Method of determining rotational speed, method of processing substrate, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, program, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique capable of improving the in-plane uniformity of a process for a rotating substrate. The invention provides a method for determining the rotational speed of a substrate applied in a substrate processing process having a process of intermittently supplying a processing gas at a predetermined interval from the outer edge of the substrate toward the in-plane, a predetermined number of times K times during a predetermined period T, said substrate, and the method comprises: (a) a process of calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of said substrate, based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K, and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N; and (b) a process of determining the rotational speed of said substrate applied in the substrate processing among the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for determining rotational speed, a method for processing a substrate, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a program, and a substrate processing device. Background Technology

[0002] As a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, there are cases where a process of treating a substrate is performed by repeatedly supplying gas to a rotating substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Prior art literature

[0003] International Publication No. 2005 / 088692 The problem to be solved

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technology that can improve the in-plane uniformity of processing on a rotating substrate. means of solving the problem

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure,

[0006] A technique for determining the rotational speed of a substrate applied in a substrate processing process comprising supplying a processing gas intermittently at regular intervals K times during a predetermined period T from the outer edge of the substrate toward the interior of the plane to a rotating substrate.

[0007] (a) A process for calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of the substrate, based on at least one of a predetermined period T or a supply interval I of the processing gas, a predetermined number of times K and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N, and

[0008] (b) A process for determining the rotation speed of the substrate applied in the substrate processing among the plurality of candidate values ​​N, based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N.

[0009] A technology including is provided. Effects of the invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the in-plane uniformity of the processing on a rotating substrate. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a drawing showing the processing furnace portion as a longitudinal cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram showing the processing furnace portion as a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a controller of a substrate processing device suitably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a block diagram showing the control system of the controller. FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a processing sequence in one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 5 (A) and FIGS. 5 (B) are drawings for explaining the supply start position of the processing gas for each cycle in a predetermined period. FIGS. 6 (A) to FIGS. 6 (C) are drawings for illustrating a minimax arrangement method suitably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 (A) is a diagram illustrating the calculation results when the minimax batch method suitablely used in one embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. FIG. 7 (B) is a diagram illustrating the distribution of the supply start positions of the processing gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 0.2 rpm. FIG. 7 (C) is a diagram illustrating the distribution of the supply start positions of the processing gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 4 rpm. FIG. 7 (D) is a diagram illustrating the distribution of the supply start positions of the processing gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 4.5 rpm. FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining potential energy suitably used in another aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 (A) is a diagram illustrating the calculation results when the minimum energy batch method suitablely used in another aspect of the present disclosure is applied. FIG. 10 (B) is a diagram illustrating the distribution of the supply start positions of the processing gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 2.5 rpm. FIG. 10 (C) is a diagram illustrating the distribution of the supply start positions of the processing gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 3 rpm. FIG. 10 (D) is a diagram illustrating the distribution of the supply start positions of the processing gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 4.5 rpm. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0012] <One aspect of the present disclosure>

[0013] Hereinafter, one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference mainly to FIGS. 1 to 10. Furthermore, all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships of each element and the ratios of each element shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to reality. Also, the dimensional relationships of each element and the ratios of each element do not necessarily correspond to one another among multiple drawings.

[0014] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing device

[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the processing furnace (202) has a heater (207) as a temperature regulator (heating part). Inside the heater (207), a reaction tube (203) is arranged concentrically with the heater (207). Below the reaction tube (203), a manifold (209) is arranged concentrically with the reaction tube (203). Between the manifold (209) and the reaction tube (203), an O-ring (220a) is provided as a sealing member. The processing vessel (reaction vessel) is mainly formed by the reaction tube (203) and the manifold (209). A processing chamber (201) is formed in the hollow portion of the processing vessel. The processing chamber (201) is configured to accommodate a wafer (200) as a substrate. Processing of the wafer (200) is performed within this processing chamber (201).

[0016] In the processing chamber (201), nozzles (249a, 249b) serving as a first supply unit and a second supply unit are respectively provided to penetrate the side wall of the manifold (209). The nozzles (249a, 249b) are also referred to as the first nozzle and the second nozzle, respectively. Gas supply pipes (232a, 232b) are respectively connected to the nozzles (249a, 249b). The nozzles (249a, 249b) are each different nozzles, and the nozzles (249a, 249b) are provided adjacent to each other.

[0017] In the gas supply pipes (232a, 232b), a mass flow controller (MFC) (241a, 241b), which is a flow controller (flow control unit), and a valve (243a, 243b), which is an opening and closing valve, are respectively provided in order from the upstream side of the gas flow. A gas supply pipe (232c) is connected downstream of the valve (243a) of the gas supply pipe (232a). A gas supply pipe (232d) is connected downstream of the valve (243b) of the gas supply pipe (232b). In the gas supply pipes (232c, 232d), an MFC (241c, 241d) and a valve (243c, 243d) are respectively provided in order from the upstream side of the gas flow.

[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 2, nozzles (249a, 249b) are each provided to be erected upright in an annular space viewed from the plane between the inner wall of the reaction tube (203) and the wafer (200), along the lower part of the inner wall of the reaction tube (203) to the upper part, and in the upward direction of the arrangement direction of the wafer (200). That is, nozzles (249a, 249b) are each provided to follow the wafer arrangement area in an area that horizontally surrounds the wafer arrangement area on the side of the wafer arrangement area where the wafer (200) is arranged. On the side of the nozzles (249a, 249b), gas supply holes (250a, 250b) are each provided as supply ports for supplying gas. Multiple gas supply holes (250a, 250b) are provided extending from the lower part to the upper part of the reaction tube (203).

[0019] From the gas supply pipe (232a), a first gas as a processing gas is supplied into the processing chamber (201) through the MFC (241a), valve (243a), and nozzle (249a). The first gas may also be referred to as raw material gas.

[0020] From the gas supply pipe (232b), a second gas different from the first gas, which is a processing gas, is supplied into the processing chamber (201) through the MFC (241b), valve (243b), and nozzle (249b). The second gas may also be referred to as a reaction gas that reacts with the first gas.

[0021] From the gas supply pipes (232c, 232d), an inert gas as a processing gas is supplied into the processing chamber (201) through the MFC (241c, 241d), valve (243c, 243d), gas supply pipes (232a, 232b), and nozzle (249a, 249b), respectively. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, carrier gas, dilution gas, etc.

