which will be described later. Reaction gases such as ammonia (NH3) gas are supplied to the gas supply pipe 22 from a reaction gas supply source via gas piping. A flow rate controller and an on / off valve are provided in the gas piping. As a result, the reaction gas is supplied from the reaction gas supply source to the plasma generation space at a predetermined flow rate via the gas piping and the gas supply pipe 22, where it is plasma-generated and supplied into the processing container 1.

[0024] The gas supply pipe 23 is supplied with purge gas from a purge gas supply source via gas piping. The gas piping is equipped with a flow controller and an on / off valve. As a result, the purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply source to the processing container 1 at a predetermined flow rate via the gas piping and gas supply pipe 23. As the purge gas, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) or argon (Ar) can be used. The purge gas may be supplied from at least one of the gas supply pipes 21 to 23.

[0025] A plasma generation mechanism 30 is formed in a portion of the side wall of the processing vessel 1. The plasma generation mechanism 30 generates active species for nitriding by plasmaizing the reaction gas. The plasma generation mechanism 30 includes a plasma compartment wall 32, a pair of plasma electrodes 33, a power supply line 34, an RF power supply 35, and an insulating protective cover 36.

[0026] The plasma compartment wall 32 is airtightly 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 boat 5 in the vertical direction. A gas supply pipe 22 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 is located near the substrates W along the inner wall of the processing vessel 1 outside the plasma generation space.

[0027] A pair of plasma electrodes 33 (only one is shown in Figure 2) 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. A power supply line 34 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33.

[0028] The power supply line 34 electrically connects each plasma electrode 33 to the RF power supply 35. In the illustrated example, one end of the power supply line 34 is connected to the lower end, which is the side of the short edge of each plasma electrode 33, and the other end is connected to the RF power supply 35.

[0029] The RF power supply 35 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33 via a power supply line 34, supplying, for example, 13.56 MHz RF power to the pair of plasma electrodes 33. This applies RF power to the plasma generation space defined by the plasma partition wall 32. The reaction gas discharged from the gas supply pipe 22 is plasma-generated in the plasma generation space to which RF power is applied, and the resulting active species for nitriding are supplied to the inside of the processing vessel 1 through the opening 31.

[0030] 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 N2 gas through the refrigerant passage. A shield (not shown) may be provided between the plasma electrode 33 and the insulating protective cover 36 so as to cover the plasma electrode 33. The shield is formed of a good conductor such as metal and is grounded.

[0031] An exhaust port 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 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, including a pressure control valve (hereinafter referred to as "APC valve 43") 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. A pressure sensor 45 is attached to the exhaust pipe 42 to detect the pressure inside the exhaust pipe 42. The pressure detected by the pressure sensor 45 and the opening degree of the APC valve 43 are used to control the pressure inside the processing container 1.

[0032] A cylindrical heating section 50 is provided around the processing container 1. The heating section 50 includes heaters that heat the processing container 1 and the substrate W inside it. The heaters are provided on the side walls of the processing container 1 so that the temperature can be controlled in multiple zones in the height direction of the processing container 1.

[0033] The temperature sensor 60 measures the temperature inside the processing container 1. The temperature sensor 60 has multiple temperature measuring units 61 to 65, which are provided at different height positions corresponding to multiple zones. The temperature measuring units 61 to 65 correspond to zones "TOP", "CT", "CTR", "CB", and "BTM", respectively. The multiple temperature measuring units 61 to 65 may be, for example, thermocouples or resistance thermometers. The temperature sensor 60 transmits the temperatures detected by the multiple temperature measuring units 61 to 65 to the control device 121.

[0034] [Film forming method] Next, an example of a film deposition method according to one embodiment will be briefly described with reference to Figure 3. The film deposition method according to one embodiment is controlled by a control device 121 and carried out by a substrate processing apparatus 120. Here, as an example of a film deposition method, a method for depositing a SiN film will be briefly described. The substrate processing apparatus 120 deposits the film by the ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) method. However, the substrate processing apparatus 120 may also deposit the desired film by the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. Furthermore, the film deposited by the ALD method and the CVD method is not limited to a SiN film.

[0035] When the film deposition process shown in Figure 3 is started, in step S1, the control device 121 inserts the boat 5 into the processing container 1 and prepares the substrate. Next, in step S2, the control device 121 supplies a silicon-containing gas (e.g., silane gas) as an example of a raw material gas into the processing container 1 from the gas supply pipe 21 (raw material gas supply step). As a result, the silicon-containing gas is adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate W.

