Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method and program

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a treatment chamber that treats a substrate; at least one vaporizer that vaporizes a source supplied in a liquid form to produce a source gas; at least two tanks storing the source gas ejected from the vaporizer; a pipe connecting the at least two tanks; a first valve provided on the pipe; and a gas supply unit that supplies the source gas into the treatment chamber from the at least two tanks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] As one aspect of a substrate processing apparatus used in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, for example, a substrate processing apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates collectively is used (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 that enables uniform processing of a plurality of substrates.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a processing chamber for processing a substrate, at least one vaporizer that vaporizes a raw material supplied in a liquid state to generate a raw material gas, at least two tanks for accumulating the raw material gas taken out from the vaporizer, a pipe connecting the at least two tanks, a first valve provided in the pipe, a gas supply unit that supplies the raw material gas from the at least two tanks into the processing chamber, and a technique including the above is provided.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a technology is provided that enables uniform processing of multiple substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a substrate support portion according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a first gas supply system according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing a second gas supply system according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a gas exhaust system according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a controller for a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing flow according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a chart illustrating the control process during gas supply according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a first gas supply system according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example of a first gas supply system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, where (a) is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration and (b) is a view of the area around the substrate from above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The embodiments of the present aspect will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships of each element on the drawings, the ratios of each element, etc. do not necessarily match the actual ones. Also, the dimensional relationships of each element and the ratios of each element do not necessarily match between multiple drawings.

[0009] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus The schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 100, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along α-α' in FIG. 1. For convenience of explanation, nozzles 223 and 225 are added here. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the housing 227, the heater 211, and the distribution unit. For convenience of explanation, the distribution unit 222 and the nozzle 223 are described here, and the distribution unit 224 and the nozzle 225 are omitted.

[0010] (Overall configuration) Subsequently, specific details will be described. The substrate processing apparatus 100 has a housing 201, and the housing 201 includes a reaction tube storage chamber 206 and a transfer chamber 217. The reaction tube storage chamber 206 is disposed above the transfer chamber 217.

[0011] The reaction tube storage chamber 206 includes a reaction tube 210 having a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, a heater 211 as a heating unit (furnace body) installed on the outer periphery of the reaction tube 210, a gas supply structure 212 as a gas supply unit, and a gas exhaust structure 213 as a gas exhaust unit. Here, the reaction tube 210 is also referred to as a processing chamber, and the space inside the reaction tube 210 is also referred to as a processing space. The reaction tube 210 can store a substrate support unit 300 to be described later.

[0012] The heater 211 is provided with a resistance heating heater on the inner surface facing the reaction tube 210 side, and a heat insulating portion is provided so as to surround them. Therefore, on the outer side of the heater 211, that is, on the side not facing the reaction tube 210, the heat influence is reduced. A heater control unit 211a is electrically connected to the resistance heating heater of the heater 211. By controlling the heater control unit 211a, the on / off of the heater 211 and the heating temperature can be controlled. The heater 211 can heat the gas described later to a temperature at which it can be thermally decomposed. Note that the heater 211 is also referred to as a processing chamber heating unit or a first heating unit.

[0013] Inside the reaction tube storage chamber 206, a reaction tube 210, an upstream rectifying portion 214, and a downstream rectifying portion 215 are provided. The gas supply unit may include the upstream rectifying portion 214. Also, the gas exhaust unit may include the downstream rectifying portion 215.

[0014] The gas supply structure 212 is provided upstream in the gas flow direction of the reaction tube 210, and gas is supplied from the gas supply structure 212 to the reaction tube 210. The gas exhaust structure 213 is provided downstream in the gas flow direction of the reaction tube 210, and the gas in the reaction tube 210 is discharged from the gas exhaust structure 213.

[0015] An upstream rectifying portion 214 for adjusting the flow of the gas supplied from the gas supply structure 212 is provided between the reaction tube 210 and the gas supply structure 212. That is, the gas supply structure 212 is adjacent to the upstream rectifying portion 214. Also, a downstream rectifying portion 215 for adjusting the flow of the gas discharged from the reaction tube 210 is provided between the reaction tube 210 and the gas exhaust structure 213. The lower end of the reaction tube 210 is supported by a manifold 216.

[0016] The reaction tube 210, the upstream rectifying portion 214, and the downstream rectifying portion 215 have a continuous structure and are formed of a material such as quartz or SiC, for example. These are composed of heat transmissive members that transmit the heat radiated from the heater 211. The heat of the heater 211 heats the substrate S and the gas.

[0017] The housing constituting the gas supply structure 212 is made of metal, and the housing 227, which is part of the upstream flow straightening section 214, is made of quartz or the like. The gas supply structure 212 and the housing 227 are separable and are fixed together via an O-ring 229. The housing 227 is connected to the lateral connection section 206a of the reaction tube 210.

[0018] The housing 227 extends in a direction different from that of the reaction tube 210 when viewed from the reaction tube 210 side, and is connected to the gas supply structure 212, which will be described later. The heater 211 and the housing 227 are adjacent at the adjacent section 227b between the reaction tube 210 and the gas supply structure 212. The adjacent section is called the adjacent section 227b.

[0019] (Gas supply structure) The gas supply structure 212 is located further back than the adjacent section 227b when viewed from the reaction tube 210. The gas supply structure 212 includes a distribution section 224 that can communicate with the gas supply pipe 261 (described later) and a distribution section 222 that can communicate with the gas supply pipe 251. Multiple nozzles 223 are provided downstream of the distribution section 222, and multiple nozzles 225 are provided downstream of the distribution section 224. Multiple nozzles are arranged vertically. Figure 1 shows the distribution section 222 and the nozzles 223.

[0020] As will be described later, the distribution unit 222 is also called the raw material gas distribution unit because it is capable of distributing the raw material gas. The nozzle 223 supplies the raw material gas, so it is also called the raw material gas supply nozzle.