[0022] A first gas supply system is primarily configured by a gas supply pipe (232a), an MFC (241a), and a valve (243a). A second gas supply system is primarily configured by a gas supply pipe (232b), an MFC (241b), and a valve (243b). The first gas supply system may also be referred to as a raw gas supply system. Additionally, the second gas supply system may be referred to as a reaction gas supply system. An inert gas supply system is primarily configured by a gas supply pipe (232c, 232d), an MFC (241c, 241d), and a valve (243c, 243d). A gas supply system is configured by all or at least one of the various supply systems described above. A nozzle connected to the gas supply pipe constituting the various supply systems described above may be included in each of the supply systems.

[0023] Any or all of the various supply systems described above may be configured as an integrated supply system (248) formed by integrating valves (243a to 243d) or MFCs (241a to 241d), etc.

[0024] An exhaust port (233) for exhausting the atmosphere inside the processing room (201) is provided on the lower side wall of the reaction tube (203). An exhaust pipe (231) is connected to the exhaust port (233). A vacuum pump (246) as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the exhaust pipe (231) through a pressure sensor (245) as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) for detecting the pressure inside the processing room (201) and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve (244) as a pressure regulator (pressure adjustment unit). The APC valve (244) is configured to allow vacuum exhaust and vacuum exhaust stoppage inside the processing room (201) by opening and closing the valve while the vacuum pump (246) is in operation, and also to allow pressure inside the processing room (201) to be adjusted by adjusting the valve opening degree based on pressure information detected by the pressure sensor (245) while the vacuum pump (246) is in operation. The exhaust system is mainly composed of an exhaust pipe (231), an APC valve (244), and a pressure sensor (245). A vacuum pump (246) may also be included in the exhaust system.

[0025] Below the manifold (209), a seal cap (219) is provided as a mouth cover capable of hermetically closing the lower opening of the manifold (209) via an O-ring (220b). Below the seal cap (219), a rotation mechanism (267) is installed as a rotation drive unit for rotating the boat (217) described later. The rotation axis (255) of the rotation mechanism (267) passes through the seal cap (219) and is connected to the boat (217). The rotation mechanism (267) is configured to rotate the wafer (200) by rotating the boat (217). The seal cap (219) is configured to be raised and lowered in a vertical direction by a boat elevator (115) which is a lifting mechanism installed outside the reaction tube (203).

[0026] The boat (217) serving as a substrate support is configured to support multiple wafers (200), for example, 25 to 200 wafers, in a horizontal position and aligned vertically, that is, arranged at intervals. An insulating plate (218) is supported in multiple stages on the lower part of the boat (217).

[0027] A temperature sensor (263) serving as a temperature detector is installed inside the reaction tube (203). By adjusting the degree of current flow to the heater (207) based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor (263), the temperature inside the processing room (201) becomes a desired temperature distribution.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller (121), which is a control unit (control means), is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (121a), RAM (Random Access Memory) (121b), a memory device (121c), and an I / O port (121d). The RAM (121b), the memory device (121c), and the I / O port (121d) are configured to exchange data with the CPU (121a) through an internal bus (121e). An input / output device (122), configured as an input unit and an output unit, such as a touch panel, is connected to the controller (121). The input / output device (122) may constitute a display unit. Additionally, the controller (121) is configured to allow connection of an external memory device (123). Furthermore, the substrate processing unit may be configured to have one control unit or may be configured to have multiple control units. That is, control for performing the processing sequence described below may be performed using a single control unit or using multiple control units. Additionally, multiple control units may be configured as a control system connected to each other via a wired or wireless communication network, and control for performing the processing sequence described below may be performed by the entire control system. In the present disclosure, when the term "control unit" is used, in addition to including a single control unit, there may be cases including multiple control units or control systems configured by multiple control units.

[0029] The memory device (121c) is composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. Within the memory device (121c), a control program that controls the operation of the substrate processing device, and a process recipe containing the steps or conditions of the substrate processing described later, are readably recorded and stored. The process recipe is a combination of steps in the substrate processing described later that are executed by the controller (121) on the substrate processing device to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe and the control program, etc. are collectively referred to simply as a program (program product). Also, the process recipe is simply referred to as a recipe. In the present disclosure, when the term "program" is used, it may include only the recipe, only the control program, or both. The RAM (121b) is configured as a memory area (work area) in which programs or data read by the CPU (121a), and data input by an operator through an input / output device (122), are temporarily stored. The memory unit is configured by at least one of the memory device (121c) and RAM (121b).

[0030] The I / O port (121d) is connected to the above-described MFC (241a to 241d), valve (243a to 243d), pressure sensor (245), APC valve (244), vacuum pump (246), temperature sensor (263), heater (207), temperature sensor (263), rotating mechanism (267), boat elevator (115), etc.

[0031] The CPU (121a) is configured to read and execute a control program from a memory device (121c), and also to read a recipe from the memory device (121c) in accordance with the input of an operation command from an input / output device (122). The CPU (121a) has a substrate processing control unit (401) and a calculation unit (402).

[0032] The substrate processing control unit (401) is configured to control the flow rate adjustment operation of various processing gases by the MFC (241a to 241d), the opening and closing operation of the valve (243a to 243d), the opening and closing operation of the APC valve (244) and the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve (244) based on the pressure sensor (245), the starting and stopping of the vacuum pump (246), the temperature adjustment operation of the heater (207) based on the temperature sensor (263), the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the boat (217) by the rotation mechanism (267), and the lifting operation of the boat (217) by the boat elevator (115), in accordance with the contents of the read recipe.

[0033] For example, the substrate processing control unit (401) is configured to control a rotation mechanism (267), an MFC (241a to 241d), valves (243a to 243d), etc., so as to supply a processing gas, such as a first gas, a second gas, and an inert gas, to the wafer (200) intermittently at regular intervals K times during a predetermined period T while rotating the wafer (200) at a constant rotational speed.

[0034] In the memory device (121c) serving as a memory unit, at least one of the following is a set value of the process time (a predetermined period) T, which is the execution time of the substrate processing process described later, or the cycle time I (also called the supply interval), which is the time per cycle, the set value of the number of cycles (a predetermined number of times) K, the minimum width at which the rotational speed can be changed (also called the unit width or resolution), and the upper and lower limits of the rotational speed are stored. The cycle time I may be calculated and indicated as cycle time T / K based on the process time T and the number of cycles K. Additionally, the process time T may be calculated and indicated as process time I*K based on the cycle time I and the number of cycles K.