[0036] Next, in step S3, the control device 121 replaces the atmosphere inside the processing container 1 from silicon-containing gas to N2 gas (purging step). In this embodiment, the atmosphere inside the processing container 1 is replaced from silicon-containing gas to N2 gas by supplying N2 gas into the processing container 1 from the gas supply pipe 23 while exhausting the inside of the processing container 1 with the exhaust device 44. Note that this purging step may be omitted.

[0037] Next, in step S4, the substrate W is exposed to plasma formed from ammonia gas. In this embodiment, ammonia gas is supplied into the processing container 1 from the gas supply pipe 22, and RF power is applied to a pair of plasma electrodes 33 from the RF power supply 35, thereby plasma-forming the ammonia gas to generate active species for nitriding, which are then supplied to the substrate W (nitriding step). As a result, the silicon-containing gas adsorbed on the substrate W reacts with the ammonia gas, forming a SiN film.

[0038] Next, in step S5, the atmosphere inside the processing container 1 is replaced from ammonia gas to N2 gas (purging step). In this embodiment, the atmosphere inside the processing container 1 is replaced from ammonia gas to N2 gas by supplying N2 gas into the processing container 1 from the gas supply pipe 23 while exhausting the inside of the processing container 1 with the exhaust device 44. Note that this purging step may be omitted.

[0039] Next, in step S6, it is determined whether the predetermined number of film deposition cycles (one time) of steps 1 through 4 has been reached. The number of film deposition cycles is determined, for example, according to the thickness of the SiN film to be formed. In step 5, if the cycle has not reached the number of film deposition cycles, the process from steps 1 through 4 is repeated. If the cycle reaches the number of film deposition cycles, this process is terminated. As a result, a SiN film with the desired thickness is deposited on the substrate W.

[0040] [Functional Configuration of Information Processing Equipment] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 140 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 140 according to one embodiment. A parameter control program is installed in the storage unit 116 of the information processing device 140. By executing this parameter control program, the information processing device 140 functions as the data acquisition unit 108, simulation execution unit 110, optimization unit 112, and display control unit 114 shown in Figure 4.

[0041] The data acquisition unit 108 continuously acquires specific data from multiple data managed by the control device 121 and stores it in the storage unit 116. The data managed by the control device 121 includes, for example, sensor data indicating the status of the substrate processing apparatus 120, detected by sensors attached to the substrate processing apparatus 120. The sensor data includes pressure (opening degree of APC valve 43) and temperature (detection value of temperature sensor 60) inside the substrate processing apparatus 120, which are acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 102 of the control device 121 and transmitted to the information processing apparatus 140. Examples of sensor data include temperature, pressure, gas type, gas flow rate, RF power, APC valve opening degree, light emission intensity, process step times, and various data such as heating and / or cooling rates. Examples of sensors include the temperature sensor 60, pressure sensor 45, film thickness sensor, mass flow controller, and plasma light emission monitor. The sensor data includes the results of the substrate processing (process results) obtained from a film thickness sensor (not shown) when the substrate was processed according to the recipe procedure. These results include the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness of the substrate W, the inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness of multiple substrates, and the amount of film deposited.

[0042] The process parameter acquisition unit 104 of the control device 121 sets process parameters, including the opening degree of the APC valve 43 for controlling the pressure inside the substrate processing device 120 and the temperature of the heating unit 50 (heater temperature) for controlling the temperature inside the substrate processing device 120. The process control unit 106 controls the substrate processing according to the procedure of the recipe based on the set process parameters. As a result, processing of multiple substrates W inserted into the substrate processing device 120 is carried out.

[0043] The execution result data, including the substrate processing execution result (process result), the opening degree of the APC valve 43, and the heater temperature of the heating unit 50, is transmitted from the process control unit 106 to the data acquisition unit 108. In one embodiment, as an example of the substrate processing execution result, in-plane film thickness data of one or more substrates measured by the film thickness sensor is transmitted. The execution result data may also include the film deposition time. In the case of film deposition by the ALD method, the execution result data may include the number of film deposition cycles as an example of the film deposition time.

