Substrate treatment apparatus and substrate treatment method

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology capable of improving uniformity in a substrate surface in a substrate treatment. This substrate treatment apparatus comprises: a chamber; a substrate support part that is disposed in the chamber and that includes a substrate support surface; a rotation part configured to rotate the substrate support part; a treatment gas supply part configured to supply a treatment gas toward the substrate support surface; a target that is arranged above the substrate support surface of the substrate support part such that a surface of the target is arranged along the flow of the treatment gas; and a flow-adjusting gas supply part configured to supply a flow-adjusting gas into the chamber to adjust, in a direction toward the substrate support surface, the flow of the treatment gas that has passed the surface of the target.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to substrate processing apparatus and methods.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a sputtering apparatus, a technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-222999, in which sputter particles and sputter gas are emitted from an opening in a cylindrical target and allowed to reach a substrate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342722

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of improving uniformity within a substrate surface during substrate processing.

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support disposed within the chamber and including a substrate support surface, a rotation unit configured to rotate the substrate support, a processing gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas toward the substrate support surface, a target disposed above the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit such that a surface of the target is aligned with the flow of the processing gas, and a rectifying gas supply unit configured to supply a rectifying gas into the chamber and rectify the processing gas that has passed over the surface of the target in a direction toward the substrate support surface.

[0006] According to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique that can improve uniformity within a substrate surface during substrate processing.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a gas introduction unit; FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a flowchart of a substrate processing method; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a flowchart of step ST2 in the substrate processing method; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the behavior of sputtered particles on a substrate surface layer; FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another configuration example of a gas introduction unit; and FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another configuration example of a target.

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a chamber; a substrate support disposed within the chamber and including a substrate support surface; a rotation unit configured to rotate the substrate support; a process gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas toward the substrate support surface; a target disposed above the substrate support surface of the substrate support such that a surface of the target is aligned with a flow of the process gas; and a rectifying gas supply unit configured to supply a rectifying gas into the chamber to rectify the process gas that has passed over the surface of the target in a direction toward the substrate support surface.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, the surface of the target is positioned perpendicular to the substrate support surface.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of targets are arranged.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the target has a cylindrical shape and the process gas passes through the inside of the target.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment, the target has a pair of flat plates facing each other, and the processing gas passes through the inside of the pair of flat plates.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment, the rectifying gas supply unit is disposed above the substrate support and configured to supply the rectifying gas toward the substrate support.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment, the rectifying gas supply unit supplies the rectifying gas so as to flow around the process gas.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment, the rectifying gas supply unit includes a rectifying gas supply port that supplies the rectifying gas toward the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, the process gas supply unit has an outlet process gas supply port through which the process gas flows, and the rectifying gas supply port is disposed near the process gas supply port.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment, the rectifying gas supply port is disposed so as to surround the process gas supply port.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment, the process gas supply port has a larger diameter than the rectifying gas supply port.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment, the rectifying gas supply unit further includes a rectifying gas supply port that supplies the rectifying gas toward an outer side of the substrate support surface.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment, the rectifying gas includes a gas involved in a film deposition process on a substrate.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a gas introduction unit disposed above the substrate support, the gas introduction unit comprising the target and the rectifying gas supply unit.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment, the rotating portion is configured to rotate the substrate support at 300 rpm or more.

[0024] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a liner disposed outside the substrate support and inside the sidewall of the chamber.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further comprises an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an atmosphere in the chamber through a gap between the substrate support and a sidewall of the chamber.

[0026] In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a substrate processing method including: (a) providing a substrate on a substrate support; and (b) processing the substrate by supplying a process gas to the substrate on the substrate support while rotating the substrate support, wherein (b) includes: (b-1) flowing the process gas along a surface of a target and using plasma generated from the process gas to release sputtered particles from the surface of the target, and causing the process gas containing the sputtered particles to flow toward the substrate from a process gas supply port of the target; and (b-2) rectifying the process gas flowing out from the process gas supply port of the target in a direction toward the substrate by a rectifying gas.

