Substrate processing device, gas supply unit, substrate processing method, production method for semiconductor device, and program

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a first gas supply path for supplying a first gas to the substrate from a side of the processing chamber; and a first gas introduction port for introducing the first gas to a location having a prescribed temperature in the first gas supply path.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, gas supply unit, substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method and program

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

[0002] A batch-type vertical processing apparatus is a type of substrate processing apparatus used in one step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process. The batch-type vertical processing apparatus is configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates (wafers) supported on substrate supports (boats) in a processing furnace, and to perform processing (e.g., film formation processing, heat treatment, etc.) on the substrates while supplying gas to the substrates in the processing furnace along the in-plane direction of the substrates (e.g., JP 2006-173531 A).

[0003] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of suppressing generation of particles in a gas supply path.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a technology including: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a first gas supply path for supplying a first gas to the substrate from a side of the processing chamber; and a first gas inlet provided at a location in the first gas supply path at a predetermined temperature for introducing the first gas into the first gas supply path.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the generation of particles in a gas supply path.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of a gas supply structure and a nozzle of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along a gas flow; FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a nozzle cut perpendicular to the gas flow; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a gas rectifying member of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a substrate support according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating gases that can be used in an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating gases that can be used in an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a controller of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a substrate processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of elements in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones. In the drawings, the arrow U direction indicates the vertical upward direction, and the arrow D direction indicates the vertical downward direction.

[0008] (1) Configuration of the Substrate Processing Apparatus A schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 100, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line α-α' in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between a gas supply structure 212, a gas supply unit 227, a reaction tube 210, and a heater 211.

[0009] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 has a housing 201, which is provided with a reaction tube storage chamber 206 and a transfer chamber 217. The reaction tube storage chamber 206 is disposed above the transfer chamber 217.

[0010] The reaction tube storage chamber 206 includes a cylindrical reaction tube 210 extending vertically, a heater 211 as a heating unit (e.g., a furnace body) installed on the outer periphery of the reaction tube 210, a gas supply structure 212 for supplying gas, a gas supply unit 227, and a gas exhaust structure 213 for exhausting gas. 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 300, which will be described later. The gas supply unit forms a storage unit that stores a gas rectifying member 500, which will be described later.

[0011] The heater 211 has a resistance heater (not shown) provided on the inner surface facing the reaction tube 210, and a heat insulating section (not shown) surrounding them. Therefore, the heater 211 is configured to be less affected by heat on the outside, i.e., the side not facing the reaction tube 210. A heater control section (not shown) is electrically connected to the resistance heater of the heater 211. The heater control section can control the on / off and heating temperature of the heater 211. The heater 211 can heat the gas described below to a temperature at which it can be thermally decomposed. The heater 211 is also called a processing chamber heating section.

[0012] 1 to 3, the gas supply structure 212 and the gas supply unit 227 are provided upstream of the reaction tube 210 in the gas flow direction, and gas is supplied horizontally from the gas supply structure 212 and the gas supply unit 227 to the reaction tube 210. The gas exhaust structure 213 is provided downstream of the reaction tube 210 in the gas flow direction, and gas inside the reaction tube 210 is exhausted from the gas exhaust structure 213. The gas supply structure 212 and the gas supply unit 227 are fixed so as to be separable.

[0013] A downstream rectifying section 215 for regulating the flow of 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.

[0014] The reaction tube 210, the gas supply unit 227, and the downstream rectifier 215 have a continuous structure and are made of a material such as quartz or SiC. These are made of a heat-transmitting member that transmits heat radiated from the heater 211. The heat from the heater 211 heats the substrate S and gas used in the semiconductor device.

[0015] The gas supply structure 212 is provided at the back of the gas supply unit 227 when viewed from the reaction tube 210. As shown in Fig. 2, the gas supply structure 212 includes a distribution unit 222 that can communicate with a gas supply pipe 251 (described later) and a distribution unit 224 that can communicate with a gas supply pipe 261. The distribution unit 222 and the distribution unit 224 are long passages in the vertical direction and can distribute gas to each gas supply unit 227, and therefore are also referred to as gas distribution units.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the gas supply structure 212 is provided with distribution sections 222 on both sides in the width direction and with two distribution sections 224 on the central side.

[0017] 2 and 3 , a downstream portion of a gas supply pipe 251 (an example of a gas supply system) is inserted into the distribution section 222, and a downstream portion of a gas supply pipe 261 (an example of a gas supply system) is inserted into the distribution section 224. A plurality of holes 251A for ejecting gas are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the side of the gas supply pipe 251, and a plurality of holes 261A for ejecting gas are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the side of the gas supply pipe 261. The holes 251A and the holes 261A can be referred to as openings.