[0044] The simulation execution unit 110 inputs the execution result data into the pressure correlation model 151, which is previously stored in the storage unit 116, and calculates the opening degree of the APC valve 43 that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. The pressure correlation model 151 is an example of a first model that shows the correlation between the opening degree of the APC valve 43 and the execution result of the substrate processing. The in-plane uniformity of the film thickness formed on the substrate may be used as the execution result of the substrate processing (see Figure 5). The execution result of the substrate processing is not limited to this, and the inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness of multiple substrates or the amount of film deposited may also be used.

[0045] Figures 5 and 6 are examples of experimental result graphs showing an example of the correlation between the opening degree of the APC valve 43 and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness in one embodiment. To obtain the graphs in Figures 5 and 6, the opening degree of the APC valve 43 was varied to 7.5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 50%, and 100% as shown on the horizontal axis, and a purging process was performed in the substrate processing apparatus 120 without changing other process parameters (process conditions). In the purging process, N2 gas was used as the purging gas in Figure 5. In Figure 6, a silicon (Si)-containing gas was supplied.

[0046] Slots A, B, C, D, and E are selected from approximately 25 to 150 slots on boat 5 for mounting substrates W. Boat 5 is divided into zones labeled "TOP," "CT," "CTR," "CB," and "BTM" from top to bottom. The film thickness was measured radially on the 300 mm diameter substrates W placed in slots A, B, C, D, and E. A film thickness sensor was used to measure the film thickness. The in-plane uniformity of the film thickness in each slot was then shown on the vertical axis as a percentage based on the measured radial film thickness.

[0047] We investigated how the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness of the substrate W, shown on the vertical axis, changes with the opening degree of the APC valve 43, shown on the horizontal axis. As a result, with purging using N2 gas, as shown in the example in Figure 5, the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness improved in all slots as the opening degree of the APC valve 43 increased, and the greatest improvement was observed when the opening degree of the APC valve 43 was set to 100%.

[0048] In purging with silicon (Si)-containing gas, as shown in the example in Figure 6, it was confirmed that increasing the opening of the APC valve 43 improved the in-plane uniformity of some slots. In the example in Figure 6, except for slot A, setting the APC opening to 100% tended to improve the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness. It should be noted that an in-plane uniformity of film thickness of 1% to 1.5% or less is within the acceptable range, so it can be said that the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness was improved.

[0049] Figure 7 is a graph of experimental results showing an example of the correlation between the opening degree of the APC valve 43 and the in-plane uniformity and inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness in one embodiment. To obtain the graph in Figure 7, the opening degree of the APC valve 43 was varied to 7.5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 50%, and 100%, and the purging process was carried out in the processing container 1 of the substrate processing apparatus 120 according to the same recipe without changing other process parameters. In the purging process, N2 gas was used as the purging gas in Figure 5. Other conditions were the same.

[0050] In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents the slot number, the left vertical axis represents the film thickness, and the right vertical axis represents the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness. The values ​​indicated by △ show the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness formed on the substrate W in each slot A to E when the opening of the APC valve 43 is changed to 7.5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 50%, and 100%.

[0051] Figure 8 illustrates the relationship between the rotation of boat 5 and the film thickness. Figure 8(a) shows the film thickness on substrate W when boat 5 is not rotating and silicon (Si)-containing gas is supplied from the right side. The film thickness is thickest at the right edge of substrate W where the silicon (Si)-containing gas is supplied, and decreases towards the left, becoming thinnest at the left edge of substrate W.

[0052] In contrast, Figure 8(b) shows the film thickness on the substrate W when the boat 5 is rotating and the silicon (Si)-containing gas is supplied from the right side. The film thickness is thin at the right edge of the substrate W where the silicon (Si)-containing gas is supplied, similar to the other outer edges, and becomes thicker towards the center, creating a bell-shaped curve. As a result, the rotation of the boat 5 causes the film to thicken in the center of the substrate W and thin at the outer edges, improving the in-plane uniformity of the film.

[0053] The undulating shape of the film thickness shown in Figure 7 represents the radial film thickness of the substrate W in each slot when the boat 5 is rotating and the opening of the APC valve 43 is varied to 7.5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 50%, and 100%. The left end of each peak represents the film thickness of the substrate W around -150 mm, the center of each peak represents the film thickness at the center of the substrate W, and the right end of each peak represents the film thickness of the substrate W around +150 mm. In all substrates W, the film thickness increased most at the center.