[0027] In one exemplary embodiment, in (b-2), the rectifying gas is flowed toward the substrate so as to surround the processing gas.

[0028] In one exemplary embodiment, in (b), the substrate support is rotated at 300 rpm or more.

[0029] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships, such as up, down, left, and right, will be described based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. The dimensional ratios in the drawings do not represent actual ratios, and the actual ratios are not limited to the ratios shown in the drawings.

[0030] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1. In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a film formation processing apparatus that performs a film formation process on a substrate. In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a sputtering apparatus that performs a sputtering process on a substrate.

[0031] In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10 , a substrate support 11 , a rotating part 12 , a gas introduction unit 20 , an exhaust part 14 , a liner 15 , a power supply 16 , and a control part 2 .

[0032] The chamber 10 is configured to form a processing space 10s therein. The substrate support 11 is disposed within the chamber 10. The substrate support 11 is disposed at the bottom of the processing space 10s.

[0033] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 has, on its upper surface, a substrate support surface 11a that supports the substrate W. The substrate support 11 also has an electrostatic chuck 11b. The electrostatic chuck 11b includes an insulating member and an electrostatic electrode disposed within the insulating member. The substrate support 11 has a disk shape that is thick in the vertical direction (up and down direction).

[0034] In one embodiment, the rotating unit 12 is configured to rotate the substrate support unit 11 around the central axis of the substrate support unit 11. The rotating unit 12 can rotate the substrate support unit 11 at 300 rpm or more. The rotating unit 12 has a support member (rotation shaft) that supports the substrate support unit 11, a motor that rotates the support member, and the like.

[0035] The gas introduction unit 20 has a process gas supply section and a rectifying gas supply section. In one embodiment, the gas introduction unit 20 is disposed above the substrate support surface 11a of the substrate support section 11. The gas introduction unit 20 has a rectifying plate 13 having a disk shape with a thickness in the vertical direction. The rectifying plate 13 has a diameter larger than that of the substrate support section 11. The rectifying plate 13 is made of an insulating material. In one embodiment, the rectifying plate 13 has at least one rectifying gas supply hole 13a, at least one rectifying gas supply port 13b, and at least one target storage section 13c.

[0036] The rectifying plate 13 has at least one target 50. In one embodiment, a plurality of targets 50 are provided on the rectifying plate 13. The rectifying plate 13 has a plurality of target storage portions 13c. The target storage portions 13c are formed to penetrate the rectifying plate 13 in the vertical direction. The target 50 is provided in the target storage portion 13c. The target 50 may be cylindrical. In one embodiment, the target 50 is configured so that a processing gas supply hole 50b penetrates the inside of the target 50. That is, the inner surface of the target 50 is arranged along the flow of the processing gas. The target 50 is arranged so that its central axis faces the vertical direction. The inner surface of the target 50 is arranged perpendicular to the substrate support surface 11a. The processing gas supply port 50c opens at the lower surface of the processing gas supply hole 50b. The processing gas supply port 50c opens at the lower surface of the rectifying plate 13. The processing gas supply port 50c faces the substrate support surface 11a. In one embodiment, the process gas supply unit is composed of a process gas supply hole 50b and a process gas supply port 50c. The target 50 may be composed of a metal material, a semiconductor material, a ceramic material, an insulating material, or the like. When forming a silicon carbide (SiC) film, a SiC target can be used. When forming a silicon carbide (SiC) film, a Si target and a C target can be used simultaneously. When forming a gallium nitride (GaN) film, a GaN target can be used. When forming an aluminum nitride (AlN) film, an Al target can be used. When forming a silicon dioxide (SiO ２ When forming a silicon dioxide (SiO) film, a silicon target can be used. ２ When forming the SiO ２ A target may also be used.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the gas introduction unit 20. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the gas introduction unit 20 as viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 2, the multiple targets 50 are arranged at intervals on the current rectifying plate 13. The multiple targets 50 are arranged evenly on the surface of the current rectifying plate 13. One of the targets 50 may be located at the center of the current rectifying plate 13. Alternatively, the multiple targets 50 may be arranged around the center of the current rectifying plate 13 in radial and circumferential directions. Alternatively, the multiple targets 50 may be arranged in vertical and horizontal directions that are orthogonal to each other on the surface of the current rectifying plate 13.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the process gas supply holes 50b are connected to at least one process gas supply system 70 via a process gas inlet 53. The process gas supply system 70 is configured to supply a process gas to the process gas supply holes 50b via the process gas inlet 53. The process gas supply system 70 may include a gas source and a gas flow controller. The process gas may be a gas that contributes to a film formation process on the substrate W. The process gas may include a rare gas such as argon gas and a reactive gas such as nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, or hydrogen gas. When forming a silicon carbide film (SiC film) on the substrate W, the process gas may include argon gas. When forming a gallium nitride film (GaN film) or aluminum nitride (AlN) film on the substrate W, the process gas may include argon gas and nitrogen gas. When forming a silicon dioxide (SiO ) film on the substrate W, the process gas may include argon gas and nitrogen gas. ２ When forming the SiO 2 film, the process gas may include argon gas and oxygen gas.