[0018] 2 to 4, on the downstream side of the gas supply structure 212, a plurality of cylindrical gas supply units 227 are stacked in the vertical direction, which is the same direction as the substrate S described later. The gas supply units 227 are provided in multiple stages in the height direction of a substrate holder described later. The multiple gas supply units 227 can also be described as a single gas supply unit 227 whose interior is divided into a plurality of flow paths in the vertical direction.

[0019] Different types of gases are supplied to the gas supply pipe 251 and the gas supply pipe 261 as described below.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, on the side of the gas supply structure 212 facing the gas supply section 227, blow-out holes 222c as an example of a second gas inlet communicating with the distribution section 222 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction, and blow-out holes 224c communicating with the distribution section 224 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction.

[0021] 2, the gas supply unit 227 is provided on the side surface of the reaction tube 210. The gas supply unit 227 includes a straight section 227A extending linearly from the gas supply structure 212 toward the reaction tube 210, and an expanded diameter section 227B provided on the reaction tube 210 side of the straight section 227A and gradually expanding toward the reaction tube 210. The gas supply unit 227 can also be referred to as a gas ejection member that ejects gas.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , a gas rectifying member 500 (an example of a gas supply unit, shown in FIG. 5 ) is housed inside a gas supply unit 227 (an example of a housing). The gas rectifying member 500 is configured using one horizontal plate member 502 and a plurality of vertical plate members 504 (an example of a partition wall, in this embodiment, three of which are erected on the upper surface of the horizontal plate member 502 and three of which are erected on the lower surface), totaling six. Eight gas inlet ports 506 are formed inside the gas supply unit 227. The gas inlet ports 506 are passages through which gas passes. The portion of the gas supply unit 227 where the gas rectifying member 500 is disposed can be referred to as a gas rectifying unit.

[0023] The two gas inlet sections 506 at the center of the width of the gas supply section 227 are an example of a first gas supply path of the present disclosure, and the two gas inlet sections 506 at both sides of the width of the gas supply section 227 are an example of a second gas supply path of the present disclosure.

[0024] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, there is a slight gap between the gas rectifying member 500 and the gas supply structure 212, but there may be cases where there is no gap.

[0025] 2 to 4 , inside the two gas introduction parts 506 on the widthwise center side of each gas supply unit 227, gas introduction nozzles 530 constituted by pipe members as an example of a first gas introduction part are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the gas introduction parts 506. The gas introduction nozzles 530 are an example of a nozzle disclosed herein.

[0026] One end of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is inserted and fixed into the gas supply structure 212 and communicates with the distribution section 224, and the gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 261 is sprayed from the other end (in other words, the downstream tip or gas outlet; hereinafter, referred to as the tip as appropriate) 530A into the gas introduction section 506. The gas introduction nozzle 530 is formed of a material such as quartz or SiC. The tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is an example of a first gas introduction port of the present disclosure. The tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 can also be referred to as a gas outlet.

[0027] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the distance between the tip 530A, which is an example of a first gas inlet, and the substrate S is shorter than the distance between the blow-out hole 222c of the gas supply structure 212, which is an example of a second gas inlet, and the substrate S.

[0028] A downstream portion of the gas supply unit 227 containing the gas rectifying member 500 is disposed inside the outer periphery of the heater 211. Therefore, the downstream portion of the gas supply unit and the downstream gas rectifying member 500 are heated by the heater 211 to a high temperature, and the gas supply unit 227 disposed outside the outer periphery of the heater 211 becomes colder than the gas supply unit 227 disposed inside the outer periphery of the heater 211.

[0029] In this embodiment, the tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is disposed at a location where the gas supply unit 227 reaches a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature here refers to a temperature at which the first-element-containing gas (nitrogen-containing gas in this embodiment) serving as the first gas does not adhere to the gas supply unit 227 or the gas rectifying member 500. In other words, the tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is disposed at a location where the temperature is high enough to prevent the first-element-containing gas (nitrogen-containing gas in this embodiment) from adhering to the gas supply unit 227 or the gas rectifying member 500.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the vertical plate member 504 extends linearly along the longitudinal direction of the gas rectifying member 500 .

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional areas (areas when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the gas flow) of the gas introduction parts 506 arranged in the straight part 227A of the gas supply part 227 are approximately the same.

[0032] 2, 3, and 5, two convex portions 502A are formed at a distance from each other on each side edge of the horizontal plate member 502 in the width direction. These convex portions 502A abut against the inner wall surface of the gas supply unit 227, thereby forming a communication portion 518 having a width Wa between the side edge of the horizontal plate member 502 and the inner wall surface of the gas supply unit 227, as shown in FIG. 4. The communication portion 518 may be provided partially between the side edge of the horizontal plate member 502 and the inner wall surface of the gas supply unit 227. The number of convex portions 502A provided on the side edge of the horizontal plate member 502 may be one, or three or more.