[0054] According to the in-plane uniformity values ​​indicated by the triangles in each slot, the in-plane uniformity value differed at each slot position depending on the opening degree of the APC valve 43. Therefore, it was found that the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness can be adjusted by controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 43. Furthermore, from the undulating shape of the film thickness, it was found that the interplane uniformity value of the substrate differed at each slot position depending on the opening degree of the APC valve 43. It was found that the interplane uniformity of the film thickness can be adjusted at each slot position by controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 43. In other words, it was found that controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 43 affects not only the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness but also the interplane uniformity of the film thickness. Based on the above, a pressure correlation model 151 is created so that in-plane adjustment and interplane adjustment can be performed by controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 43. In other words, in the parameter control according to this embodiment, the in-plane uniformity and interplane uniformity of the process execution result are optimized at once by controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 43.

[0055] Based on the above, a pressure correlation model 151 is created that includes correlation information between the opening degree of the APC valve 43 and the in-plane uniformity and / or inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness on the substrate. The pressure correlation model 151 is an example of a first model that shows the correlation between the opening degree of the pressure control valve and the execution result of the substrate processing. In this case, the "execution result of the substrate processing" refers to the in-plane uniformity and / or inter-plane uniformity of the process execution result, such as the film thickness.

[0056] The simulation execution unit 110 inputs the execution result data, including the opening degree of the APC valve 43, into the pressure correlation model 151 and calculates the opening degree of the APC valve 43 that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. The target value of the substrate processing result is at least one of the target value of in-plane uniformity of film thickness, the target value of inter-plane uniformity of film thickness, and the film thickness. In the case of film deposition processing by CVD, the simulation execution unit 110 inputs the execution result data, including the pressure of the substrate processing apparatus 120, into the pressure correlation model 151 and calculates the pressure of the substrate processing apparatus 120 that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result.

[0057] The correlation between the opening degree of the APC valve 43 and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness is obtained experimentally as shown in Figures 5 and 6, and a pressure correlation model 151 is created and stored in the storage unit 116 in advance. The simulation execution unit 110 inputs the execution results of the substrate processing and the opening degree of the APC valve 43 into the pressure correlation model 151 and calculates the optimized opening degree of the APC valve 43. The optimization unit 112 optimizes the process parameters based on the calculated opening degree of the APC valve 43 and calculates a predicted value of the substrate processing result based on the optimized process parameters. Optimizing the process parameters based on the opening degree of the APC valve 43 includes updating the opening degree of the APC valve 43 among the process parameters.

[0058] The simulation model 155 (see Figure 12) includes a pressure correlation model 151. Furthermore, the simulation model 155 includes a temperature correlation model 152, which is a correlation model between the execution result of substrate processing and the temperature of the heating unit 50 that controls the temperature of the substrate processing apparatus 120 (hereinafter also referred to as heater temperature), and a heater internal model 153.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, changing the type of gas altered the correlation between the opening degree of the APC valve 43 and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness on the substrate. The opening degree of the APC valve 43 controls the amount of gas exhausted, which in turn controls the pressure inside the processing container 1. In particular, in the film deposition process using the ALD method, each step S2 to S5 shown in Figure 3 switches within a short period of time, such as a few seconds. Therefore, the pressure sensor data of the pressure inside the substrate processing apparatus detected by the pressure sensor 45 represents a past pressure value that is slightly delayed compared to the current pressure value inside the processing container 1.

[0060] The opening degree of the APC valve 43 controls the amount of gas exhausted. In other words, changing the opening degree of the APC valve 43 means changing the pressure inside the processing vessel 1, and optimizing the opening degree of the APC valve 43 means optimizing the pressure inside the processing vessel 1. Therefore, especially in film deposition processes using the ALD method, the pressure inside the processing vessel 1 can be controlled more accurately by controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 43.