[0035] The calculation unit (402) calculates, for each of the multiple candidate values ​​of selectable rotational speed of the rotation mechanism (267), which will be described in detail later, a corresponding evaluation value based on at least one of process time T or cycle time I, the number of cycles K, and each candidate value. The calculation unit (402) is configured to calculate each of the multiple candidate values ​​of selectable rotational speed based on the minimum width stored in the memory device (121c).

[0036] And the substrate processing control unit (401) is configured to rotate the wafer (200) at a rotational speed determined from a plurality of candidate values ​​based on evaluation values ​​calculated by each of the calculation units (402).

[0037] The controller (121) can be configured by installing the aforementioned program, which is recorded and stored in the external storage device (123), into a computer. The external storage device (123) includes, for example, a magnetic disk such as an HDD, an optical disk such as a CD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or an SSD. The storage device (121c) and the external storage device (123) are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these are collectively referred to simply as recording media. In this specification, when the term "recording media" is used, it may include only the storage device (121c), only the external storage device (123), or both. Furthermore, the provision of the program to the computer may be performed using communication means such as the internet or a dedicated line, without using the external storage device (123).

[0038] (2) Substrate processing process

[0039] An example of a processing sequence for processing a wafer (200) as a substrate as a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the substrate processing device described above will be explained mainly using FIG. 4. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing device is controlled by a controller (121).

[0040] In this disclosure, the term "wafer" may refer to the wafer itself or to a laminate of the wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. In this specification, the term "surface of the wafer" may refer to the surface of the wafer itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer formed on the wafer. In this specification, the phrase "form a predetermined layer on the wafer" may refer to directly forming a predetermined layer on the surface of the wafer itself or forming a predetermined layer on a layer formed on the wafer. In this specification, the term "substrate" is used in the same way as the term "wafer."

[0041] (Wafer charge and boat load)

[0042] When multiple wafers (200) are loaded into the boat (217), the boat (217) supporting the multiple wafers (200) is lifted by the boat elevator (115) and brought into the processing room (201).

[0043] (Pressure adjustment and temperature adjustment)

[0044] After the boat load is finished, the processing room (201), that is, the processing space where the wafer (200) is located, is vacuum-evacuated by a vacuum pump (246) so that the pressure inside the processing room (201) becomes the desired pressure. Additionally, the wafer (200) inside the processing room (201) is heated by a heater (207) so that it becomes the desired processing temperature. Furthermore, rotation of the wafer (200) by a rotation mechanism (267) is initiated at a predetermined rotational speed determined in a subsequent step. The evacuation inside the processing room (201), the heating of the wafer (200), and the rotation are all performed continuously at least until the processing of the wafer (200) is finished.

[0045] After that, steps S1 and S2 are executed sequentially.

[0046] [Step S1]

[0047] In step S1, a first gas is supplied to the wafer (200) in the processing room (201).

[0048] Specifically, the valve (243a) is opened to flow the first gas into the gas supply pipe (232a). The first gas is flow-regulated by the MFC (241a), supplied into the processing chamber (201) through the nozzle (249a), and exhausted from the exhaust port (233). At this time, the first gas is supplied to the wafer (200). At this time, the valves (243c, 243d) may be opened to supply an inert gas into the processing chamber (201) through each of the nozzles (249a, 249b).

[0049] In addition, the processing temperature in the present disclosure refers to the temperature of the wafer (200) or the temperature within the processing room (201), and the processing pressure refers to the pressure within the processing room (201), in other words, the pressure of the space where the wafer (200) exists. In addition, the processing time refers to the time during which the processing is continued. These are also the same in the following description.

[0050] By supplying a first gas to the wafer (200), a first layer is formed on the surface of the wafer (200).

[0051] After the first layer is formed, the valve (243a) is closed to stop the supply of the first gas into the processing chamber (201). Then, the processing chamber (201) is vacuum-exhausted to remove any remaining gas from the processing chamber (201) (purging). At this time, the valves (243c, 243d) are opened to supply an inert gas into the processing chamber (201) through the nozzles (249a, 249b). The inert gas acts as a purge gas.

[0052] [Step S2]

[0053] After step S1 is completed, a second gas is supplied to the wafer (200) in the processing room (201), that is, to the first layer formed on the wafer (200).

[0054] Specifically, the valve (243b) is opened to flow the second gas into the gas supply pipe (232b). The second gas is flow-regulated by the MFC (241b), supplied into the processing chamber (201) through the nozzle (249b), and exhausted from the exhaust port (233). At this time, the second gas is supplied to the wafer (200). At this time, the valves (243c, 243d) may be opened to supply an inert gas into the processing chamber (201) through each of the nozzles (249a, 249b).

[0055] By supplying a second gas to the wafer (200), at least a portion of the first layer formed on the wafer (200) is modified to form a second layer.

[0056] After the second layer is formed, the valve (243b) is closed to stop the supply of the second gas into the processing room (201). Then, by a processing procedure similar to the purging in step S1, any remaining gas in the processing room (201) is removed from the processing room (201).

[0057] [Perform a prescribed number of times]

[0058] A predetermined layer can be formed on the surface of a wafer (200) by performing the aforementioned steps S1 and S2 asynchronously, that is, without synchronizing them, but intermittently (also called pulsed) a predetermined number of times (K times, where K is an integer of 1 or 2 or more). It is preferable to perform the aforementioned cycle multiple times. That is, it is preferable to perform the aforementioned cycle multiple times until the thickness of the predetermined layer formed per cycle is thinner than the desired film thickness, and the film thickness of the predetermined layer formed by stacking the predetermined layer becomes the desired film thickness.

[0059] (After purge and return to atmospheric pressure)

[0060] After performing steps S1 and S2 a predetermined number of times, an inert gas as a purge gas is supplied into the processing chamber (201) from each of the nozzles (249a, 249b) and exhausted through the exhaust port (233). After that, the atmosphere inside the processing chamber (201) is replaced with an inert gas, and the pressure inside the processing chamber (201) is returned to normal pressure.

[0061] (Boat Unload and Wafer Discharge)

[0062] After that, the seal cap (219) is lowered by the boat elevator (115), and the bottom of the manifold (209) is opened. Then, the finished wafer (200) is supported by the boat (217) and is discharged from the bottom of the manifold (209) to the outside of the reaction tube (203). After the finished wafer (200) is discharged to the outside of the reaction tube (203), it is removed from the boat (217).