[0033] Two convex portions 504A are formed at a distance from each other on both side end portions in the width direction of the vertical plate-shaped member 504. These convex portions 504A abut against the inner wall surface of the gas supply unit 227, thereby forming a communication portion 520 having a width Wb between the side end portion of the vertical plate-shaped member 504 and the inner wall surface of the gas supply unit 227, as shown in FIG. 4 . The communication portion 520 may be provided partially between the side end portion of the vertical plate-shaped member 504 and the inner wall surface of the gas supply unit 227. The number of convex portions 504A provided on the side end portion of the vertical plate-shaped member 504 may be one, or three or more.

[0034] In this way, by accommodating the gas rectifying member 500 inside the gas supply unit 227, the four gas inlets 506 arranged side by side in the horizontal direction can allow a portion of the gas passing through one gas inlet 506 to enter from one laterally adjacent gas inlet 506 to the other laterally adjacent gas inlet 506 at the longitudinal intermediate portion via the communicating portion 520. Also, a portion of the gas passing through one gas inlet 506 can enter from the other laterally adjacent gas inlet 506 to the other gas inlet 506 via the communicating portion 520.

[0035] Furthermore, in two gas inlet sections 506 that are adjacent in the vertical direction on both sides in the width direction of the gas supply section, a portion of the gas passing through the upper gas inlet section 506 can be allowed to enter the lower gas inlet section 506 from the upper gas inlet section 506 via the communicating section 518 of the horizontal plate-shaped member 502. Furthermore, a portion of the gas passing through the lower gas inlet section 506 can be allowed to enter the upper gas inlet section 506 from the lower gas inlet section 506 via the communicating section 518.

[0036] As an example, when gas is supplied to the gas inlets 506 on both sides of the gas supply unit 227 in the width direction, gas is ejected toward the substrate S from the gas inlets 506 on both sides in the width direction, and gas can also be ejected toward the substrate S from the two gas inlets 506 on the inner side in the width direction. The gas inlets 506 are partially connected to each other by the communication sections 520 so as to form symmetrical wide flows, allowing the gas to flow in a symmetrical wide flow centered on the substrate S. The arrows in FIG. 2 indicate the gas flow. Therefore, gas supplied into the gas supply unit 227 from the gas supply structure 212 and the gas inlet nozzle 530 can be rectified by the gas rectifying member 500 and supplied to the surface of the substrate S. The communication sections 518 and 520 can be referred to as gaps or slits.

[0037] (Downstream Straightening Section) As shown in Figure 1, the downstream straightening section 215 is configured so that when the substrate S is supported on the substrate support 300, the ceiling is higher than the position of the topmost substrate S, and the bottom is lower than the position of the bottommost substrate S on the substrate support 300.

[0038] The downstream rectifying section 215 has a housing 231 and a partition plate 232. The portion of the partition plate 232 that faces the substrate S extends horizontally so that it is at least larger than the diameter of the substrate S. The horizontal direction here refers to the direction toward 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 plate 232 to adjacent areas below or above. By preventing gas from moving beyond the partition plate 232, the gas flow described below can be reliably formed. A flange 233 is provided on the side of the housing 231 that comes into contact with the gas exhaust structure 213.

[0039] The partition plates 232 have a continuous structure without holes. The center positions between the partition plates 232 correspond to the respective substrates S and are located at positions corresponding to the vertical centers of the gas supply units 227. With this structure, gas supplied from each gas supply unit 227 forms a flow passing over the substrates S and the partition plates 232, as shown by the arrows in the figure. At this time, the partition plates 232 extend horizontally and have a continuous structure without holes. With this structure, the pressure loss of the gas exhausted 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 gas exhaust structure 213, while vertical flow is suppressed.

[0040] By providing a partition plate 232 corresponding to the gas supply section 227, the pressure loss in the vertical direction can be made uniform upstream and downstream of each substrate S, so that a horizontal gas flow can be reliably formed in which vertical flow is suppressed from the gas supply section 227, over the substrate S, and across the partition plate 232.

[0041] The gas exhaust structure 213 is provided downstream of the downstream rectifier 215. The gas exhaust structure 213 is mainly composed of a housing 241 and a gas exhaust pipe connection part 242. A flange 243 is provided on the housing 241 on the downstream rectifier 215 side.

[0042] Gas exhaust structure 213 communicates with the space in downstream rectification section 215. Housings 231 and 241 have a continuous height. The ceiling of housing 231 is configured to be at the same height as the ceiling of housing 241, and the bottom of housing 231 is configured to be at the same height as the bottom of housing 241.

[0043] The gas that has passed through the downstream rectifying section 215 is exhausted from the exhaust hole 244. At this time, since the gas exhaust structure does not have a configuration such as a partition plate, a gas flow including a vertical direction is formed toward the exhaust hole 244.