[0039] The target 50 may have an electrode 50d electrically connected to the power supply 16. In one embodiment, when a voltage is applied from the power supply 16 to the electrode 50d, plasma is generated from the process gas flowing inside the process gas supply hole 50b, and ions of the plasma collide with and sputter the inner surface of the target 50, thereby releasing sputtered particles from the inner surface of the target 50. In one embodiment, the target 50 can release the process gas containing the sputtered particles from the process gas supply port 50c downward toward the substrate support surface 11a.

[0040] The rectifying gas supply unit is configured to supply a rectifying gas for rectifying the process gas flowing out from the process gas supply port 50c into the chamber 10. The rectifying gas supply unit is disposed above the substrate support 11 and configured to supply the rectifying gas toward the substrate support 11. In one embodiment, the rectifying gas supply unit is configured with a rectifying gas supply hole 13a and a rectifying gas supply port 13b.

[0041] The rectifying gas supply holes 13a are formed to penetrate the rectifying plate 13 in the vertical direction. The vertical length of the rectifying gas supply holes 13a may be the same as that of the target 50. The rectifying gas supply ports 13b open at the lower ends of the rectifying gas supply holes 13a. The rectifying gas supply ports 13b open on the lower surface of the rectifying plate 13.

[0042] 1 and 2, the rectified gas supply port 13b may be disposed near the process gas supply port 50c so as to surround the process gas supply port 50c. A portion of the rectified gas supply port 13b is disposed at a position that does not face the substrate support surface 11a, i.e., so as to supply the rectified gas toward an area outside the substrate support surface 11a. The process gas supply port 50c may have a larger diameter than the rectified gas supply port 13b.

[0043] 1 , in one embodiment, the chamber 10 has at least one rectifying gas diffusion chamber 51. The rectifying gas diffusion chamber 51 is provided above the rectifying plate 13. The rectifying gas supply holes 13a communicate with the rectifying gas diffusion chamber 51. The gas diffusion chamber 51 may be provided outside the chamber 10.

[0044] In one embodiment, the rectified gas supply hole 13a is connected to at least one rectified gas supply system 80 via a rectified gas diffusion chamber 51 and a rectified gas inlet 52. The rectified gas supply system 80 includes a gas source and a gas flow controller.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the rectified gas is supplied from the rectified gas supply system 80 to the rectified gas inlet 52, passes through the rectified gas diffusion chamber 51 and the plurality of rectified gas supply holes 13a, and flows downward from each rectified gas supply port 13b. The rectified gas may be a gas that is not involved in the film formation process on the substrate. The rectified gas may include a gas containing an element to be incorporated into the film to be formed. When forming an N-type silicon carbide film on the substrate W, the rectified gas may include argon gas and nitrogen gas. When forming a silicon oxide film, the rectified gas may include argon gas and oxygen gas.