[0021] Furthermore, the distribution unit 224 is also called a reaction gas distribution unit because it is capable of distributing the reaction gas. The nozzle 225 supplies the reaction gas, so it is also called a reaction gas supply nozzle.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the distribution unit 222 is divided into at least two parts (the figure illustrates the case where there are only two parts). Specifically, the distribution unit 222 consists of a first distribution unit 2221 and a second distribution unit 2222. The first distribution unit 2221 and the second distribution unit 2222 are for supplying raw material gas to different regions in the substrate support unit 300, which will be described later. The first distribution unit 2221 and the second distribution unit 2222 may be configured similarly, or they may have different configurations (for example, the number of downstream nozzles 223) as shown in the figure.

[0023] Unlike the distribution unit 222, the distribution unit 224 is composed of a single part without being divided. However, like the distribution unit 222, it may be composed of at least two parts.

[0024] The gas supply pipe 251, which communicates with the distribution unit 222, and the gas supply pipe 261, which communicates with the distribution unit 224, supply different types of gas, as will be described later. As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle 223 located downstream of the distribution unit 222 and the nozzle 225 located downstream of the distribution unit 224 are arranged side by side. Here, in the horizontal direction, the nozzle 223 is located in the center of the housing 227, and the nozzles 225 are located on either side of it. The nozzles located on either side are called nozzles 225a and 225b, respectively.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, each of the distribution units 222 (i.e., the first distribution unit 2221 and the second distribution unit 2222) is provided with multiple discharge holes 222c. The discharge holes 222c are arranged so as not to overlap in the vertical direction. Multiple nozzles 223 are connected so that the discharge holes 222c provided in the distribution unit 222 communicate with the inside of each nozzle 223. The nozzles 223 are arranged vertically between partition plates 226 (described later) or between the housing 227 and the partition plates 226.

[0026] Each of the distribution units 222 (i.e., the first distribution unit 2221 and the second distribution unit 2222) comprises a distribution structure 222a connected to a nozzle 223 and an introduction pipe 222b. The introduction pipe 222b is configured to communicate with the gas supply pipe 251 of the gas supply unit 250, which will be described later.

[0027] The distribution structure 222a is positioned behind the heater 211 when viewed from the reaction tube 210. Therefore, the distribution structure 222a is positioned in a location that is less affected by the heater 211.

[0028] An upstream heater 228 capable of heating at a lower temperature than the heater 211 is provided around the gas supply structure 212 and the housing 227. The upstream heater 228 is configured to include two heaters 228a and 228b. Specifically, the upstream heater 228a is provided around the surface of the housing 227, specifically the surface between the gas supply structure 212 and the adjacent part 227b. The upstream heater 228b is provided around the gas supply structure 212. The upstream heater 228 is also referred to as the upstream heating section or the second heating section.

[0029] Here, "low temperature" refers to a temperature at which, for example, the gas supplied to the distribution unit 222 does not reliquefy, and furthermore, a temperature at which the gas maintains a low decomposition state.

[0030] The distribution unit 224, like the distribution unit 222, comprises a distribution structure 224a connected to a nozzle 225 and an introduction pipe 224b. The introduction pipe 224b is configured to communicate with the gas supply pipe 261 of the gas supply unit 260, which will be described later. The distribution unit 224 and the multiple nozzles 225 are connected such that the holes 224c provided in the distribution unit 224 communicate with the inside of each nozzle 225. As shown in Figure 2, there are multiple distribution units 224 and nozzles 225, for example two, and the gas supply pipe 261 is configured to communicate with each of them. The multiple nozzles 225 are arranged in symmetrical positions with respect to nozzle 223, for example.

[0031] In this way, by providing a distribution unit and nozzle for each supplied gas, the gases supplied from each gas supply pipe do not mix at each gas distribution unit, and therefore the generation of particles that may occur due to gas mixing at the distribution unit 224 can be suppressed.

[0032] At least a portion of the upstream heater 228a is arranged parallel to the extension direction of nozzles 223 and 225. At least a portion of the upstream heater 228b is provided along the direction of arrangement of the distribution unit 222. In this way, low temperatures can be maintained inside the nozzles and distribution unit.

[0033] The upstream heater 228 is electrically connected to heater control units 228c and 228d. Specifically, heater control unit 228c is connected to upstream heater 228a, and heater control unit 228d is connected to upstream heater 228b. By controlling heater control units 228c and 228d, the on / off state of heater 228 and the heating temperature can be controlled. Although this explanation uses two heater control units 228c and 228d, it is not limited to this configuration; one heater control unit or three or more heater control units may be used as long as the desired temperature control is possible. The upstream heater 228 is also called the second heater.

[0034] The upstream heater 228 is detachable and can be removed from the gas supply structure 212 and the housing 227 before separating them. Alternatively, it may be fixed to each part, and when separating the gas supply structure 212 and the housing 227, the gas supply structure 212 and the housing 227 may be separated while the heater remains fixed to them.

[0035] A metal cover 212a, for example made of metal, may be provided between the upstream heater 228a and the housing 227. By providing the metal cover 212a, the heat emitted from the upstream heater 228a can be efficiently supplied into the housing 227. In particular, since the housing 227 is made of quartz, heat loss is a concern, but by providing the metal cover 212a, heat loss can be suppressed. Therefore, there is no need to overheat, and the power supply to the heater 228 can be reduced.

[0036] A metal cover 212b may be provided between the upstream heater 228b and the housing constituting the gas supply structure 212. By providing the metal cover 212b, the heat emitted from the upstream heater 228b can be efficiently supplied to the distribution section. Therefore, the power supply to the upstream heater 228 can be suppressed.