[0044] The transfer chamber 217 is installed at the bottom of the reaction tube 210 via a manifold 216. In the transfer chamber 217, a vacuum transfer robot (not shown) horizontally places (e.g., mounts) the substrate S on a substrate support (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as a boat) 300, and the vacuum transfer robot also removes the substrate S from the substrate support 300.

[0045] 1, the interior of the transfer chamber 217 can accommodate the substrate support 300, partition plate support part 310, and vertical drive mechanism part 400 constituting a first drive part that drives the substrate support 300 and partition plate support part 310 (collectively referred to as the substrate holder) in the vertical and rotational directions, as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the substrate holder is shown in a state where it has been raised by the vertical drive mechanism part 400 and stored in the reaction tube.

[0046] 1 and 6, the substrate support section, which is a section that supports the substrate S, will be described in detail. The substrate support section is composed of at least a substrate support tool 300, and transfers the substrate S using a vacuum transfer robot through a substrate loading port (not shown) inside the transfer chamber 217, and transports the transferred substrate S into the reaction tube 210 to perform processing 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.

[0047] The partition plate support part 310 has a plurality of disk-shaped partition plates 314 fixed at a predetermined pitch to support posts 313 supported between a base 311 and a top plate 312. The substrate support 300 has a plurality of support rods 315 supported by the base 311, and is configured so that a plurality of substrates S are supported at predetermined intervals by these support rods 315.

[0048] 6, a plurality of substrates S are placed horizontally at predetermined intervals on a substrate support 300 by a plurality of support rods 315 supported by a base 311. The plurality of substrates S supported by the support rods 315 are separated by disk-shaped partition plates 314 fixed (for example, supported) at predetermined intervals on columns 313 supported by a partition plate support part 310. Here, the partition plates 314 are arranged above and / or below the substrates S.

[0049] The predetermined intervals between the multiple substrates S placed horizontally on the substrate support 300 are the same as the vertical intervals between the partition plates 314 fixed to the partition plate support parts 310. The diameter of the partition plates 314 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the substrates S.

[0050] The substrate support 300 supports multiple substrates S, for example, five substrates S, in multiple stages in the vertical direction using multiple support rods 315. The base 311 and the multiple support rods 315 are formed of a material such as quartz or SiC. Note that, although an example in which five substrates S are supported on the substrate support 300 is shown here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate support 300 may be configured to be able to support approximately 5 to 50 (5 or more and 50 or less) substrates S.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 1 , the partition plate support part 310 and the substrate support 300 are driven by a vertical drive mechanism part 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.

[0052] The vertical drive mechanism section 400 constituting the first drive section has, as drive sources, a vertical drive motor 410, a rotation drive motor 430, and a boat lifting mechanism 420 equipped with a linear actuator as a substrate support lifting mechanism that drives the substrate support 300 in the vertical direction.

[0053] (Gas Supply System) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, as an example, in this embodiment, various gases are supplied to the distribution sections 222 on both sides in the width direction via gas supply pipes 251, and various gases can also be supplied to the distribution section 222 on the central side via a gas supply pipe 261.

[0054] A mass flow controller (MFC), which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control unit), and a valve, which is an on-off valve (both not shown), which are known components in a substrate processing apparatus, are connected upstream of the gas supply pipe 251. A gas source may be included in the gas supply system and is connected upstream of the gas supply pipe 251.

[0055] As an example, a second gas source that supplies a second gas containing a second element (also referred to as a "second element-containing gas"), a first gas source that supplies a first gas containing a first element (also referred to as a "first element-containing gas"), and an inert gas source that supplies an inert gas are connected to the gas supply pipe 251. The inert gas source supplies an inert gas, for example, nitrogen (N ２ ) gas is supplied. The inert gas is nitrogen (N ２ ) gas may be used.

[0056] The second gas is a source gas, i.e., one of the process gases. Here, the second gas is, for example, a gas in which at least two silicon atoms (Si) are bonded, such as a gas containing Si and chlorine (Cl), and is, for example, disilicon hexachloride (Si) shown in FIG. 7A . ２ C ｌ６ The source gas used is a source gas containing Si-Si bonds, such as hexachlorodisilane (HCDS) gas, but other gases may also be used. As shown in FIG. 7A, HCDS gas contains Si and a chloro group (chloride) in its chemical structural formula (per molecule).

[0057] This Si-Si bond has enough energy to be broken down by colliding with the wall constituting a recess (not shown) such as a groove in the substrate S, which will be described later, inside the reaction tube 210. Here, breaking down means that the Si-Si bond is broken. That is, the Si-Si bond is broken down by colliding with the wall.

[0058] The first element-containing gas is one of the process gases, and may be considered as a reaction gas or a modifying gas.