[0046] In one embodiment, the exhaust unit 14 is configured to exhaust the atmosphere of the processing space 10s in the chamber 10 through a gap between the substrate support 11 and the sidewall 10a of the chamber 10. The exhaust unit 14 includes a baffle plate 100 and a gas exhaust port 101.

[0047] The baffle plate 100 is disposed between the substrate support 11 and the side wall 10a of the chamber 10. The baffle plate 100 has an annular plate shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the substrate support 11. The baffle plate 100 has a plurality of openings 110 that penetrate in the vertical direction. The openings 110 may be circular holes or slits that are elongated in the radial direction.

[0048] The gas exhaust port 101 is provided in the bottom 10b of the chamber 10. The gas exhaust port 101 is arranged below the baffle plate 100. One or more gas exhaust ports 101 may be provided around the substrate support 11 in a plan view. The multiple gas exhaust ports 101 are arranged at equal intervals around the substrate support 11 in a plan view. The gas exhaust port 101 is connected to an exhaust system 120. The exhaust system 120 includes a pressure adjustment valve and a vacuum pump. The exhaust system 120 can reduce the pressure in the processing space 10s of the chamber 10 to a range of 10 Pa to 5 kPa.

[0049] A purge gas line (not shown) may be connected to the space below the substrate support 11 in the chamber 10. The purge gas supplied from the purge gas line can prevent the processing gas from depositing in the region below the substrate support 11.

[0050] The liner 15 is disposed outside the substrate support 11 and inside the sidewall 10a of the chamber 10. The liner 15 has a cylindrical shape. The liner 15 extends vertically from near the bottom 10b of the chamber 10 to near the gas introduction unit 20. The liner 15 may be divided into upper and lower halves near the height of the substrate support 11, and the lower liner may be provided with a vertical drive mechanism (not shown), thereby forming a transfer port between the upper and lower liners, and the substrate W may be loaded into and unloaded from the chamber 10 through the transfer port.

[0051] The power supply 16 includes a DC power supply and / or an RF power supply. The DC power supply is configured to supply a DC signal to the electrode 50d of the target 50, and the RF power supply is configured to supply an RF signal (high frequency signal) to the electrode 50d of the target 50 via a matching circuit (not shown). The DC power supply may include a pulsed DC power supply.

[0052] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described in this disclosure. The control unit 2 may be configured to control each element of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The control unit 2 is realized, for example, by a computer 2a. The processing unit 2a1 may be configured to read a program from the storage unit 2a2 and execute the read program to perform various control operations. The program may be stored in the storage unit 2a2 in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 by the processing unit 2a1 for execution. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a or a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 2a2 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the substrate processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a local area network (LAN).

[0053] <Example of Substrate Processing Method> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method (hereinafter also referred to as "this processing method") according to one illustrative embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, this processing method includes a step ST1 of providing a substrate W on a substrate support 11, and a step ST2 of processing the substrate W while rotating the substrate support 11. This processing method may be a film formation process for the substrate W. This processing method is performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1. A control unit 2 controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform this processing method on the substrate W.

[0054] (Process ST1: Providing a Substrate) In one embodiment, in process ST1, a substrate W is provided in the chamber 10 of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate W is provided on the substrate support surface 11a of the substrate support 11. The substrate W is held on the substrate support 11 by the electrostatic chuck 11b.

[0055] After the substrate W is provided to the substrate support 11, or before the substrate W is provided to the substrate support 11, the temperature of the substrate support 11 or the substrate W is adjusted to a set temperature by a temperature control module or the like. The set temperature may be in the range of 0° C. or higher and 2000° C. or lower. The pressure inside the chamber 10 may be reduced to a range of 10 Pa or higher and 5 kPa or lower by the exhaust system 120.