[0063] (3) Determination of rotational speed

[0064] Next, a method for determining the rotation speed of a rotating mechanism (267) that rotates a wafer (200), which is applied in the substrate processing process described above, will be explained below.

[0065] In the substrate processing process described above, a processing gas is supplied K times at a predetermined interval (also called pulsed) from the outer edge of the wafer (200) toward the interior of the wafer (200) which is rotating at a constant rotational speed. Here, the predetermined period T is the process time from the start of step S1 of the first cycle of the substrate processing process to the end of step S2 of the Kth cycle. Also, the predetermined number K is the number of times (also called processing number or cycle number) that a plurality of steps, such as step S1 and step S2, are performed as one cycle during the predetermined period T. Furthermore, one cycle is not limited to cases that include a combination of multiple steps supplying different gases as in the present embodiment, and, for example, a combination of a step supplying one gas and a step stopping the supply of said gas may be considered as one cycle.

[0066] FIG. 5 (A) and FIG. 5 (B) show examples of the first gas supply start position at the point in time when the first gas supply for each cycle is started for a wafer (200) when the processing gas is supplied intermittently at regular intervals from the outer edge of the wafer (200) toward the inside of the plane by the substrate processing process described above using the substrate processing apparatus described above.

[0067] When a processing gas is supplied intermittently at regular intervals from the outer edge of a wafer (200) toward the interior of the surface for a rotating wafer (200), if the supply cycle of the processing gas per cycle (i.e., cycle time I) and the rotation cycle of the wafer (200) (i.e., the time it takes for the wafer (200) to rotate once) are synchronized during the process time T, the starting positions for the supply of the processing gas may overlap. For example, during the process time T, there may be a case where the rotation cycle matches an integer multiple of the supply cycle. Furthermore, even if the supply cycle of the processing gas per cycle and the rotation cycle of the wafer (200) are not synchronized during the process time T, the distribution of the starting positions for the supply of the processing gas may be skewed depending on the relationship between the supply cycle and the rotation cycle, as shown in FIG. 5 (A). In such cases, the film thickness or film quality of the film formed on the wafer (200) becomes uneven, and the uniformity within the surface deteriorates. In contrast, when the supply cycle and rotation cycle of the processing gas for each cycle are appropriately selected, as shown in (B) of FIG. 5, the supply start positions of the processing gas can be distributed and evenly spaced without overlapping. By making the arrangement evenly like this, the thickness and quality of the film formed on the wafer (200) become uniform, thereby improving the uniformity within the plane.

[0068] Therefore, when supplying the processing gas at a desired supply cycle, in order to evenly distribute the supply start positions of the processing gas, a method of calculating one or more ideal rotation cycles (rotation speeds) based on the desired supply cycle may be adopted.

[0069] However, since there is a limit to the resolution of the motor that rotates the rotating mechanism (267), there are cases where it is difficult to realize the calculated ideal rotational speed in the actual rotating mechanism. For example, there is a limit to the minimum width (also called unit width or resolution) for dividing the rotation of the motor into one pulse. In addition, the rotational speed of the rotating mechanism (267) has upper and lower limits, and there are cases where it cannot be realized due to mechanical constraints. In addition, there are cases where the rotational speed is limited depending on the conditions of the substrate processing.

[0070] Here, the rotational speed N is the process time T, the number of cycles K, and the starting position of the supply of the process gas at the start of the k-th cycle (in this embodiment, the first gas supply starting position at the k-th cycle) is position P k If done this way, it can be expressed as follows.

[0071] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0072]

[0073] The above-mentioned locations P1, P2, … , P k , … , P K is a point on the circumference to be evenly distributed as illustrated in (B) of FIG. 5. That is, a function F(P1, P2, …, P) representing the evenness or bias of the distribution. k , … , P K If ) exists, the rotational speed within the range that maximizes or minimizes the value of the function F can be calculated.

[0074] In the present embodiment, based on the resolution of the rotation mechanism (267), a plurality of candidate values ​​N (N1, N2, …, N) of selectable rotational speeds are selected. M) is set. Here, M is the number of candidate values ​​N (i.e., the number of candidates). Then, based on the M candidate values ​​N that the rotational speed can take, at least one of the process time T and the cycle time I, and the number of cycles K, a rotational speed is determined such that the distribution of the supply start positions of the process gas is distributed without overlap and is evenly distributed, as shown in (B) of FIG. 5. Here, the evaluation value E for determining the rotational speed is explained using the case where it is calculated based on the concept of minimax batching.

[0075] (3-1) Calculation of evaluation value E for candidate value N

[0076] First, based on the resolution of the rotation mechanism (267), a plurality of candidate values ​​N (N1, N2, …, N) of selectable rotational speeds are selected. M Set ). Multiple candidate values ​​N are each, the minimum width N where the rotation speed can be changed int It is a value of rotational speed that satisfies the condition (i.e., constraint) of (also called unit width, resolution). In addition, multiple candidate values ​​N are each upper limit N of the selectable rotational speed. max It can be selected from the following range (i.e., candidate value N M = Upper limit N max ...becomes). Upper limit N max For example, in addition to cases determined by mechanical constraints of the rotation mechanism (267), there are cases where it is set so that no positional misalignment or detachment occurs from the boat (217) when the wafer (200) rotates. In addition, each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N is a lower limit value N of the selectable rotation speed. min It can be made to be selected from the above range (i.e., candidate value N1 = lower limit N min This becomes). Lower limit N min is, for example, minimum width N int Except when the same value is set, the minimum width N depends on the substrate processing conditions. int There are cases where a larger value is set, such as the minimum width N.int , upper limit N max , lower limit N min This is a condition for a settable rotational speed in a rotating mechanism (267) that rotates the wafer (200) (i.e., the boat (217) supporting the wafer (200)).

[0077] And multiple candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N M For each ), the corresponding evaluation value E(E1, E2, …, E M ) is calculated based on at least one of process time T or cycle time I, the number of cycles K, and each candidate value N. For example, E1 is given by E for N1. M is N M Each is a corresponding evaluation value E. The evaluation value E is information stored in memory (121c) and / or RAM (121b) (e.g., process time T and / or cycle time I, number of cycles K, lower limit N). min and / or minimum width N int , upper limit N max It is calculated by the output unit (402) based on the etc.