[0061] Figure 9 shows that the difference between the pressure P1 in the gas supply pipe 21 and the pressure P2 in the processing container 1 (P2-P1) is equal to the gas velocity V. gas This indicates the adjustment of the APC valve 43. In the ALD method of film deposition, steps S2 to S5 in Figure 3 must be switched instantaneously, so the opening degree of the APC valve 43 is adjusted. This allows adjustment of the difference between pressure P1 and pressure P2 (P2-P1). By adjusting the difference between pressure P1 and pressure P2 (P2-P1), the amount of gas injected into the processing container 1 changes, and the pressure inside the processing container 1 changes. For example, if the pressure inside the processing container 1 is set to 1 Torr, the opening degree of the APC valve 43 is adjusted so that the pressure inside the processing container 1 becomes 1 Torr. In the CVD method of film deposition, the pressure set value inside the processing container is controlled.

[0062] It is preferable to use the pressure correlation model 151 created for each step in the multiple steps set in the recipe (for example, steps S2 to S5 in Figure 3) and adjust the APC opening based on the step-by-step pressure correlation model 151. This allows for precise control of the pressure inside the processing vessel 1, improves the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness, and enables the formation of the target film thickness shape with greater precision. An example of a target value for the film thickness shape is to set the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness to 1% to 1.5% or less. The target value for the film thickness shape is an example of a target value for the substrate processing result. Other examples of target values ​​for the substrate processing result include setting the inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness to below a predetermined threshold, and setting the film thickness to a predetermined thickness or greater. In other words, the target value for the substrate processing result may be a combination of at least one or more of the in-plane uniformity, inter-plane uniformity, and film thickness of the film deposition process execution result. Furthermore, the process execution result is not limited to film deposition but may also be the result of etching. In this case, the target value for the substrate processing result may be a combination of at least one or more of the following: uniformity of the CD (Critical Dimension) value of the etching process execution result, uniformity of the etching perpendicularity, and uniformity of the etching depth.

[0063] The display control unit 114 displays the predicted process result on the display unit. The display unit may be a display unit of the substrate processing device 120, a display unit of the control device 121, or a display unit of the information processing device 140.

[0064] The optimization unit 112 may update the process parameters used in the substrate processing apparatus 120 with the optimized process parameters in response to user instructions regarding the displayed process results (predicted values ​​of the substrate processing results).

[0065] The optimization unit 112 may automatically determine, based on the displayed process results, whether or not to update the process parameters used in the substrate processing apparatus 120 with the optimized process parameters.

[0066] [Substrate processing] Next, a substrate processing method according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of substrate processing according to one embodiment. This processing is controlled by the control device 121 and executed by the substrate processing device 120.

[0067] When this process begins, in step S7, the process control unit 106 of the control device 121 inserts the boat 5 into the processing container 1 of the substrate processing apparatus 120 and prepares multiple substrates W. Next, in step S8, the process parameter acquisition unit 104 acquires process parameters including pressure (opening degree of APC valve 43), temperature, and number of film deposition cycles. When it receives notification of an update from the information processing apparatus described later, the process parameter acquisition unit 104 updates the process parameters with the acquired process parameters.

[0068] Next, in step S9, the process control unit 106 performs substrate processing in the processing container 1 of the substrate processing apparatus 120, measures the film thickness from the process results, and acquires film thickness data. Next, in step S10, the process control unit 106 unloads the substrate W and terminates the process.

[0069] [Parameter control processing] Next, a parameter control process according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a parameter control process according to one embodiment. This process is executed by the information processing device 140 each time the substrate processing device 120 performs substrate processing.

[0070] When this process is started, in step S11, the data acquisition unit 108 of the information processing device 140 acquires the execution result (process result) of the substrate processing. The process result may be in-plane uniformity of film thickness, inter-plane uniformity of film thickness, a combination of these, or other indicators for determining the quality of the process.

[0071] In step S12, the data acquisition unit 108 determines whether the process result is OK (within the acceptable range). If the data acquisition unit 108 determines that the process result is OK, it terminates the process. On the other hand, if the data acquisition unit 108 determines that the process result is NG (outside the acceptable range), in step S13, the data acquisition unit 108 acquires execution result data from the control device 121. The execution result data includes film thickness data, which is the execution result of the substrate processing, as well as the opening degree of the APC valve 43, the heater temperature of the heating unit 50, and the number of film deposition cycles.

[0072] Next, in step S14, the simulation execution unit 110 inputs the execution result data into the pressure correlation model 151, which has been previously stored in the storage unit 116. In one embodiment, the pressure correlation model 151 is input with film thickness data and the opening degree of the APC valve 43. The simulation execution unit 110 uses the pressure correlation model 151 to calculate the opening degree of the APC valve 43 that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result (for example, the target value of in-plane uniformity of film thickness).