[0056] (Process ST2: Film Formation Processing of Substrate) In process ST2, a process gas is supplied to the substrate W on the substrate support part 11 while the substrate support part 11 is rotated, thereby performing a film formation processing on the substrate W. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of process ST2. As shown in FIG. 4, process ST2 includes a process ST2-1 of rotating the substrate support part 11, a process ST2-2 of generating a gas flow rectified by a rectifying gas, a process ST2-3 of causing the process gas containing sputtered particles to flow from the process gas supply port 50c toward the substrate W, and a process ST2-4 of stopping the rotation of the substrate support part 11. Note that process ST2-2 and process ST-3 may be performed simultaneously. Furthermore, the supply of the rectifying gas in process ST2-2 may start before the supply of the process gas in process ST2-3 starts.

[0057] In one embodiment, in step ST2-1, the substrate support part 11 (substrate W) is rotated by the rotation part 12 at a high speed of 300 rpm or more, preferably in the range of 300 rpm to 2000 rpm.

[0058] In one embodiment, in step ST2-2, the rectified gas supply unit supplies the rectified gas into the chamber 10. The rectified gas passes through the rectified gas inlet 52, the rectified gas diffusion chamber 51, and each rectified gas supply hole 13a, and flows from each rectified gas supply port 13b toward the substrate W and its outer periphery.

[0059] In one embodiment, in step ST2-3, a process gas supplied by the process gas supply system 70 shown in FIG. 1 is supplied to the chamber 10 via the process gas inlet 53 and flows through the process gas supply holes 50b. A voltage is applied to the electrode 50d of the target 50 by the power supply 16. At this time, plasma is generated from a portion of the process gas, and ion particles of the plasma collide with the surface of the target 50. This causes sputtered particles to be emitted from the surface of the target 50. The sputtered particles, together with the process gas, are emitted from the process gas supply port 50c toward the substrate W on the substrate support surface 11a.

[0060] The rectified gas flows downward in the same direction as the process gas flowing out of the process gas supply port 50 c so as to surround the process gas. The process gas is rectified by the rectified gas, and convection and diffusion of the process gas are suppressed before the process gas reaches the surface of the substrate W.

[0061] 5, while the substrate W is rotating at a high speed of 300 rpm or more, the process gas reaches the substrate W while being rectified, thereby supplying sputtered particles SP uniformly and sufficiently to the surface of the substrate W. At this time, the high-speed rotation of the substrate W forms a thin and uniformly thick boundary layer R on the surface of the substrate W. This thin and uniformly thick boundary layer R allows the sputtered particles SP to be supplied uniformly to the surface of the substrate W in a short time. In this way, a uniform film F is produced on the surface of the substrate W in a short time by the process gas containing the sputtered particles SP.

[0062] The process gas containing sputtered particles SP on the surface of the substrate W flows from the center of the substrate W to the outside. The rectified gas flowing out from the rectified gas supply port 13b on the outer periphery of the gas introduction unit 20 descends along the outer periphery of the process gas and the rectified gas flowing out from the rectified gas supply port 13b on the inner periphery of the gas introduction unit 20. The process gas containing sputtered particles SP flowing from the surface of the substrate W to the outside of the substrate W and the rectified gas flowing out from the rectified gas supply port 13b on the outer periphery of the gas introduction unit 20 merge together and are exhausted from the gas exhaust port 101 through the baffle plate 100 on the outer side of the substrate support 11 shown in FIG. 1. The rectified gas flowing out from the rectified gas supply port 13b on the outer periphery of the gas introduction unit 20 suppresses convection of the process gas containing sputtered particles SP. This also allows the sputtered particles SP and the process gas to be uniformly supplied to the surface of the substrate W, resulting in the formation of a uniform film F.

[0063] In step ST2-4, the rotation of the substrate support part 11 is stopped.

[0064] According to this exemplary embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate support unit 11, a rotation unit 12, a process gas supply unit, a target 50, and a rectifying gas supply unit. This allows the process gas containing sputtered particles SP to be rectified and supplied to the substrate W while rotating the substrate W, thereby improving the uniformity within the substrate surface during film formation processing on the substrate.

[0065] In one embodiment, a plurality of targets 50 are arranged, which can improve the uniformity within the substrate surface during the film formation process on the substrate.