[0059] Here, the first element-containing gas is an example of a reactive gas, and contains a first element different from the second element. The first element is, for example, any one of oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C). In this embodiment, the first element-containing gas is, for example, a nitrogen-containing gas. Specifically, ammonia (NH ３ ), Diazene (N ２ H ２ ) gas, hydrazine (N ２ H ４ ) gas, N ３ H ８ The gas is a hydrogen nitride gas containing an N—H bond, but other gases may also be used.

[0060] In the substrate processing step, the inert gas supplied from the inert gas source is used as a purge gas for purging gas remaining in various pipes, the gas supply unit 227, and the reaction tube 210.

[0061] 1, the gas exhaust pipe connection part 242 is connected to an exhaust system (not shown) for exhausting the atmosphere in the reaction tube 210.

[0062] The exhaust system is configured to include a valve as an on-off valve, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve as a pressure regulator (e.g., a pressure adjustment unit), and a vacuum pump so that the pressure inside the reaction tube 210 reaches a predetermined pressure (e.g., a vacuum degree). The exhaust system may also be called a process chamber exhaust system.

[0063] (Controller) The substrate processing apparatus 100 has a controller 600 shown in FIG. 8 that controls the operations of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

[0064] The controller 600, which is a control unit (control means), is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601, a RAM (Radio Access Memory) 602, a storage unit 603 as a storage unit, and an I / O port 604. The RAM 602, the storage unit 603, and the I / O port 604 are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 601 via an internal bus 605. Data transmission and reception within the substrate processing apparatus 100 is performed according to instructions from a transmission / reception instruction unit 606, which is also one of the functions of the CPU 601.

[0065] The controller 600 is provided with a network transceiver 683 that is connected to the host device 670 via a network. The network transceiver 683 is capable of receiving information, such as processing history and processing schedule, relating to the substrates S stored in a pod (not shown) from the host device 670.

[0066] The storage unit 603 is configured by, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The storage unit 603 readably stores a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, a process recipe describing procedures and conditions for substrate processing, etc.

[0067] The process recipe functions as a program, which is a combination of procedures in a substrate processing step (described later) that are executed by the controller 600 to obtain a predetermined result. Hereinafter, the process recipe, control program, etc. are collectively referred to as simply a program. In this specification, the term "program" may refer to only a process recipe, only a control program, or both. The RAM 602 is configured as a memory area (e.g., a work area) in which programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 601 are temporarily stored.

[0068] The I / O port 604 is connected to each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The CPU 601 is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage unit 603, and to read a process recipe from the storage unit 603 in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 681. The CPU 601 is configured to be able to control the substrate processing apparatus 100 in accordance with the contents of the read process recipe.

[0069] The CPU 601 includes a transmission / reception instruction unit 606. The controller 600 according to this embodiment can be configured by installing the program into a computer using an external storage device 682 (e.g., 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) storing the program. The device (means) for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying the program via the external storage device 682. For example, the program may be supplied without the external storage device 682 using a communication device (e.g., 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 are collectively referred to as recording media. In this specification, the term "recording medium" may refer to the storage unit 603 alone, the external storage device 682 alone, or both.

[0070] (Processing Step) Next, as one step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, a step of forming a thin film on a substrate S using the substrate processing apparatus 100 having the above-described configuration will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by a controller 600.

[0071] Here, a film formation process in which a film is formed on a substrate S by alternately supplying the second gas and the first gas will be described with reference to FIG.

[0072] (Step S202) First, the transfer chamber pressure adjustment step S202 will be described. Here, the pressure inside the transfer chamber 217 is set to a vacuum level. Specifically, an exhaust system (not shown) connected to the transfer chamber 217 is activated to exhaust the atmosphere inside the transfer chamber 217 to a vacuum level.

[0073] The heater 211 may be operated in parallel with this step. When the heater 211 is operated, it is operated at least during the film treatment step S208 described below.

[0074] (Step S204) Next, the substrate loading step S204 will be described (an example of a substrate loading step according to the present disclosure). The transfer chamber 217 is set to a vacuum level, and the substrate S is loaded into the transfer chamber 217 from an adjacent vacuum transfer chamber (not shown).

[0075] At this time, the substrate support 300 is placed on standby in the transfer chamber 217, and the substrates S are transferred to the substrate support 300. When a predetermined number of substrates S have been transferred to the substrate support 300, the vacuum transfer robot is retracted, and the substrate support 300 is raised to move the substrates S into the reaction tube 210.

[0076] When the substrate S is moved to the reaction tube 210 , it is positioned so that the height of the substrate S is aligned with the height of the gas supply part 227 .