[0037] (Upstream rectifier) The upstream rectifier section 214 has a housing 227 and partition plates 226. Of the partition plates 226, the portion facing the substrate S is extended horizontally so that it is at least larger than the diameter of the substrate S. Here, the horizontal direction refers to the direction of the side wall of the housing 227. Multiple partition plates 226 are arranged vertically within the housing 227. The partition plates 226 are fixed to the side wall of the housing 227 and are configured so that gas does not move beyond the partition plates 226 to adjacent areas below or above. By preventing this, the gas flow described later can be reliably formed.

[0038] The partition plates 226 have a continuous structure without holes. Each partition plate 226 is provided at a position corresponding to the substrate S. Nozzles 223 and 225 are provided between the partition plates 226 and between the partition plates 226 and the housing 227. That is, at least one nozzle 223 and one nozzle 225 are provided for each partition plate 226. With this configuration, it is possible to perform processes using the first gas and the second gas between each partition plate 226 and between each partition plate 226 and the housing 227. Therefore, the processing can be made uniform across multiple substrates S.

[0039] Furthermore, it is desirable that the distance between each partition plate 226 and the nozzle 223 positioned above it be the same. That is, the nozzle 223 and the partition plate 226 or housing 227 positioned below it are configured to be at the same height. By doing so, the distance from the tip of the nozzle 223 to the partition plate 226 can be made the same, so that the resolution on the substrate S can be made uniform across multiple substrates.

[0040] The gas blown out from nozzles 223 and 225 has its gas flow regulated by the partition plate 226 and is supplied to the surface of the substrate S. Since the partition plate 226 is extended horizontally and has a continuous structure without holes, the movement of the main gas flow in the vertical direction is suppressed and it moves horizontally. Therefore, the pressure loss of the gas reaching each substrate S can be made uniform in the vertical direction.

[0041] In this embodiment, the diameter of the air outlet 222c provided in the distribution unit 222 is configured to be smaller than the distance between partition plates 226, or the distance between the housing 227 and the partition plate 226.

[0042] (Downstream rectifier) The downstream rectifier section 215 is configured such that, when the substrate S is supported by the substrate support section 300, its ceiling is higher than the position of the uppermost substrate S, and its bottom is lower than the position of the lowest substrate S on the substrate support section 300.

[0043] The downstream flow straightening section 215 has a housing 231 and partition plates 232. Of the partition plates 232, the portion facing the substrate S is extended horizontally so that it is at least larger than the diameter of the substrate S. Here, the horizontal direction refers to the direction of the side wall of the housing 231. Furthermore, multiple partition plates 232 are arranged vertically. The partition plates 232 are fixed to the side wall of the housing 231 and are configured to prevent gas from moving beyond the partition plates 232 to adjacent areas below or above. By preventing this, the gas flow described later can be reliably formed. A flange 233 is provided on the side of the housing 231 that is in contact with the gas exhaust structure 213.

[0044] The partition plates 232 have a continuous structure without holes. Each partition plate 232 is positioned corresponding to the substrate S, and each partition plate 232 is positioned corresponding to the partition plate 226. It is desirable that the corresponding partition plates 226 and 232 be at the same height. Furthermore, when processing the substrate S, it is desirable to match the height of the substrate S with the heights of the partition plates 226 and 232. With this structure, the gas supplied from each nozzle forms a flow that passes over the partition plate 226, the substrate S, and the partition plate 232, as shown by the arrows in the figure. At this time, the partition plates 232 are extended horizontally and have a continuous structure without holes. With this structure, the pressure loss of the gas discharged from each substrate S can be made uniform. Therefore, the gas flow of the gas passing through each substrate S is formed horizontally toward the exhaust structure 213 while the flow in the vertical direction is suppressed.

[0045] By providing partition plates 226 and 232, the pressure loss in the vertical direction can be made uniform both upstream and downstream of each substrate S, thereby reliably forming a horizontal gas flow with suppressed vertical flow across partition plate 226, substrate S, and partition plate 232.

[0046] (Gas exhaust structure) The gas exhaust structure 213 is located downstream of the downstream flow straightening section 215. The gas exhaust structure 213 mainly consists of a housing 241 and a gas exhaust pipe connection section 242. A flange 243 is provided on the housing 241 on the side facing the downstream flow straightening section 215.

[0047] The gas exhaust structure 213 communicates with the space of the downstream flow straightening section 215. The housings 231 and 241 have a continuous height structure. The ceiling of housing 231 is configured to be the same height as the ceiling of housing 241, and the bottom of housing 231 is configured to be the same height as the bottom of housing 241.

[0048] The gas that has passed through the downstream flow straightening section 215 is exhausted from the exhaust port 244. At this time, since the gas exhaust structure does not have a partition plate or similar configuration, a gas flow including the vertical direction is formed toward the gas exhaust port.

[0049] The transfer chamber 217 is installed below the reaction tube 210 via a manifold 216. In the transfer chamber 217, a vacuum transfer robot (not shown) is used to place (mount) the substrate S onto the substrate support (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a boat) 300, and to remove the substrate S from the substrate support 300.

[0050] The transfer chamber 217 can house a substrate support 300, a partition plate support 310, and a vertical drive mechanism 400, which constitutes the first drive unit that drives the substrate support 300 and the partition plate support 310 (collectively referred to as the substrate holder) in the vertical and rotational directions. In Figure 1, the substrate holder 300 is shown raised by the vertical drive mechanism 400 and stored inside the reaction tube.

[0051] (Board holding part) Next, we will explain the details of the substrate support section using Figures 1 and 4. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the substrate support section. The substrate support section consists of at least a substrate support device 300, and within the transfer chamber 217, a vacuum transfer robot transfers the substrate S through the substrate loading port 149, or the transferred substrate S is transported into the reaction tube 210 for a process to form a thin film on the surface of the substrate S. The substrate support section may also include a partition plate support section 310.