[0066] In one embodiment, the rectifying gas supply unit supplies the rectifying gas so that it flows around the processing gas, thereby suppressing diffusion and convection of the processing gas and rectifying the processing gas in a direction toward the substrate W.

[0067] In one embodiment, the rectifying gas supply port 13b is disposed near the processing gas supply port 50c, so that the processing gas can be rectified in the direction toward the substrate W.

[0068] In one embodiment, the rectifying gas supply port 13b is disposed so as to surround the processing gas supply port 50c, so that the processing gas can be rectified in the direction toward the substrate W.

[0069] In one embodiment, the process gas supply holes 50b and the process gas supply ports 50c have diameters larger than the rectified gas supply holes 13a and the rectified gas supply ports 13b. The rectified gas supply holes 13a and the rectified gas supply ports 13b have diameters of, for example, 1 mm or more and less than 5 mm, and the process gas supply holes 50b and the process gas supply ports 50c have diameters of, for example, 5 mm or more and less than 20 mm. This configuration promotes the rectifying effect of the rectified gas and suppresses large changes in the conductance of the process gas supply holes 50b and the process gas supply ports 50c due to consumption of the target material, thereby enabling a stable supply of the process gas to the substrate W.

[0070] In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a liner 15 disposed outside the substrate support 11 and inside the sidewall 10 a of the chamber 10, thereby suppressing diffusion and convection of the processing gas and thereby suppressing adhesion of reaction products to the sidewall 10 a of the chamber 10.

[0071] In one embodiment, the rectified gas supply unit further includes rectified gas supply ports 13b that supply the rectified gas toward the outside of the substrate support surface 11a, thereby surrounding the process gas and other rectified gases from the outside and preventing the process gas from diffusing and convecting toward the liner 15. This prevents reaction products from adhering to the inner wall of the liner 15.

[0072] In one embodiment, the rectifying gas may contain some of the gases involved in the film formation process of the substrate. For example, silicon dioxide (SiO ２When depositing a SiO2 film, argon gas can be used as the processing gas, and oxygen and argon gases can be used as the rectifying gas. By using only a rare gas as the processing gas and including a reactive gas in the rectifying gas, it is possible to produce an oxide or nitride film while suppressing oxidation or nitridation on the target surface. If oxidation or nitridation on the target surface can be suppressed, the amount of sputtered particles emitted from the target can often be increased compared to when oxidation or nitridation occurs on the target surface. This means that the film deposition rate is increased, and the substrate film deposition process can often be completed in a shorter time.

[0073] In one embodiment, the rotating unit 12 is configured to rotate the substrate support unit 11 at 300 rpm or more, thereby forming a thin boundary layer of uniform thickness on the substrate, and forming a film on the substrate W in a short time and uniformly.

[0074] In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an exhaust unit 14 configured to exhaust the atmosphere in the chamber 10 through a gap between the substrate support 11 and the sidewall 10a of the chamber 10. In this manner, the rectified gas flowing out from the rectified gas supply port 13b on the outer periphery of the gas introduction unit 20 is exhausted from the exhaust unit 14 while suppressing convection of the processing gas containing sputtered particles SP that has flowed from the center of the substrate W to the outside of the surface of the substrate W. As a result, the sputtered particles SP and the processing gas are supplied uniformly to the surface of the substrate W, and a uniform film F is produced.