[0073] Next, in step S15, the simulation execution unit 110 inputs the execution result data into the temperature correlation model 152, which has been previously stored in the storage unit 116. The simulation execution unit 110 may also input the execution result data into the temperature correlation model 152 and the heater internal model 153, which have been previously stored in the storage unit 116. In one embodiment, the temperature correlation model 152 is input with film thickness data, temperature sensor data, and the number of film deposition cycles. The simulation execution unit 110 calculates the heater temperature of the heating unit 50 and the number of film deposition cycles that are predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result (for example, the target value of inter-plane uniformity of film thickness).

[0074] Next, in step S16, the optimization unit 112 performs a simulation of substrate processing based on the calculated process parameters, including the opening degree of the APC valve 43, the heater temperature, and the number of film deposition cycles, and calculates a predicted value for the process result. For example, the heater temperature may be the heater temperature of each zone of the heating unit 50. The display control unit 114 displays the predicted value for the process result on the display unit. In step S17, the optimization unit 112 determines, based on instructions from the user (operator), whether the process result has improved using the predicted value for the process result with the optimized parameters. If the optimization unit 112 determines that the result has improved, in step S18, it notifies the control device 121 or other user terminal of the calculated opening degree of the APC valve 43, the heater temperature (heater temperature of each zone of the heating unit 50), and the number of film deposition cycles, and terminates this process. If the optimization unit 112 determines that the result has not improved, it terminates this process and waits for the next process result.

[0075] [Example of effect] Next, the effects of the parameter control process shown in Figure 11 will be explained with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of the effects of the parameter control process according to one embodiment.

[0076] Conventionally, in-plane uniformity of film thickness and inter-plane uniformity of film thickness were optimized separately using different control methods. For example, inter-plane uniformity of film thickness was optimized by optimizing the heater temperature of each zone, while in-plane uniformity of film thickness was optimized using a control method that raised or lowered the heater temperature of each zone of the heating unit 50.

[0077] In the parameter control process according to this embodiment, the information processing device 140 executes a parameter control program and optimizes process parameters using the simulation model 155. At this time, the control knobs are pressure (opening degree of APC valve 43), temperature (heater temperature for each zone), and film deposition time (number of deposition cycles). The control targets are in-plane uniformity of film thickness, inter-plane uniformity of film thickness, and film deposition amount. This allows for the calculation of the optimized opening degree of APC valve 43, heater temperature, and number of deposition cycles. This makes it possible to adjust both the in-plane uniformity of film thickness and the inter-plane uniformity of film thickness, which are the control targets, at once.

[0078] In particular, by inputting the process results and the opening degree of the APC valve 43 into the pressure correlation model 151, it is possible to calculate the opening degree of the APC valve 43 (pressure inside the processing vessel 1), which can improve the in-plane uniformity and inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness.

[0079] As described above, the information processing device 140 and parameter control program of this embodiment can improve the uniformity of the substrate processing results.

[0080] The information processing apparatus 140 and parameter control program according to the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be configured in other ways and combined in a non-consistent manner.

[0081] The substrate processing apparatus of this disclosure can be applied to single-wafer processing apparatuses, batch processing apparatuses that process multiple substrates at once, and semi-batch processing apparatuses. Examples of substrate processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus of this disclosure include film deposition and etching.

[0082] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described herein is not limited to apparatus that processes substrates using plasma, but may also be apparatus that processes substrates without using plasma.

[0083] Figure 13 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 140 according to one embodiment. The information processing device 140 in Figure 13 includes an input device 141, an output device 142, an external I / F (interface) 143, RAM (Random Access Memory) 144, ROM (Read Only Memory) 145, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 146, a communication I / F 147, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 148, and these are all interconnected via bus B. Note that the input device 141 and the output device 142 may be connected and used only when necessary.

[0084] The input device 141 is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used by operators to input various operation signals. The output device 142 is a display, etc., which displays the processing results from the information processing device 140. The communication I / F 147 is an interface that connects the information processing device 140 to a network. The HDD 148 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data.

[0085] External I / F 143 is an interface to external devices. The information processing device 140 can read and / or write to recording media 143a such as an SD (Secure Digital) memory card via the external I / F 143. ROM 145 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) in which programs and data are stored. RAM 144 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) for temporarily holding programs and data.