[0052] The partition plate support section 310 has multiple disc-shaped partition plates 314 fixed at a predetermined pitch to a support column 313 supported between the base 311 and the top plate 312. The substrate support 300 has a configuration in which multiple support rods 315 are supported on the base 311, and multiple substrates S are supported at predetermined intervals by these multiple support rods 315.

[0053] Multiple substrates S are placed at predetermined intervals on the substrate support 300 by a plurality of support rods 315 supported on a base 311. The spaces between the multiple substrates S supported by these support rods 315 are separated by disc-shaped partition plates 314 fixed (supported) at predetermined intervals on pillars 313 supported on a partition plate support 310. Here, the partition plates 314 are positioned on either the upper or lower part of the substrates S, or both.

[0054] The predetermined spacing between the multiple substrates S placed on the substrate support 300 is the same as the vertical spacing between the partition plates 314 fixed to the partition plate support 310. Furthermore, the diameter of the partition plates 314 is larger than the diameter of the substrates S.

[0055] The substrate support 300 supports multiple substrates S, for example five, in multiple stages in the vertical direction using multiple support rods 315. The base 311 and the multiple support rods 315 are made of a material such as quartz or SiC. Here, an example is shown in which the substrate support 300 supports five substrates S, but it is not limited to this. For example, the substrate support 300 may be configured to support approximately 5 to 50 substrates S. The partition plate 314 of the partition plate support section 310 is also called a separator.

[0056] In other words, the substrate support 300 is configured to hold multiple substrates S. As will be described in detail later, the substrate support 300 is configured such that the multiple substrates S held by the substrate support 300 are divided into at least two regions (for example, an upper region and a lower region) in the stacking direction. The first distribution section 2221 and the second distribution section 2222 are arranged to correspond to each of these divided regions.

[0057] The partition plate support 310 and the substrate support 300 are driven by the vertical drive mechanism 400 in the vertical direction between the reaction tube 210 and the transfer chamber 217, and in the rotational direction around the center of the substrate S supported by the substrate support 300.

[0058] The first drive unit, the vertical drive mechanism 400, includes a vertical drive motor 410, a rotation drive motor 430, and a boat vertical mechanism 420 equipped with a linear actuator as a substrate support lifting mechanism for driving the substrate support 300 in the vertical direction.

[0059] (Gas supply system) Next, I will explain the details of the gas supply system.

[0060] The gas supply system consists of a first gas supply system that supplies gas through gas supply pipe 251 and a second gas supply system that supplies gas through gas supply pipe 261.

[0061] (First Gas Supply System) Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the first gas supply system. As previously described, the distribution unit 222 is composed of a first distribution unit 2221 and a second distribution unit 2222. Correspondingly, the gas supply pipe 251 is also composed of a first gas supply pipe 2511 that communicates with the first distribution unit 2221 and a second gas supply pipe 2512 that communicates with the second distribution unit 2222.

[0062] The first gas supply pipe 2511 is equipped with, in order from the upstream side, a third valve 2521 which is an on / off valve, a mass flow controller (MFC) 2531 which is a flow control unit, a first flash tank (hereinafter also referred to as the "first tank") 2541 which is a gas storage container, and a second valve 2551. A digital gauge 2511a may also be connected to the first gas supply pipe 2511.

[0063] Similarly, in the second gas supply pipe 2512, the third valve 2522, MFC 2532, second flash tank (hereinafter also referred to as "second tank") 2542, and second valve 2552 are provided in order from the upstream side. A digital gauge 2512a may also be connected to the second gas supply pipe 2512.

[0064] The first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are connected by a pipe 258. A first valve 259, which is an on / off valve, is installed in the pipe 258.

[0065] Upstream of the third valves 2521 and 2522, the first gas supply pipe 2511 and the second gas supply pipe 2512 merge and connect to a single gas supply pipe 251. The gas supply pipe 251 is equipped with, in order from upstream, a liquid source vaporizer 256 and a mass flow meter (MFM) 257.

[0066] The liquid source vaporizer 256 vaporizes the raw material supplied in liquid form to produce a raw material gas. Hereafter, the liquid source vaporizer may simply be referred to as the "vaporizer". The raw material gas produced by vaporizer 256 is a first gas containing the first element (also called "first element-containing gas") and is one of the processed gases. Specifically, the raw material gas is, for example, a gas in which at least two silicon atoms (Si) are bonded, a gas containing Si and chlorine (Cl), and a gas containing Si-Si bonds such as disilicon hexachloride (Si2Cl6, hexachlorodisilane, abbreviated as HCDS) gas.

[0067] The first gas supply system (also called the "raw material gas supply system") 250 is mainly composed of a gas supply pipe 251, a first gas supply pipe 2511, a second gas supply pipe 2512, a first tank 2541, a second tank 2542, piping 258, a first valve 259, second valves 2551 and 2552, and third valves 2521 and 2522. A liquid source vaporizer 256 may also be added to the first gas supply system 250. With a raw material gas supply system 250 configured in this way, by utilizing the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, it becomes possible to supply raw material gas to the reaction tube (processing chamber) 210 in a short time and at a high flow rate, as will be described in detail later.

[0068] In other words, the raw material gas supply system 250 includes a gas supply unit 250a that supplies raw material gas from the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 into the processing chamber 210.

[0069] The gas supply unit 250a is broadly divided into a part corresponding to the first tank 2541 and a part corresponding to the second tank 2542. This means that the same number of gas supply units 250a are provided as there are first tanks 2541 and second tanks 2542.