[0075] In the gas introduction unit 20 of the above embodiment, the target 50 and the rectified gas supply hole 13a for the rectified gas have the same vertical length. However, the vertical length of the target 50 may be longer than the vertical length of the rectified gas supply hole 13a. As shown in FIG. 6 , for example, the target 50 protrudes upward from the rectified gas supply hole 13a. In this case, an annular insulating member 150 is disposed around the protruding portion of the target 50. This prevents discharge from occurring between the targets 50. The electrode 50d may be covered by an electrode cover 50e, which prevents the electrode 50d from contacting conductive members such as the chamber wall.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 7 , in the above embodiment, the target 50 may be an opposed-plate type having opposing flat plates. The target 50 includes a first flat plate 160 and a second flat plate 161. The first flat plate 160 and the second flat plate 161 contain at least some of the constituent elements of the film to be deposited. The first flat plate 160 and the second flat plate 161 are disposed in the target storage portion 13c of the flow straightening plate 13. The first flat plate 160 and the second flat plate 161 are spaced apart, and a processing gas supply hole 50b and a processing gas supply port 50c are formed therebetween. In this case, the processing gas supply hole 50b and the processing gas supply port 50c constitute a processing gas supply portion. The first flat plate 160 includes a first electrode 160a on the rear surface opposite the processing gas supply hole 50b, and the second flat plate 161 includes a second electrode 161a on the rear surface opposite the processing gas supply hole 50b. The first electrode 160a and the second electrode 161a are electrically connected to the power supply 16. A plurality of targets 50 may be provided on the rectifying plate 13 of the gas introduction unit 20. The rectified gas supply holes 13a and the rectified gas supply ports 13b for the rectified gas may be arranged around the process gas supply port 50c. The rectified gas supply holes 13a and the rectified gas supply ports 13b may also be arranged on the outer periphery of the gas introduction unit 20.

[0077] Embodiments of the present disclosure further include the following aspects.

[0078] (Supplementary Note 1) A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support disposed within the chamber and including a substrate support surface; a rotation unit configured to rotate the substrate support; a process gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas toward the substrate support surface; a target disposed above the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit, the target having a surface aligned with a flow of the process gas; and a rectifying gas supply unit configured to supply a rectifying gas into the chamber and rectify the process gas that has passed over the surface of the target in a direction toward the substrate support surface.

[0079] (Supplementary Note 2) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the surface of the target is disposed perpendicular to the substrate support surface.

[0080] (Supplementary Note 3) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of targets are arranged.

[0081] (Supplementary Note 4) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the target has a cylindrical shape, and the processing gas passes through an inside of the target.

[0082] (Supplementary Note 5) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the target has a pair of flat plates facing each other, and the processing gas passes through an inner side of the pair of flat plates.

[0083] (Supplementary Note 6) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the rectifying gas supply unit is disposed above the substrate support unit and configured to supply the rectifying gas toward the substrate support unit.

[0084] (Supplementary Note 7) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the rectified gas supply unit supplies the rectified gas so as to flow around the processing gas.

[0085] (Supplementary Note 8) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 6 or 7, wherein the rectified gas supply unit has a rectified gas supply port that supplies the rectified gas toward the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit.

[0086] (Supplementary Note 9) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the processing gas supply unit has a processing gas supply port through which the processing gas flows out, and the rectifying gas supply port is disposed near the processing gas supply port.

[0087] (Supplementary Note 10) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the rectifying gas supply port is disposed so as to surround the processing gas supply port.

[0088] (Supplementary Note 11) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 10, wherein the processing gas supply port has a diameter larger than that of the rectifying gas supply port.

[0089] (Supplementary Note 12) The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the rectified gas supply unit further includes a rectified gas supply port that supplies the rectified gas toward an outer side of the substrate support surface.

[0090] (Supplementary Note 13) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 12, wherein the rectifying gas includes a gas containing an element to be incorporated into a film to be formed.

[0091] (Supplementary Note 14) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, further comprising a gas introduction unit disposed above the substrate support, the gas introduction unit comprising the target, the processing gas supply unit, and the rectifying gas supply unit.

[0092] (Supplementary Note 15) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 14, wherein the rotation unit is configured to rotate the substrate support unit at 300 rpm or more.

[0093] (Supplementary Note 16) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 15, further comprising a liner disposed outside the substrate support and inside a sidewall of the chamber.

[0094] (Supplementary Note 17) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 16, further comprising an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an atmosphere in the chamber through a gap between the substrate support unit and a sidewall of the chamber.