[0086] The CPU 146 is an arithmetic unit that controls and implements the functions of the entire information processing unit 140 by reading programs and data from storage devices such as ROM 145 and HDD 148 onto RAM 144 and executing processing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 1. Processing container 5 boats 21-23 Gas supply pipes 30 Plasma generation mechanism 40 Exhaust vents 42 Exhaust piping 43 APC valve 44 Exhaust system 45 Pressure Sensor 50 Heating section 60 temperature sensors 61-65 Temperature sensing section 100 substrate processing systems 108 Data Acquisition Unit 110 Simulation Execution Unit 112 Optimization Unit 114 Display Control Unit 116 Memory section 120 Substrate Processing Equipment 121 Control device 140 Information Processing Devices 151 Pressure Correlation Model 152 Temperature Correlation Models

Claims

1. A data acquisition unit that acquires execution result data including the execution result of substrate processing based on process parameters including pressure within the substrate processing apparatus, and sensor data of the pressure within the substrate processing apparatus. A simulation execution unit inputs the execution result data into a simulation model stored in a memory unit beforehand and calculates the pressure inside the substrate processing apparatus that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. An optimization unit that calculates a predicted value of the substrate processing result based on the process parameters, including the calculated pressure, An information processing device having

2. The simulation execution unit calculates the opening degree of a pressure control valve located in the exhaust pipe connected to the substrate processing apparatus as the pressure inside the substrate processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The data acquisition unit acquires the execution result data, which includes the execution result of the substrate processing, the opening degree of the pressure control valve, and sensor data of the temperature inside the substrate processing apparatus. The simulation execution unit inputs the execution result of the substrate processing and the opening degree of the pressure control valve into the first model of the simulation model, and calculates the opening degree of the pressure control valve that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. The simulation execution unit inputs the execution result of the substrate processing and the temperature sensor data into the second model of the simulation model, and calculates the temperature of the heating section of the substrate processing apparatus that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. The optimization unit optimizes the process parameters based on the calculated opening degree of the pressure control valve and the temperature of the heating unit. The first model shows the correlation between the opening degree of the pressure control valve and the execution result of the substrate processing. The second model shows the correlation between the temperature of the heating section and the result of the substrate processing. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The data acquisition unit further acquires the execution result data including the film deposition time, The simulation execution unit inputs the execution result of the substrate processing, the temperature sensor data, and the film deposition time into the second model of the simulation model, and calculates the temperature of the heating section of the substrate processing apparatus and the film deposition time that are predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. The optimization unit optimizes the process parameters based on the calculated opening degree of the pressure control valve, the temperature of the heating unit, and the film deposition time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The substrate processing is a film deposition process using the ALD method, in which one cycle of steps including a raw material gas supply step and a reaction gas supply step is repeated for a predetermined number of deposition cycles. The optimization unit optimizes the number of film deposition cycles as the film deposition time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The system includes a display control unit that displays the predicted value of the substrate processing result on the display unit. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The optimization unit updates the process parameters used in the substrate processing apparatus with the optimized process parameters in response to user instructions regarding the displayed predicted values ​​of the substrate processing results. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The optimization unit automatically determines, based on the displayed predicted values ​​of the substrate processing results, whether or not to update the process parameters used in the substrate processing apparatus with the optimized process parameters. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

9. The substrate processing apparatus performs processing on multiple substrates simultaneously by inserting a substrate holding unit for holding multiple substrates into the substrate processing apparatus. The data acquisition unit acquires the execution result data, which includes the execution result of processing the plurality of substrates based on the process parameters, the opening degree of the pressure control valve, and the temperature of the substrate processing apparatus. The results of the substrate processing include values ​​indicating the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness on the substrate formed by the substrate processing and the inter-plane uniformity of the film thickness between multiple substrates. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

10. A process for acquiring execution result data including the execution result of substrate processing based on process parameters including pressure within the substrate processing apparatus, and sensor data of the pressure within the substrate processing apparatus. The process involves inputting the aforementioned execution result data into a simulation model previously stored in a memory unit, and calculating the pressure inside the substrate processing apparatus that is predicted to approach the target value of the substrate processing result. A process for calculating a predicted value of the substrate processing result based on the process parameters, including the calculated pressure, A parameter control program that causes a computer to perform a process that includes [specific parameters].

Images