[0070] Specifically, the corresponding portion of the first tank 2541 in the gas supply section 250a mainly consists of a first gas supply pipe 2511 extending from the first tank 2541, and a second valve 2551 located in the first gas supply pipe 2511. This corresponding portion may also be considered to include a first distribution section 2221 communicating with the first gas supply pipe 2511, and a nozzle 223 provided in the first distribution section 2221. Furthermore, the corresponding portion of the second tank 2542 in the gas supply section 250a mainly consists of a second gas supply pipe 2512 extending from the second tank 2542, and a second valve 2552 located on the second gas supply pipe 2512. This corresponding portion may also be considered to include a second distribution section 2222 communicating with the second gas supply pipe 2512, and a nozzle 223 provided on the second distribution section 2222.

[0071] Thus, in the gas supply section 250a, second valves 2551 and 2552 are provided between the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 and the processing chamber 210, respectively.

[0072] Furthermore, since the gas supply unit 250a corresponds to the first distribution unit 2221 and the second distribution unit 2222 respectively, it will supply raw material gas to each of the at least two divided regions in the substrate stacking direction of the substrate support 300.

[0073] Furthermore, since the gas supply unit 250a is routed through each nozzle 223 provided in the distribution unit 222, it supplies raw material gas to each of the multiple substrates S held by the substrate support 300.

[0074] In addition, in the raw material gas supply system 250, the first gas supply pipe 2511 and the second gas supply pipe 2512 may be connected to an inert gas supply pipe (not shown) that supplies an inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, from an inert gas source (not shown). The inert gas supply pipe may be connected to the gas supply pipe 251.

[0075] (Second gas supply system) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the second gas supply system. As shown in the diagram, the gas supply pipe 261 is equipped with a second gas source 262, an MFC 263, and a valve 264 in that order from the upstream direction. The gas supply pipe 261 is connected to the inlet pipe 224b of the distribution section 224.

[0076] The second gas source 262 is a source of a second gas containing the second element (hereinafter also referred to as "second element-containing gas"). The second element-containing gas is one of the process gases. The second element-containing gas may also be considered as a reaction gas or a reforming gas.

[0077] Here, the second element-containing gas contains a second element different from the first element. The second element is, for example, one of oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), or carbon (C). In this embodiment, the second element-containing gas is, for example, a nitrogen-containing gas. Specifically, it is a hydrogen nitride-based gas containing NH bonds, such as ammonia (NH3), diazene (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, or N3H8 gas.

[0078] The second gas supply system (also called the "reaction gas supply system") 260 is mainly composed of a gas supply pipe 261, an MFC 263, and a valve 264.

[0079] A gas supply pipe 265 is connected to the downstream side of valve 264 of supply pipe 261. The gas supply pipe 265 is equipped with an inert gas source 266, an MFC 267, and a valve 268, in that order from upstream. An inert gas, such as N2 gas, is supplied from the inert gas source 266.

[0080] The second inert gas supply system mainly consists of a gas supply pipe 265, an MFC 267, and a valve 268. The inert gas supplied from the inert gas source 266 acts as a purge gas to purge the gas remaining in the reaction tube 210 during the substrate processing process. The second inert gas supply system may also be added to the second gas supply system 260.

[0081] (Exhaust system) Next, I will explain the gas exhaust system. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the gas exhaust system. As shown in the diagram, the exhaust system 280 for exhausting the atmosphere from the reaction tube 210 has an exhaust pipe 281 that communicates with the reaction tube 210 and is connected to the housing 241 via an exhaust pipe connection part 242.

[0082] The exhaust pipe 281 is connected to a vacuum pump 284, which acts as a vacuum evacuation device, via a valve 282 acting as an on / off valve and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 283 acting as a pressure regulator (pressure adjustment unit). This configuration allows for vacuum evacuation to the reaction tube 210 to a predetermined pressure (vacuum level). The exhaust system 280 is also called the processing chamber exhaust system.

[0083] (controller) Next, I will explain the controller. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the controller of the substrate processing device. The substrate processing apparatus 100 has a controller 600 that controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0084] The controller 600, which is the control unit (control means), is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601, RAM (Random Access Memory) 602, a memory unit 603 as a storage unit, and I / O ports 604. The RAM 602, memory unit 603, and I / O ports 604 are configured to exchange data with the CPU 601 via an internal bus 605. Data transmission and reception within the board processing device 100 are performed by instructions from the transmit / receive instruction unit 606, which is also a function of the CPU 601.

[0085] The controller 600 is equipped with a network transceiver 683 that is connected to the host device 670 via a network. The network transceiver 683 can receive information such as the processing history and processing schedule of the substrate S stored in the pod 111 from the host device.

[0086] The storage unit 603 is composed of, for example, flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage unit 603 contains, in a readable format, control programs that control the operation of the substrate processing device, and process recipes that describe the procedures and conditions for substrate processing.

[0087] The process recipe is a combination of steps in the substrate processing process described later that can be executed by the controller 600 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, this process recipe and control program will be collectively referred to simply as the program. In this specification, the term "program" may include only the process recipe, only the control program, or both. The RAM 602 is configured as a memory area (work area) where programs and data read by the CPU 601 are temporarily held.

[0088] The I / O port 604 is connected to each component of the substrate processing device 100. The CPU 601 is configured to read and execute control programs from the memory unit 603, and to read process recipes from the memory unit 603 in response to input of operation commands from the input / output device 681, etc. The CPU 601 is then configured to control the substrate processing device 100 in accordance with the contents of the read process recipe.

[0089] The CPU 601 has a transmit / receive instruction unit 606. The controller 600 according to this embodiment can be configured by installing the program on a computer using an external storage device (for example, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, an optical disk such as a DVD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory) 682 that stores the program described above. The means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying it via the external storage device 682. For example, the program may be supplied without going through the external storage device 682 by using communication means such as the internet or a dedicated line. The storage unit 603 and the external storage device 682 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. In this specification, when the term recording media is used, it may include only the storage unit 603, only the external storage device 682, or both.

[0090] (2) Procedure for the substrate processing process Next, we will describe a step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, specifically the process of forming a thin film on a substrate S using the substrate processing apparatus 100 with the configuration described above. In the following description, the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the controller 600.