[0078] Here, the evaluation value E(E1, E2, …, E M ) is a position P1, P2, … , P on the outer edge of the wafer (200) facing the gas supply hole (250a) of the first gas at the time when the supply of the first gas for each cycle of the intermittent supply of the processing gas begins. k , … , P K It is a value representing the uniformity of the spacing between them. The number of positions P is equal to a predetermined number of times K.

[0079] (3-2) Determination of rotational speed based on evaluation value E

[0080] Then, based on the calculated evaluation value E, the rotation speed of the wafer (200) applied in the substrate processing is determined from among a plurality of candidate values ​​N. In this embodiment, the rotation speed is determined based on the evaluation value E calculated for each candidate value N of the rotation speed. In this embodiment, regardless of constraints such as resolution due to the hard specifications of the rotation mechanism (267), the optimal rotation speed can be selected based on the evaluation value E from a group of selectable candidate values ​​of rotation speed that take these constraints into account, so the optimal rotation speed can be determined easily and efficiently.

[0081] The determination of the rotational speed based on the evaluation value E is performed by the calculation unit (402) according to the procedure shown below. Additionally, as described later, it may also be performed by an operator based on information based on the evaluation value E displayed on the output screen (302). Furthermore, the rotational speed of the wafer (200) determined in the step is acquired by the substrate processing control unit (401) and set as the rotational speed of the rotation mechanism (267).

[0082] FIGS. 6 (A) to FIGS. 6 (C) are drawings for explaining the minimax batch method used when determining the above-described evaluation value E. Here, the filling rate D is used as the evaluation value E.

[0083] Here, as an example, when the number of cycles K=5, the first gas supply start position for each cycle at the process time T of the substrate processing is explained using an example in which points P1 to P5 on the circumference of circle C are substituted as shown in (A) of FIG. 6. In addition, in this example, the case where points P1 to P5 are arranged in the order of points P1→P5 along the circumferential direction of the circle is explained, but the order in which the supply start positions are arranged is not limited to this order. For example, depending on the relationship between the cycle time I and the rotation speed N, the supply start positions may be arranged in the order of points P1→P4→P2→P5→P3 along the circumferential direction of the circle.

[0084] Then, as shown in FIG. 6 (B), points P1 to P5 are defined as the centers of circles Q1 to Q5, respectively, and circles Q1 to Q5 with the same radius are drawn with points P1 to P5 as their centers. Then, the diameters of each circle Q1 to Q5 are increased until any of the adjacent circles Q come into contact. In this case, adjacent circle Q1 and circle Q2 come into contact first. Then, as shown in FIG. 6 (C), the arrangement in which the length of arc CA—the circumferential portion of circle C that is partitioned by the smallest circle Q that first came into contact (i.e., the circumferential portion of circle C that overlaps with the inner region of the smallest circle Q)—is maximized can be evaluated as the arrangement in which points P1 to P5 are most evenly close (in FIG. 6 (C), arc CA is indicated by a thick line).

[0085] Here, the ratio of arc CA to the circumference of circle C is defined as the filling rate D. That is, the ratio of the length of arc CA—which is the portion on the circumference of circle C that overlaps with the inner region of the aforementioned minimum circle Q—to the length of the circumference of circle C is defined as the filling rate D. And for a predetermined process time T (and / or a predetermined cycle time I) and a predetermined number of cycles K, a plurality of candidate values ​​N (N1, N2, …, N) of rotational speed are given. M ) Multiple filling rates D(D1, D2, …, D) calculated in each case M Among the above, the candidate value N of the rotational speed that results in the batch with the maximum filling rate D is evaluated as the rotational speed that results in the batch with the most evenly close supply start positions. For example, if points P1 to P5, which are all supply start positions at process time T, are evenly distributed on circle C, the length of the arc CA coincides with the circumference of circle C, so the filling rate D becomes 1. Also, if at least two points among points P1 to P5, which are supply start positions at process time T, overlap, the size of the minimum circle Q becomes 0, so the length of the arc CA becomes 0, and the filling rate D becomes 0.

[0086] That is, the charging rate D(D1, D2, …, D M ) evaluation value E(E1, E2, …, E M When used as ), the evaluation value E(E1, E2, …, E M ) is, candidate value N(N1, N2, …, N M ) For each, all locations P1, P2, … , P at process time T KIt can be defined as a value corresponding to the distance on circle C between the two closest positions P that can be selected. Furthermore, the higher the candidate value N with a higher filling rate D, that is, the higher the candidate value N with a higher evaluation value E, the more likely it is to be evaluated as a candidate value for rotational speed where the distribution of the processing gas supply start positions is dispersed without overlap and can be arranged to be more evenly close. On the other hand, the lower the candidate value N with a lower filling rate D, that is, the lower the candidate value N with a lower evaluation value E, the more likely it is to be evaluated as a candidate value for rotational speed where the processing gas supply start positions overlap or have a skewed distribution.

[0087] Also, multiple candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N M For ), the corresponding evaluation values ​​E(E1, E2, …, E M According to the order of the values ​​of ), priority is assigned as the rotation speed of the wafer (200). Specifically, candidate values ​​N (N1, N2, …, N) are assigned such that the priority as the rotation speed of the wafer (200) increases in order of increasing fill rate D as the evaluation value E. M Priority is assigned to each.

[0088] Furthermore, if there exist multiple candidate values ​​N with the same evaluation value E, the same priority may be assigned to each, or different priorities may be assigned among such candidate values ​​N based on other conditions. For example, among multiple candidate values ​​N with the same evaluation value E, a higher priority may be assigned to the candidate value N with the smaller magnitude of rotational speed. Also, for example, among multiple candidate values ​​N with the same evaluation value E, the position P in the k-th intermittent supply k Wow, position P in the k+1th intermittent supply k+1 For candidate values ​​N that are not adjacent on the circumference of circle C, a higher priority may be assigned. Additionally, for example, among multiple candidate values ​​N with the same evaluation value E, the position P in the k-th intermittent supply kWow, position P in the k+1th intermittent supply k+1 For candidate values ​​N that are more spaced from the circumference of circle C, a higher priority may be given.