[0095] (Supplementary Note 18) A substrate processing method comprising: (a) providing a substrate on a substrate support; and (b) processing the substrate by supplying a processing gas to the substrate on the substrate support while rotating the substrate support, wherein (b) comprises: (b-1) flowing the processing gas along a surface of a target, and using plasma generated from the processing gas to release sputtered particles from the surface of the target, and causing the processing gas containing the sputtered particles to flow out from a processing gas supply port toward the substrate; and (b-2) rectifying the processing gas flowing out from the processing gas supply port in a direction toward the substrate by a rectifying gas.

[0096] (Supplementary Note 19) The substrate processing method according to Supplementary Note 18, wherein in (b-2), the rectifying gas is caused to flow toward the substrate so as to surround the processing gas.

[0097] (Supplementary Note 20) The substrate processing method according to Supplementary Note 18 or 19, wherein in (b), the substrate support is rotated at 300 rpm or more.

[0098] The above embodiments are described for the purpose of explanation and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Various modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, some components in one embodiment can be added to other embodiments. Also, some components in one embodiment can be replaced with corresponding components in other embodiments.

[0099] 1...substrate processing apparatus, 10...chamber, 11...substrate support portion, 11a...substrate support surface, 12...rotating portion, 20...gas introduction unit, 14...exhaust portion, 15...liner, 16...power source, 50...target, 50c...processing gas supply port, 13b...rectifying gas supply port, 53...processing gas introduction port, 50e...electrode cover, W...substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support disposed within the chamber and including a substrate support surface; a rotation unit configured to rotate the substrate support; a process gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas toward the substrate support surface; a target disposed above the substrate support surface of the substrate support unit, the target having a surface aligned with a flow of the process gas; and a rectifying gas supply unit configured to supply a rectifying gas into the chamber and rectify the process gas that has passed over the surface of the target in a direction toward the substrate support surface.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface of the target is disposed perpendicular to the substrate support surface.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of targets are arranged.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target has a cylindrical shape, and the processing gas passes through an inside of the target.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target has a pair of flat plates facing each other, and the processing gas passes through the inside of the pair of flat plates.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectifying gas supply unit is disposed above the substrate support unit and configured to supply the rectifying gas toward the substrate support unit.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rectified gas supply unit supplies the rectified gas so as to flow around the processing gas.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rectified gas supply unit has a rectified gas supply port that supplies the rectified gas toward the substrate supporting surface of the substrate supporting unit.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing gas supply unit has a processing gas supply port through which the processing gas flows out, and the rectifying gas supply port is disposed in the vicinity of the processing gas supply port.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rectifying gas supply port is disposed so as to surround the processing gas supply port.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing gas supply port has a diameter larger than that of the rectifying gas supply port.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rectified gas supply unit further comprises a rectified gas supply port that supplies the rectified gas toward an outer side of the substrate support surface.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectifying gas includes a gas containing an element to be incorporated into a film to be deposited.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas introduction unit disposed above the substrate support, the gas introduction unit comprising the target, the process gas supply unit, and the rectifying gas supply unit.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotating section is configured to rotate the substrate support section at 300 rpm or more.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liner disposed outside the substrate support and inside a sidewall of the chamber.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust section configured to exhaust an atmosphere within the chamber through a gap between the substrate support and a sidewall of the chamber.

18. A substrate processing method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate on a substrate support; and (b) processing the substrate by supplying a process gas to the substrate on the substrate support while rotating the substrate support, wherein (b) includes the steps of: (b-1) flowing the process gas along a surface of a target, and using plasma generated from the process gas to release sputtered particles from the surface of the target, and causing the process gas containing the sputtered particles to flow from a process gas supply port toward the substrate; and (b-2) rectifying the process gas flowing out from the process gas supply port in a direction toward the substrate by a rectifying gas.

19. The substrate processing method according to claim 18, wherein in (b-2), the rectifying gas is caused to flow toward the substrate so as to surround the processing gas.

20. The substrate processing method according to claim 18, wherein in (b), the substrate support is rotated at 300 rpm or more.

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