[0091] Here, we will explain a film deposition process using Figure 9, in which a film is formed on a substrate S by alternately supplying a first gas and a second gas. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing flow.

[0092] (Transfer chamber pressure adjustment process: S202) First, the transfer chamber pressure adjustment process (S202) will be explained. Here, the pressure inside the transfer chamber 217 is set to the same level as the pressure inside the vacuum transport chamber 140. Specifically, an exhaust system (not shown) connected to the transfer chamber 217 is activated to exhaust the atmosphere inside the transfer chamber 217 so that the atmosphere inside the transfer chamber 217 becomes a vacuum.

[0093] In addition, heater 282 may be operated in parallel with this process. Specifically, heater 282a and heater 282b may be operated separately. If heater 282 is operated, it should be operated for at least the duration of the film processing process 208 described later.

[0094] (Circuit board loading process: S204) Next, we will explain the substrate loading process (S204). Once the transfer chamber 217 reaches a vacuum level, the transport of the substrate S begins. When the substrate S arrives at the vacuum transport chamber 140, a gate valve (not shown) adjacent to the substrate entrance 149 is opened, and the substrate S is transported from the adjacent vacuum transport chamber (not shown) into the transfer chamber 217.

[0095] At this time, the substrate support 300 is kept waiting in the transfer chamber 217, and the substrates S are transferred to the substrate support 300. Once a predetermined number of substrates S have been transferred to the substrate support 300, the vacuum transfer robot is moved to the housing 141, and the substrate support 300 is raised to move the substrates S into the reaction tube 210.

[0096] During the transfer to the reaction tube 210, the substrate S is positioned so that its surface aligns with the height of the partition plates 226 and 232.

[0097] (Heating process: S206) The heating process (S206) will now be explained. Once the substrate S is introduced into the reaction tube 210, the pressure inside the reaction tube 210 is controlled to a predetermined level, and the heater 211 is controlled to raise the surface temperature of the substrate S to a predetermined level. The temperature is in the high-temperature range described later, for example, 400°C to 800°C. Preferably, it is 500°C to 700°C. The pressure can be, for example, 50 to 5000 Pa. When the upstream heating unit 228 is operated at this time, the gas passing through the distribution unit 222 is controlled to be heated to a temperature in the low-decomposition temperature range or the undecomposed temperature range described later, so as not to reliquefy. For example, the gas is heated to about 300°C.

[0098] (Membrane treatment process: S208) The film treatment process (S208) will now be explained. The film treatment process (S208) is performed after the heating process (S206). In the film treatment process (S208), according to the process recipe, the raw material gas (first gas) supply system 250 is controlled to supply the first gas into the reaction tube 210, and the exhaust system 280 is controlled to exhaust the treatment gas from inside the reaction tube 210, thereby performing the film treatment. Here, the reaction gas (second gas) supply system 260 may be controlled to allow the second gas to be present in the treatment space simultaneously with the first gas for CVD treatment, or the first gas and second gas may be supplied alternately into the reaction tube 210 for alternating supply treatment. Furthermore, if the second gas is to be treated in a plasma state, a plasma generation unit (not shown) may be used to create the plasma state.

[0099] As a specific example of a membrane processing method, the following alternating supply process can be considered. For example, in the first step, a first gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210, in the second step, a second gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210, and as a purging step, an inert gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210 between the first and second steps, and the atmosphere in the reaction tube 210 is evacuated. The alternating supply process is performed by repeating the combination of the first step, the purging step, and the second step multiple times to form the desired membrane.

[0100] The supplied gas forms a gas flow in the upstream rectifier section 214, the space on the substrate S, and the downstream rectifier section 215. At this time, since the gas is supplied to each substrate S without pressure loss, uniform processing is possible between each substrate S.

[0101] (Substrate unloading process: S210) The substrate removal process (S210) will now be explained. In the substrate removal process (S210), the processed substrate S is removed from the transfer chamber 217 in the reverse order of the substrate loading process S204 described above.

[0102] (Judgment: S212) The determination (S212) is explained below. Here, it is determined whether or not the substrate has been processed a predetermined number of times. If it is determined that the substrate has not been processed a predetermined number of times, the process returns to the loading process (S204) and processes the next substrate S. If it is determined that the substrate has been processed a predetermined number of times, the process ends.

[0103] Although the formation of the gas flow was described as horizontal above, it is sufficient for the main gas flow to be formed in a horizontal direction overall. A gas flow that diffuses vertically is also acceptable, as long as it does not affect the uniform processing of multiple substrates.

[0104] Furthermore, while expressions such as "of the same degree," "equivalent," and "equal" are used above, it goes without saying that these include things that are essentially the same.

[0105] (3) Control processing during gas supply Next, we will explain the control process when supplying the raw material gas as the first gas to the reaction tube (processing chamber) 210 in the film processing step (S208) of the substrate processing step described above.

[0106] When supplying raw material gas, first, as shown in Figure 5, the third valve 2521 in the first gas supply pipe 2511 is opened while the second valve 2551 is closed, thereby charging the first tank 2541 with raw material gas. Similarly, the third valve 2522 in the second gas supply pipe 2512 is opened while the second valve 2552 is closed, thereby charging the second tank 2542 with raw material gas.

[0107] Gas charging to the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 shall be carried out, for example, until the amount of gas charged reaches the range of 30kPa to 50kPa, assuming that each tank has a capacity of 1000cc. In this specification, numerical range notations such as "30kPa to 50kPa" mean that the lower and upper limits are included within that range. Therefore, for example, "30kPa to 50kPa" means "30kPa or more and 50kPa or less". The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0108] Then, after the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are charged with gas, the third valve 2521 in the first gas supply pipe 2511 is closed while the second valve 2551 is opened. Furthermore, the third valve 2522 in the second gas supply pipe 2512 is closed while the second valve 2552 is opened. As a result, the raw material gas accumulated in the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 is supplied to the processing chamber 210 in a large flow rate in a short time.