[0089] And multiple candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N M Among the candidate values, the candidate value N with the highest priority is determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200). That is, the rotation speed is determined based on the priority of the candidate value N. Furthermore, the case where the candidate value N with the highest priority is determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200) is not limited to the case where the candidate value N with the highest priority is determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200). For example, among a plurality of candidate values ​​N with a priority of a certain value or higher, a candidate value N other than the candidate value N with the highest priority may be determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200) by considering other conditions. Also, when using the filling rate D as the evaluation value E, the candidate value N with the highest filling rate D may be determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200) without assigning priority.

[0090] In addition, in the above description, positions P1 to P where the filling rate D is maximized K The arrangement of can also be represented as a minimax arrangement on a sphere as follows.

[0091] [Mathematical Formula 2]

[0092]

[0093] That is, in the equation described above, point P, defined as a position on the sphere i and point P j Calculate the spherical distance of point P i and point P j A configuration is calculated in which the minimum value of the spherical distance is maximized. That is, according to the aforementioned Equations 1 and 2, based on at least one of the process time T or cycle time I, the number of cycles K, and each candidate value N, a plurality of candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N M Among ), point Pi and point P j Calculate the arrangement where the minimum value of the spherical distance is maximized.

[0094] FIGS. 7 (A) to FIGS. 7 (D) are candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N) of rotational speed when the above-described minimax batch method is applied. 60 This is a drawing illustrating an example of the calculation result of the filling rate D for ). In FIGS. 7 (A) to FIGS. 7 (D), the process time is set to 171 seconds, the number of cycles to 40, the rotational speed to 0.1 to 6.0 rpm, and the unit width to 0.1 rpm. Based on the lower and upper limits of the rotational speed and the unit width, the number of candidate values ​​M of the settable rotational speed candidate value N is set to 60. In FIG. 7 (A), the horizontal axis represents the rotational speed [rpm] of the rotation mechanism (267), and the vertical axis represents the filling rate D. Additionally, each point plotted in FIG. 7 (A) represents a candidate value N of the rotational speed (N1, N2, …, N 60 It shows the value of the filling rate D for each.

[0095] FIG. 7 (B) is a diagram illustrating the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 0.2 rpm, where the filling rate D is 0.4. FIG. 7 (C) is a diagram illustrating the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 4 rpm, where the filling rate D is 0. FIG. 7 (D) is a diagram illustrating the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 4.5 rpm, where the filling rate D is 1. In addition, in any of FIG. 7 (B) to FIG. 7 (D), the number of supply start positions shown in the supply start angle distribution is 40, which is the same as the number of cycles K.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 7(B), when the filling rate D is 0.4, there is a bias in the angle distribution at the start of supply. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(C), when the filling rate D is 0, the angle distribution at the start of supply overlaps. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(D), when the filling rate D is 1, the angle distribution at the start of supply is dispersed without overlap and is evenly distributed. That is, candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N) of the rotational speed 60 Among the above, when selecting rotation speeds of 0.5 rpm, 1.5 rpm, 3.5 rpm, 4.5 rpm, and 5.5 rpm such that the filling rate D as the evaluation value E becomes the highest value (i.e., 1), all supply start positions are evenly distributed and arranged, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of the film formed on the wafer (200). In addition, when the evaluation value E corresponding to a plurality of candidate values ​​N (0.5 rpm, 1.5 rpm, 3.5 rpm, 4.5 rpm, 5.5 rpm) is the same, it is preferable to additionally select and determine a rotation speed suitable for substrate processing conditions, etc., from among these as the rotation speed of the wafer (200).

[0097] FIG. 8 shows an example of a display screen (300) of an input / output device (122) when determining the rotation speed.

[0098] The display screen (300) includes an input screen (301) for an operator to input a predetermined condition through an input / output device (122), and an output screen (302) for outputting a calculation result based on the value input from the input screen (301).

[0099] The input screen (301) contains the process time T, the number of cycles K, and the maximum value of the rotational speed N. max , minimum value of rotational speed N min , unit width of rotational speed N intIt is displayed as being inputtable. Additionally, instead of process time T, cycle time I, which is the time per cycle, may be displayed as being inputtable. Furthermore, the input screen (301) is provided with a calculation start button (301A) that instructs the start of calculation based on the input information. When the calculation start button (301A) is pressed, calculation processing such as an evaluation value E (fill rate D in this embodiment) based on the information entered on the input screen (301) is executed. Additionally, information regarding substrate processing conditions such as process time T, number of cycles K, and cycle time I may be obtained by referring to a process recipe stored in the memory device (121c).

[0100] On the output screen (302), the process time T, number of cycles K, and maximum value N of the rotational speed, which are input from the input screen (301) max and minimum value N min , unit width of rotational speed N int The calculated result based on information such as cycle time I is displayed. That is, on the output screen (302), two or more of the multiple candidate values ​​N are displayed along with the filling rate D as the evaluation value E corresponding to each. Specifically, the filling rate D calculated for each rotational speed and the priority determined as rotational speed based on the filling rate D are displayed in order from the highest filling rate D. In addition, the rank may be assigned by additionally considering substrate processing conditions, such as the supply conditions of the processing gas, in addition to the filling rate D (evaluation value E). In addition, in the present embodiment, all candidate values ​​N and the filling rates D and ranks corresponding to them are displayed on the output screen (302), but the display embodiment is not limited to this, and only candidate values ​​N assigned a rank of a predetermined rank or higher (e.g., up to the top 5th), and the filling rates D and ranks corresponding thereto may be selectively displayed.

[0101] And among the multiple rotation speeds displayed on the output screen (302), the candidate value N assigned the highest priority (also called rank) is determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200). Furthermore, the method of selecting and determining the candidate value N assigned the highest priority as the rotation speed is not limited to the method of selecting and determining the rotation speed as is; the operator may also select and determine the rotation speed of the wafer (200) through the selection unit (305) described later from among the multiple candidate values ​​N displayed on the output screen (302) based on the information displayed on the output screen (302).

[0102] Additionally, for each item such as rotation speed, charge rate D, and rank on the output screen (302), a sorting unit (304A to 304C) that is pressed by the operator is provided. By pressing the sorting unit (304A), the operator can rearrange and display multiple rotation speeds displayed on the output screen (302) in order of smallest or largest rotation speed. Additionally, by pressing the sorting unit (304B), the operator can rearrange and display multiple charge rates D displayed on the output screen (302) in order of highest charge rate D. Additionally, by pressing the sorting unit (304C), the operator can rearrange and display multiple rotation speeds displayed on the output screen (302) in order of highest priority determined by rotation speed.