[0077] (Step S206) The heating step S206 will be described. After the substrate S is loaded into the reaction tube 210, the heater 211 is controlled so that the surface temperature of the substrate S reaches a predetermined temperature. As an example, the temperature is in the high temperature range described below, for example, 400°C to 800°C. Preferably, the temperature is 500°C to 700°C, but is not limited to these temperatures. Note that in this specification, the notation of a numerical range such as "400°C to 800°C" means that the lower limit and upper limit are included in the range. Thus, for example, "400°C to 800°C" means "400°C or higher and 800°C or lower." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0078] (Step S208) The film treatment step S208 will be described. After the heating step S206, the film treatment step S208 is performed. In the film treatment step S208, in accordance with the process recipe, a second gas is ejected from the blow-out holes 222c on both sides of the gas supply structure 212 into the inside of the gas supply unit 227 (two gas inlet parts 506 on both sides in the width direction; second gas supply path of the present disclosure) and supplied into the reaction tube 210, and the exhaust system 280 is controlled to exhaust the process gas from inside the reaction tube 210, thereby performing film treatment. This film treatment step S208 corresponds to the step of supplying a process gas to the substrate S of the present disclosure. The blow-out holes 222c on both sides of the gas supply structure 212 are an example of a second gas inlet of the present disclosure.

[0079] In this step, an explanation will be given of a case where an alternating supply process is performed by alternately supplying the second gas and the first gas into the reaction tube 210. The supply and exhaust of gases are controlled so that the inside of the reaction tube 210 is maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0080] The following method can be considered as an alternate supply process, which is a specific example of a film processing method: For example, an alternate supply process is performed in which a second gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210 in a first step, a first gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210 in a second step, and an inert gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210 between the first and second steps as a purge step, while the atmosphere in the reaction tube 210 is evacuated, and a combination of the first step, the purge step, and the second step is repeated multiple times to form a desired film.

[0081] The supplied gas is formed into an optimum gas flow for processing the substrate S by the gas supply unit 227, the space above the substrate S, and the downstream rectifying unit 215.

[0082] For example, when the second gas is supplied into the reaction tube 210, the second gas is supplied from the distribution sections 222 on both sides of the gas supply structure 212 toward the gas supply section 227. The second gas supplied from the distribution sections 222 is ejected from the blow-out holes 222c on both sides to the gas inlet sections 506 on both sides of the gas supply section, and a part of the gas flows through the communication section 520 of the vertical plate-shaped member 504 to the gas inlet section 506 on the center side of the adjacent gas supply section.

[0083] As a result, it is possible to finally discharge the same amount of the second gas at the same speed from the downstream ends of the gas inlet parts 506 on both sides and the downstream end of the central gas inlet part 506 along the surface of the substrate S. The second gas is ejected horizontally from the gas supply part 227 and supplied in parallel along the surface of the horizontally placed substrate S, thereby uniformly processing the surface of the substrate S.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply units 227 are provided in multiple stages in the height direction of the substrate holder, and a gas supply unit 227 is provided for each substrate S, so that each substrate S can be uniformly processed.

[0085] 4, in the gas supply unit 227, by setting the width Wb of the communication part 520 to 5 to 10% of the lateral width WA of the gas inlet 506, the amount of gas entering from the gas inlets 506 on both sides in the width direction of the gas supply unit to the gas inlet 506 at the center in the width direction of the gas supply unit is optimized. This makes it possible to uniformize the amount and speed of the second gas discharged from each gas inlet 506 toward the substrate S, and further makes it possible to increase the average flow speed of the gas discharged from each gas inlet 506.

[0086] When supplying the first gas into the reaction tube 210, the gas flow is rectified by the gas rectifying member 500, as in the case of supplying the second gas into the reaction tube 210, allowing the entire surface of the substrate S to be uniformly processed. When supplying the first gas into the reaction tube 210, the first gas is ejected from the tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 into two gas introduction sections 506 (first gas supply paths of the present disclosure) located on the central side in the width direction of the gas supply section 227. A portion of the first gas ejected from the tip 530A flows through the communication section 520 of the vertical plate-shaped member 504 to the gas introduction sections 506 on both sides of the adjacent gas supply section. As a result, the same amount of the first gas can ultimately be discharged at the same speed along the surface of the substrate S from the downstream end of the central gas introduction section 506 and the downstream ends of the gas introduction sections 506 on both sides.

[0087] Incidentally, when the second gas and the first gas are alternately supplied into the reaction tube 210, for example, after the supply of the first gas is stopped, a portion of the first gas may adhere to the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500. If the second gas is subsequently supplied into the gas supply unit 227 in this state, the first gas adhering to the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500 may react with the second gas supplied later, resulting in the generation of particles (unwanted impurities produced by the reaction between the second gas and the first gas) in the gas supply unit 227.

[0088] In this embodiment, the tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is disposed at a location where the temperature becomes high enough that the nitrogen-containing gas, which is the first gas, does not adhere to the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500. Therefore, the nitrogen-containing gas introduced from the gas introduction nozzle 530 into the reaction tube 210 does not adhere to the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500, and reaction with the second gas remaining in the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500 is suppressed, thereby suppressing generation of particles in the gas supply unit 227. Furthermore, because generation of particles is suppressed, adhesion of particles to the substrate S is suppressed, and a high-quality processed substrate S can be obtained.