[0109] Incidentally, when supplying gas using multiple first tanks 2541 and second tanks 2542, the following problems may arise. For example, if there is a difference in conductance between the gas flow paths from the liquid source vaporizer 256 to the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, the amount of gas charged to the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 may become uneven. If the amount of gas charged to each is uneven, this will affect the gas supply to the processing chamber 210, and as a result, there is a risk that the film deposition status of the substrate S may differ between the area corresponding to the first distribution unit 2221 and the area corresponding to the second distribution unit 2222.

[0110] In this regard, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are connected by a pipe 258, and a first valve 259 is provided in the pipe 258. When supplying gas using the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, the controller 600 performs the control processing described below.

[0111] Figure 10 is a chart illustrating the control process during gas supply. In the diagram, the first valve 259 is simply labeled "AV (Air Valve) 259". The same applies to the second valves 2551 and 2552, and the third valves 2521 and 2522.

[0112] As shown in Figure 10, when supplying raw material gas, the controller 600 first opens AV2521 and 2522, and closes AV2551, 2552, and 259. This allows the raw material gas to be charged into the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 (S301). Then, when the amount of gas charged into the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 reaches a predetermined range, AV2521 and 2522 are closed to complete the gas charging into the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 (S302).

[0113] Subsequently, at a predetermined timing before starting the gas supply to the processing chamber 210 (for example, just before starting), the controller 600 opens AV259. The other AVs, AV2521, 2522, 2551, and 2552, remain closed. As a result, the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are connected via the piping 258, and the pressures inside the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are equalized (S303). In other words, the amount of gas charged in the first tank 2541 and the amount of gas charged in the second tank 2542 become uniform.

[0114] Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed since opening AV259 (for example, a sufficient amount of time for equalization), the controller 600 closes AV259. Furthermore, in conjunction with closing AV259, the controller 600 opens AV2551 and 2552. However, AV2521 and 2522 remain closed. As a result, gas is supplied into the processing chamber 210 from the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, respectively (S304). In other words, the controller 600 opens AV259 to equalize the pressure in the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, and then supplies the raw material gas to the processing chamber 210.

[0115] Specifically, the raw material gas in the first tank 2541 is supplied to the corresponding area in the processing chamber 210 through the first gas supply pipe 2511, the first distribution unit 2221, and the nozzle 223. Similarly, the raw material gas in the second tank 2542 is supplied to the corresponding area in the processing chamber 210 through the second gas supply pipe 2512, the second distribution unit 2222, and the nozzle 223. By coordinating the timing of opening AV2551 and AV2552, raw material gas is supplied to the processing chamber 210 simultaneously from both the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542.

[0116] At this time, the pressure inside the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are equal, and gas is supplied from each simultaneously, so the gas supply into the processing chamber 210 does not become non-uniform in their respective corresponding regions. Therefore, even if the region handled by the first distribution unit 2221 and the region handled by the second distribution unit 2222 are different, there is no difference in the film deposition status of the substrate S in their respective corresponding regions. Note that "simultaneous" does not have to be perfectly simultaneous, but only to the extent that non-uniformity is achieved in their respective corresponding regions.

[0117] (4) Effects of this embodiment According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects are achieved.

[0118] (a) In this embodiment, a first valve 259 is provided in the piping 258 between the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, so that the pressures in the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 can be equalized prior to supplying the raw material gas into the processing chamber 210. Therefore, even if there is a difference in the conductance of the gas flow path to the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, for example, the amount of gas charged in each will not become uneven. In this way, if the amount of gas charged in each is uniform, there will be no difference in the film deposition status of the substrate S between the corresponding area of ​​the first distribution unit 2221 and the corresponding area of ​​the second distribution unit 2222, and it will be possible to perform uniform processing on multiple substrates S.

[0119] (b) In this embodiment, when supplying the raw material gas into the processing chamber 210, the pressure in the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542 are equalized, and then the gas is supplied from each simultaneously. Therefore, uniform processing of multiple substrates S can be reliably achieved.

[0120] (5) Variations etc. Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from its essence.

[0121] In the embodiments described above, an example was given in which the first gas supply system (raw material gas supply system) 250 is equipped with one vaporizer 256, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the first gas supply system. In the first gas supply system shown in the diagram, vaporizers 2561 and 2562 are individually provided for the first gas supply pipe 2511 and the second gas supply pipe 2512, respectively. In other words, the same number of vaporizers 2561 and 2562 are provided as there are tanks 2541 and 2542. Even in this configuration, if there are differences in the conductance of the gas flow paths from each vaporizer 2561, 2562 to the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, the amount of gas charged in each may become uneven. However, as shown in the diagram, if the first valve 259 is provided in the piping 258 between the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, the amount of gas charged in each can be made uniform, and as a result, it becomes possible to perform uniform processing on multiple substrates S. Thus, in this disclosure, it is sufficient that at least one vaporizer is provided.

[0122] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an example was given in which a plurality of substrates S are divided into an upper region and a lower region, and gas is supplied to each region from the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example of the first gas supply system, where (a) is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration and (b) is a view of the area around the substrate from above. In the first gas supply system shown in the diagram, as shown in Figure 12(a), the nozzles 223 provided in the first distribution unit 2221 and the nozzles 223 provided in the second distribution unit 2222 are arranged to correspond to each of the multiple substrates S. Then, as shown in Figure 12(b), the nozzles 223 of the first distribution unit 2221 that pass through the second valve 2551 and the nozzles 223 of the second distribution unit 2222 that pass through the second valve 2552 are arranged to be side by side with respect to the substrate S in the horizontal direction. Even with this configuration, by equalizing the gas charge amounts in the first tank 2541 and the second tank 2542, it becomes possible to perform uniform processing on each of the multiple substrates S. In other words, the manner in which the regions are divided in the stacking direction of the multiple substrates S is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate.