[0103] Additionally, the column of rotational speeds on the output screen (302) comprises a selection unit (305) that enables the selection of one rotational speed from a plurality of displayed candidate values ​​N. When one rotational speed is selected and determined by the operator through the selection unit (305), the substrate processing control unit (401) is configured to control the rotation mechanism (267) based on the rotational speed selected by the selection unit (305).

[0104] [Other aspects of the present disclosure]

[0105] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which a filling rate D based on the concept of minimax batching is used as the evaluation value E for determining the rotational speed; however, potential energy based on the concept of minimum energy batching may also be used as the evaluation value E.

[0106] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the minimum energy arrangement method using potential energy as the aforementioned evaluation value E.

[0107] In the present embodiment, the supply start position of the first gas for each cycle at the process time T of the substrate processing is a point P on circle C as shown in FIG. 9. i and point P j Along with substitution, point P i and point P j Between, point P i and point P j It is assumed that a repulsive force F is generated such that the mutual repulsion increases as they get closer. In this case, point P i and point P j As it gets closer, point P i and point P j The potential energy of increases, and point P i and point P j As the distance increases, point P i and point P j The potential energy of decreases.

[0108] Likewise, for all supply start positions P1, P2, … , Pk, … , P K The total potential energy related to the repulsive force F between points decreases as the points become more separated from each other. For example, if all supply start positions at process time T are evenly distributed on circle C, the total potential energy defined between all supply start positions decreases. In addition, if there is overlap or skewness among the supply start positions at process time T, the total potential energy defined between all supply start positions increases.

[0109] Therefore, in this embodiment, the evaluation value E(E1, E2, …, E M As ), each of all locations P1, P2, … , P at process time T K The sum of potential energies G(G1, G2, …, G) defined between them M ), or the corresponding value is used. And multiple candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N M For ), the corresponding evaluation values ​​E(E1, E2, …, E M The sum of potential energies G(G1, G2, …, G) such that ) M ) is calculated based on at least one of process time T or cycle time I, number of cycles K, and each candidate value N.

[0110] And based on the total sum of the calculated potential energies G, the rotation speed applied in the substrate processing is determined from among multiple candidate values ​​N.

[0111] In addition, for multiple candidate values ​​N, the sum of the corresponding potential energies G(G1, G2, …, G M The value of ) (or, the evaluation value E(E1, E2, …, E as a value corresponding to the total sum of potential energies G) M Priority is assigned as the rotation speed of the wafer (200) according to the order of the values ​​of the potential energy. Specifically, priority as the rotation speed is assigned a rank as priority in order starting from the lowest total potential energy G. Then, the rotation speed assigned the highest priority is determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200). Additionally, the lower the total energy G, the higher the corresponding evaluation value E can be set, and the higher the total potential energy G, the lower the corresponding evaluation value E can be set. In that case, a rank as priority is assigned in order starting from the highest evaluation value E.

[0112] FIGS. 10 (A) to FIGS. 10 (D) are candidate values ​​N(N1, N2, …, N) of rotational speed when the minimum energy placement method described above is applied to the present embodiment. 60 This is a diagram illustrating the calculation results of the total potential energy G for ). In FIGS. 10 (A) to FIGS. 10 (D), the process time was set to 171 seconds, the number of cycles to 40, the rotational speed to 0.1 to 6.0 rpm, and the unit width to 0.1 rpm. The candidate number M was set to 60, as in FIGS. 7 (A) to FIGS. 7 (D). In FIG. 10 (A), the horizontal axis represents the rotational speed [rpm] of the rotation mechanism (267), and the vertical axis represents the total potential energy G. Additionally, each point plotted in FIG. 10 (A) represents a candidate value N of the rotational speed (N1, N2, …, N 60 It represents the value of the total potential energy G for each.

[0113] FIG. 10 (B) is a diagram showing the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 2.5 rpm, and the total potential energy G is approximately 5500. FIG. 10 (C) is a diagram showing the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 3 rpm, and the total potential energy G is 2000. FIG. 10 (D) is a diagram showing the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle when the rotational speed is 4.5 rpm, and the total potential energy G is less than 1000.

[0114] As shown in Fig. 10 (D), when the total potential energy G is smaller than in Fig. 10 (B) and Fig. 10 (C), the angle distribution at the start of supplying the first gas per cycle is not overlapped and is dispersed and evenly distributed.

[0115] That is, the smaller the total potential energy G as the evaluation value E, the more evenly the supply start positions of the first gas per cycle are distributed along the circumference. For this reason, the rotation speed is determined by giving higher priority to the rotation speed with a small total potential energy G. As a result, all supply start positions are evenly distributed, and the in-plane uniformity of the film formed on the wafer (200) is improved. That is, in this embodiment, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment is obtained.

[0116] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways without departing from the essence thereof.

[0117] In the present disclosure, as an example, a case has been described in which the candidate value with the highest priority among a plurality of candidate values ​​N is determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, among a plurality of candidate values ​​N, a candidate value N in which the value of the corresponding evaluation value E falls within a predetermined range may be determined as the rotation speed of the wafer (200). For example, an upper limit or a lower limit (i.e., a predetermined range) may be set, such as the filling rate D being 0.8 or higher, or the total sum of potential energy G being less than 1000, and the rotation speed of the wafer (200) may be selected and determined from one or more candidate values ​​N that fall within such a range. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a candidate value N that does not satisfy the desired evaluation value E from being determined as the rotation speed. Furthermore, the optimal rotation speed can be easily and efficiently determined regardless of the mechanical constraints of the rotation mechanism (267).

[0118] In this disclosure, although the case was described using, for example, a case where two types of gases, a first gas and a second gas, are supplied intermittently, this disclosure can be suitably applied to cases where one or three or more types of gases are supplied intermittently. In this embodiment, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment is obtained.

[0119] In the present disclosure, the case in which the charging rate D, to which the minimax batch method is applied, is displayed as the evaluation value E on the display screen (300) of the input / output device (122) when determining the rotational speed is described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the total sum of potential energy G, to which the minimum energy batch method is applied, may be displayed as the evaluation value E on the output screen (302) of the display screen (300), and both the charging rate D, to which the minimax batch method is applied, and the total sum of potential energy G, to which the minimum energy batch method is applied, may each be displayed as the evaluation value E.