[0089] The nitrogen-containing gas, which is the first gas, is ammonia (NH ３ When ammonia gas is used, it is preferable to eject the ammonia gas at a location where the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500 reach 400°C or higher (a high-temperature location where ammonia gas does not adhere) in order to prevent the ammonia gas from adhering to the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500. In other words, ammonia gas is likely to adhere to locations where the temperature is below 400°C.

[0090] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is arranged at a location where the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500 reach 550°C (the location indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) so that ammonia gas is ejected from the location where the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500 reach 550°C.

[0091] When the second gas is, for example, HCDS gas, the surface temperature of the substrate S and the temperature inside the gas supply unit 227 are preferably set to 800° C. or less. If the temperature exceeds 800° C., the HCDS gas will decompose.

[0092] (Step S210) The substrate unloading step S210 will be described. In S210, the processed substrate S is unloaded from the transfer chamber 217 in the reverse order to the substrate loading step S204 described above.

[0093] (Step S212) Determination S212 will be described. Here, it is determined whether or not the substrate has been processed the predetermined number of times. If it is determined that the substrate has not been processed the predetermined number of times, the process returns to the substrate loading step S204, and the next substrate S is processed. If it is determined that the substrate has been processed the predetermined number of times, the process ends.

[0094] Furthermore, although expressions such as "same level," "equivalent," and "equal" are used above, it goes without saying that these include things that are essentially the same.

[0095] If the gas introduction nozzle 530 is not provided and ammonia gas (first gas) is injected into the gas supply unit 227 from the side surface of the gas supply structure 212, the ammonia gas will pass through a low-temperature (less than 400°C) portion of the gas supply unit 227, which may generate particles near the gas supply structure 212. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the ammonia gas is injected from a high-temperature portion of the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500, where the temperature is 400°C or higher, so the ammonia gas does not adhere to the gas supply unit 227 and the gas rectifying member 500, and the generation of particles is suppressed.

[0096] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which ammonia gas is sprayed inside the gas supply unit 227. However, when a first gas other than ammonia gas is sprayed, the first gas is sprayed at a high-temperature portion where the first gas does not adhere. In other words, the tip 530A of the gas introduction nozzle 530 is positioned at a high-temperature portion where the first gas does not adhere.

[0097] Note that, when ammonia gas (first gas) is flowing through the two gas inlets 506 on the widthwise center side of the gas supply unit 227, an inert gas may be flowed through the two gas inlets 506 on both sides in the widthwise direction. By flowing an inert gas, the ammonia gas can be diluted. Furthermore, when HCDS gas (second gas) is flowing through the two gas inlets 506 on both sides in the widthwise direction of the gas supply unit 227, an inert gas may be flowed through the two gas inlets 506 on the widthwise center side. By flowing an inert gas, the HCDS gas can be diluted.

[0098] As described above, the present disclosure provides one or more advantages.

[0099] (Other Aspects) Although the embodiment of this aspect has been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0100] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiments, a film is formed on the substrate S using a first gas and a second gas in the film formation process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. That is, other types of gases may be used as the process gases used in the film formation process to form other types of thin films. Furthermore, this embodiment can be applied even when three or more types of process gases are used, as long as the process gases are supplied alternately to perform the film formation process. Specifically, the first element may be various elements such as titanium (Ti), silicon (Si), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), etc. Furthermore, the second element may be, for example, nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), etc. As described above, it is more preferable that the first element be Si.

[0101] Here, HCDS gas has been used as an example of the second gas, but the second gas is not limited to HCDS gas as long as it contains silicon and has a Si-Si bond. For example, tetrachlorodimethyldisilane ((CH3)2Si2Cl4, abbreviated as TCDMDS) or dichlorotetramethyldisilane ((CH3)4Si2Cl2, abbreviated as DCTMDS) may also be used. As shown in FIG. 7B, TCDMDS has a Si-Si bond and further contains a chloro group and an alkylene group. Furthermore, DCTMDS has a Si-Si bond and further contains a chloro group and an alkylene group, as shown in FIG. 7C.

[0102] Furthermore, for example, in each of the above-described embodiments, a film formation process is exemplified as a process performed by the substrate processing apparatus, but this aspect is not limited thereto. That is, this aspect can be applied to film formation processes other than the thin film formation processes exemplified in each embodiment, in addition to the film formation processes exemplified in each embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0103] In the above embodiment, four gas inlets 506 are provided in the gas supply unit 227 in the width direction of the gas supply unit, but the number of vertical plate-shaped members 504 provided in the gas rectifying member 500 may be increased to provide five or more gas inlets 506 in the width direction of the gas supply unit, and the number of gas rectifying members 500 may be increased or decreased as needed. In either case, gas can be supplied to at least two of the multiple gas inlets 506. Furthermore, gas may be supplied to three or more gas inlets 506 as needed.