[0123] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an example was given in which a plurality of substrates S are divided into two regions in the stacking direction, and a first tank 2541 and a second tank 2542 are provided corresponding to each divided region, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, multiple substrates S may be divided into three or more regions in the stacking direction. In that case, the distribution unit 222, tanks 2541, 2542, and first gas supply system (raw material gas supply system) 250 will also be provided corresponding to each divided region. In other words, in this disclosure, it is sufficient that the multiple substrates S are divided into at least two regions in the stacking direction, and correspondingly, at least two tanks for storing the raw material gas are provided.

[0124] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above illustrate the case where a film is formed on a substrate S using a first gas and a second gas in the film deposition process performed by the substrate processing apparatus, this embodiment is not limited to this. That is, other types of gases may be used as processing gases to form other types of thin films. Moreover, even when three or more types of processing gases are used, this embodiment can be applied as long as they are supplied alternately during the film deposition process. Specifically, the first element may be various elements such as titanium (Ti), silicon (Si), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), etc. The second element may be nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), etc. However, as mentioned above, it is more desirable for the first element to be Si.

[0125] Here, HCDS gas is used as an example of the first gas, but it is not limited to HCDS as long as it contains silicon and has Si-Si bonds. For example, tetrachlorodimethyldisilane ((CH3)2Si2Cl4, abbreviation: TCDMDS) or dichlorotetramethyldisilane ((CH3)4Si2Cl2, abbreviation: DCTMDS) may also be used. TCDMDS has Si-Si bonds and also contains chloro and alkylene groups. DCTMDS also has Si-Si bonds and also contains chloro and alkylene groups.

[0126] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments used film deposition as an example of a process performed by the substrate processing apparatus, this embodiment is not limited to this. That is, this embodiment can be applied not only to the film deposition processes exemplified in each embodiment, but also to film deposition processes other than thin films exemplified in each embodiment. It is also possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add a configuration from another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once was explained. This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be suitably applied, for example, to forming a film using a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several substrates at once. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace was explained. This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be suitably applied to forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace.

[0128] Even when using these substrate processing devices, each process can be carried out using the same processing procedures and conditions as described above, and the same effects as described above can be obtained.

[0129] In this modified version, as described above, the same effects as those of the embodiments described above can be obtained. Furthermore, the embodiments and modified versions described above can be used in combination as appropriate. The processing procedure and processing conditions in this case can be the same as those of the embodiments and modified versions described above, for example. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0130] S...Substrate, 100...Substrate processing device, 210...Reaction tube (processing chamber), 250...First gas supply system (raw material gas supply system), 250a...Gas supply unit, 256...Liquid source vaporizer, 258...Piping, 259...First valve, 2541...First flash tank, 2542...Second flash tank

Claims

1. A processing room for processing substrates, A vaporizer that vaporizes a raw material supplied in liquid form to produce a raw material gas, At least two tanks for storing the raw material gas extracted from the vaporizer, Piping connecting the at least two tanks, A first valve provided in the aforementioned piping, The system includes a gas supply unit that supplies the raw material gas from at least two of the tanks into the processing chamber, A substrate processing apparatus that opens the first valve to bring the at least two tanks to the same pressure, and then supplies the raw material gas to the processing chamber.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the raw material gas is supplied to the processing chamber simultaneously from at least two of the tanks.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gas supply units are provided in the same number as the tanks.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a second valve is provided in each of the gas supply sections between the tank and the processing chamber.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second valve is opened simultaneously when supplying the raw material gas to the processing chamber.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a substrate holder for stacking multiple substrates.

7. The plurality of substrates held by the substrate holder are divided into at least two regions in the stacking direction, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the raw material gas to at least two of the regions.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gas supply units are provided in the same number as the tanks.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the vaporizers are provided in the same number as the tanks.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the raw material gas to each of the plurality of substrates.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the gas supply units are provided in the same number as the tanks.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the vaporizers are provided in the same number as the tanks.

13. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing substrates; at least one vaporizer for vaporizing a liquid-supplied raw material to generate a raw material gas; at least two tanks for storing the raw material gas extracted from the vaporizer; piping connecting the at least two tanks; a first valve provided in the piping; and a gas supply unit for supplying the raw material gas from the at least two tanks into the processing chamber, wherein the first valve is opened to equalize the pressure in the at least two tanks, and then the raw material gas is supplied to the processing chamber, and the substrate is brought into the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus, A step of supplying the raw material gas to the processing chamber, A substrate processing method comprising the following:

14. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing substrates; at least one vaporizer for vaporizing liquid raw materials to generate raw material gas; at least two tanks for storing the raw material gas extracted from the vaporizer; piping connecting the at least two tanks; a first valve provided in the piping; and a gas supply unit for supplying the raw material gas from the at least two tanks into the processing chamber; wherein the first valve is opened to equalize the pressure in the at least two tanks, and then the raw material gas is supplied to the processing chamber; and a step of bringing the substrate into the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus; A step of supplying the raw material gas to the processing chamber, A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the same equipment.

15. A procedure for transporting a substrate into the processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing substrates; at least one vaporizer that vaporizes a liquid-supplied raw material to generate a raw material gas; at least two tanks for storing the raw material gas extracted from the vaporizer; piping connecting the at least two tanks; a first valve provided in the piping; and a gas supply unit that supplies the raw material gas from the at least two tanks into the processing chamber, wherein the first valve is opened to equalize the pressure in the at least two tanks, and then the raw material gas is supplied to the processing chamber; A procedure for supplying the raw material gas to the processing chamber, A program that causes the substrate processing device to execute the following using a computer.

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