[0120] The present disclosure can be suitably applied even when forming a film using a single-wafer processing device that processes one or several substrates at a time, for example. In addition, the present disclosure can be suitably applied even when forming a film using a substrate processing device having a cold-wall type processing furnace. In addition, the present disclosure can be suitably applied even when activating a gas by plasma generated inside or outside a processing room (201), for example, or by activating a gas by irradiating electromagnetic waves to the gas by a lamp, etc.

[0121] Even when using such a substrate processing device, each processing can be performed under the same processing procedure and processing conditions as in the above-described embodiment, and the same effect as in the above-described embodiment is obtained.

[0122] The above-described embodiments may be used in appropriate combinations. The processing steps and processing conditions in this case may be similar to, for example, the processing steps and processing conditions of the above-described embodiments. Explanation of the symbols

[0123] 200: Wafer (substrate)

Claims

Claim 1 A method for determining the rotational speed of a substrate applied in a substrate processing process comprising: (a) a process of calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of the substrate, based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K, and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N; and (b) a process of determining the rotational speed of the substrate applied in the substrate processing among the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N. Claim 2 A method for determining rotational speed according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N is a value of rotational speed that satisfies the condition of the minimum width at which the rotational speed can be changed. Claim 3 A method for determining rotational speed according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N is selected from a range less than or equal to the upper limit of the rotational speed. Claim 4 A method for determining rotational speed according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N is selected from a range greater than or equal to the lower limit of the rotational speed. Claim 5 In claim 1, (b) a method for determining rotational speed, wherein priority is assigned to the rotational speed of the substrate according to the order of the values ​​of the evaluation value E corresponding to each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N. Claim 6 In paragraph 5, (b) a method for determining rotational speed in which the candidate value N with the highest priority among the plurality of candidate values ​​N is determined as the rotational speed of the substrate. Claim 7 A method for determining rotational speed according to claim 1, wherein in (b), among the plurality of candidate values ​​N, a candidate value N such that the value of the corresponding evaluation value E is within a predetermined range is determined as the rotational speed of the substrate. Claim 8 A method for determining rotational speed, wherein the evaluation value E is a value representing the uniformity of the spacing between positions P on the outer circumference of the substrate facing the supply port of the processing gas at the time when each of the predetermined number of K intermittent supplies of the processing gas begins. Claim 9 In claim 8, a method for determining rotational speed, wherein the number of the above-mentioned positions P is the same as the above-mentioned predetermined number of times K. Claim 10 In paragraph 8, (b) the position P in the k-th intermittent supply among the plurality of candidate values ​​N. k Wow, position P in the k+1th intermittent supply k+1 A method for determining rotational speed, wherein a non-adjacent candidate value N on the outer circumference of the substrate is determined as the rotational speed. Claim 11 In paragraph 8, (b) the position P in the k-th intermittent supply among the plurality of candidate values ​​N. k Wow, position P in the k+1th intermittent supply k+1 A method for determining rotational speed, wherein a candidate value N that is spaced further apart on the outer circumference of the substrate is primarily determined as the rotational speed. Claim 12 A method for determining rotational speed according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation value E is a value corresponding to the distance between the two closest positions P that can be selected among all positions P in the predetermined period T. Claim 13 A method for determining rotational speed according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation value E is a value corresponding to the sum of potential energies defined between all positions P during the predetermined period T. Claim 14 A substrate processing method comprising a process of intermittently supplying a processing gas at a predetermined number of times K times during a predetermined period T from the outer edge of the substrate toward the interior of the substrate, wherein the predetermined rotational speed is determined by a process comprising: (a) a process of calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of the substrate based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K, and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N; and (b) a process of determining the predetermined rotational speed among the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N. Claim 15 A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a process of supplying a processing gas intermittently at a predetermined interval from the outer edge of the substrate toward the interior of the substrate, wherein the predetermined rotational speed is determined by a process comprising: (a) a process of calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of the substrate based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K, and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N; and (b) a process of determining the predetermined rotational speed among the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N. Claim 16 (a) a step of calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of a substrate applied to a rotating substrate, wherein a processing gas is supplied intermittently at a fixed interval from the outer edge of the substrate toward the interior of the plane, and the predetermined number of times K is calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N, based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N, and (b) a step of displaying at least two of the plurality of candidate values ​​N together with the evaluation value E calculated corresponding to each, on a computer including the calculation unit and the display unit, and a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Claim 17 A program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, wherein, for a substrate rotating at a predetermined rotational speed, a processing gas is supplied intermittently at a predetermined interval from the outer edge of the substrate toward the interior of the plane K times during a predetermined period T; (a) a step of calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotational speed of the substrate based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N; and (b) a step of determining the predetermined rotational speed among the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N, wherein the steps are executed by a computer on a substrate processing device. Claim 18 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a rotation drive unit for rotating a substrate; a gas supply system for supplying a processing gas from the outer edge of the substrate toward the inner plane of the substrate; a substrate processing control unit configured to control the rotation drive unit and the gas supply system so as to supply the processing gas intermittently at a predetermined interval K times during a predetermined period T while rotating the substrate at a predetermined rotation speed; and a calculation unit for calculating an evaluation value E corresponding to each of a plurality of candidate values ​​N as a plurality of candidate values ​​for a selectable rotation speed of the substrate based on at least one of the predetermined period T or the supply interval I of the processing gas, the predetermined number of times K, and each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N; wherein the substrate processing control unit is configured to control the rotation of the substrate at a predetermined rotation speed determined among the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the evaluation value E calculated for each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N in the calculation unit. Claim 19 A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a memory unit capable of storing at least one of the above-mentioned period T or the above-mentioned supply interval I of the above-mentioned processing gas, the above-mentioned number of times K, and the above-mentioned minimum width at which the rotational speed can be changed, wherein the calculation unit is configured to calculate each of the plurality of candidate values ​​N based on the above-mentioned minimum width stored in the memory unit. Claim 20 A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a display unit that displays two or more of the plurality of candidate values ​​N together with an evaluation value E calculated corresponding to each. Claim 21 A substrate processing device according to claim 20, further comprising a selection unit that allows an operator to select one of the two or more candidate values ​​N displayed on the display unit as the predetermined rotational speed, and wherein the substrate processing control unit is configured to control the rotational driving unit based on the predetermined rotational speed selected by the selection unit.

Images