[0104] In the above embodiment, a gas straightening member 500 is placed inside the gas supply section 227, and the inside of the gas supply section is divided vertically into two sections, with four gas introduction sections 506 provided side by side on the upper and lower sides, respectively. However, the inside of the gas supply section 227 may be divided into upper and lower sections as needed, and it is not necessary to divide the inside of the gas supply section 227 into upper and lower sections.

[0105] The communication parts 518 and 520 may be provided at necessary locations so that the flow of the processing gas becomes a wide flow symmetrical on the left and right sides of the substrate S.

[0106] The gas supply units 227 may be stacked according to the number of substrates S to be processed, and when processing one substrate S, only one gas supply unit 227 is required. The present disclosure can also be applied to the case where one substrate S is processed, and the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0107] Although the gas rectifying member 500 described in the above embodiment is configured as a plate-shaped member, it may be formed of a member other than a plate-shaped member.

[0108] The term "substrate" used in this specification may refer to the substrate itself or to a laminate of the substrate and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. The term "surface of the substrate" used in this specification may refer to the surface of the substrate itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer or the like formed on the substrate. When it is stated in this specification that "a predetermined layer is formed on a substrate," it may mean that a predetermined layer is formed directly on the surface of the substrate itself, or that a predetermined layer is formed on a layer or the like formed on the substrate. In this specification, the term "substrate" is synonymous with the term "wafer."

[0109] Although not specifically explained in the above embodiment, each element is not limited to one, and may be present in plural, unless otherwise specified in the specification.

[0110] In the above embodiment, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be suitably applied to, for example, a case where a film is formed using a substrate processing apparatus that processes a single substrate. The present disclosure can also be suitably applied to substrate processing apparatuses having a cold-wall type processing furnace or a hot-wall type processing furnace, and can be applied to substrate processing apparatuses having a nozzle that sprays a processing gas along the substrate.

[0111] When using these substrate processing apparatuses, each process can be performed using the same process procedures and process conditions as those of the above-described embodiments and modifications, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be used in appropriate combinations. The process procedures and process conditions in this case can be, for example, the same as those of the above-described embodiments and modifications.

[0112] 100 Substrate processing apparatus 210 Reaction tube (processing chamber) 506 Gas inlet (first gas supply path, second gas supply path) 530 Gas inlet nozzle (nozzle, first gas inlet) 530A Tip (first gas inlet)

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a first gas supply path for supplying a first gas to the substrate from a side of the processing chamber; and a first gas inlet provided at a location in the first gas supply path that has a predetermined temperature and for introducing the first gas into the first gas supply path.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gas inlet is provided in a first gas inlet section disposed within the first gas supply path.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first gas introduction section is a nozzle, and the first gas introduction port is provided at a tip of the nozzle.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a tip of the nozzle is provided at a location having the predetermined temperature.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second gas supply path that supplies a second gas different from the first gas to the substrate from a side of the processing chamber; and a second gas inlet that introduces the second gas into the second gas supply path.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a distance between the first gas inlet and the substrate is shorter than a distance between the second gas inlet and the substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a gas supply unit having the first gas supply path and the second gas supply path, and a housing section for housing the gas supply unit is provided on a side surface of the processing chamber.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a partition is provided between the first gas supply path and the second gas supply path.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first gas supply path and the second gas supply path are provided adjacent to each other.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processing chamber accommodates a substrate holding section for stacking and holding a plurality of the substrates, and the accommodation section accommodates a plurality of the gas supply units for stacking.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a heating section for heating the accommodation section.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first gas is a reactive gas.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reactive gas is a nitrogen-containing gas.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature at which the nitrogen-containing gas does not adhere to the first gas supply path.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein while the first gas is being supplied to the first gas supply path, an inert gas is supplied to the second gas supply path.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an inert gas is supplied to the first gas supply path while the second gas is being supplied to the second gas supply path.

17. A gas supply unit comprising: a first gas supply path that supplies a first gas to a substrate from a side of a processing chamber in which the substrate is processed; and a first gas inlet that is provided at a location in the first gas supply path that has a predetermined temperature and that introduces the first gas into the first gas supply path.

18. A substrate processing method comprising: a step of supplying a first gas to a substrate in a processing chamber through a first gas inlet that is provided at a location of a predetermined temperature in a first gas supply path that supplies a first gas, and that introduces the first gas into the first gas supply path.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the substrate processing method according to claim 18.

20. A program that causes a substrate processing apparatus to execute, by a computer, a procedure for supplying a first gas to a substrate in a processing chamber through a first gas inlet that is provided at a location of a predetermined temperature in a first gas supply path that supplies a first gas and introduces the first gas into the first gas supply path.