Treatment container, treatment device, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology comprising: an inner tube that has an opening allowing a treatment gas to be discharged therethrough from a treatment chamber and has a first buffer part having disposed therein a first supply part for supplying the treatment gas to the treatment chamber; an outer tube that is disposed outside the inner tube; and a second buffer part that is formed to be along the outer tube, opposite to the opening across the first buffer part, and surrounded by the inner tube, the outer tube, and the lateral wall of the first buffer part. In a plan view, the width of a first gap formed between the outer wall of the first buffer part and the outer tube is narrower than the width of a second gap formed between the inner tube and the outer tube, from the first buffer part to the opening.

Description

Processing vessel, processing apparatus, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

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

[0002] As one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a substrate processing step may be performed in which raw material gases and reactive gases are supplied to a substrate to form a film on the substrate. During this process, by-products may accumulate due to the stagnation of exhaust gas exhausted from the processing chamber due to the return flow, which may cause particles (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-062053 and International Publication No. 2006-080801).

[0003] The present disclosure provides a technique for suppressing the return of exhaust gas exhausted from a processing chamber.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a technology comprising: an inner pipe having an opening for exhausting a processing gas from a processing chamber and a first buffer section having a first supply section disposed inside the inner pipe that supplies the processing gas to the processing chamber; an outer pipe disposed outside the inner pipe; and a second buffer section formed along the outer pipe on the opposite side of the first buffer section from the opening and surrounded by side walls of the inner pipe, the outer pipe, and the first buffer section, wherein, in a planar view, the width of a first gap formed between the outer wall of the first buffer section and the outer pipe is narrower than the width of a second gap formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe from the first buffer section to the opening.

[0005] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of exhaust gas exhausted from the processing chamber.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate processing furnace used in a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by arrow 3X in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view (corresponding to FIG. 3) of a second supply unit according to a modified example. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view (corresponding to FIG. 3) of a second supply unit according to another modified example. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a controller of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a substrate processing furnace used in a processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 2) of a substrate processing furnace used in a processing apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 6. Note that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements in the drawings do not necessarily match those in reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0008] The substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, which is an example of a processing apparatus in the present disclosure, includes a processing furnace 202. The processing furnace 202 has a heater 207 as a heating means. The heater 207 is cylindrical and is installed vertically by being supported on a heater base (not shown). The heater 207 also functions as an activation mechanism that thermally activates the processing gas.

[0009] A reaction tube 203 constituting a processing vessel is disposed inside the heater 207 and is concentric with the heater 207. The reaction tube 203 is made of, for example, quartz (SiO ２ ) or silicon carbide (SiC), or other heat-resistant material.

[0010] 2, the reaction tube 203 has a cylindrical inner tube 12 and a cylindrical outer tube 14 provided so as to surround the inner tube 12. The inner tube 12 is disposed concentrically with the outer tube 14, and a gap S is formed between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the inner pipe 12 has an open lower end and a closed upper end with a flat wall. That is, the inner pipe 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a ceiling. The outer pipe 14 also has an open lower end and a closed upper end with a flat wall. That is, the outer pipe 14 is also formed in a cylindrical shape with a ceiling.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, a nozzle arrangement chamber 222 is provided in the gap S formed between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 .

[0013] The inner pipe 12 has gas supply slits 235a, 235b, and 235c formed in the peripheral wall thereof as inlet ports.

[0014] 2, an opening 236 is provided in the peripheral wall of the inner pipe 12 at a position facing the inlets 235a, 235b, and 235c. A second gas exhaust port 237 is provided below the opening 236 and serves as an outlet having an opening area smaller than that of the opening 236.

[0015] 1, the inside of the inner tube 12 forms a processing chamber 201. The processing chamber 201 processes wafers 200 as substrates.

[0016] The processing chamber 201 can accommodate a boat 217 as a substrate holder that can hold wafers 200 in a horizontal position and aligned vertically in multiple stages. The inner tube 12 surrounds the accommodated wafers 200.

[0017] The lower end of the reaction tube 203 is supported by a cylindrical manifold 226. The manifold 226 may be made of a metal such as a nickel alloy or stainless steel, or may be made of quartz (SiO ２ The manifold 226 may be made of a heat-resistant material such as silicon carbide (SiC) or silicon dioxide (SiO2). A flange is formed at the upper end of the manifold 226, and the lower end of the outer tube 14 is placed on this flange for support. An airtight member 220 such as an O-ring is interposed between this flange and the lower end of the outer tube 14. The airtight member 220 keeps the inside of the reaction tube 203 airtight.

[0018] A seal cap 219 serving as a lid is airtightly attached to the opening at the lower end of the manifold 226 via an airtight member 220 such as an O-ring. The lid 219 airtightly closes the opening side at the lower end of the reaction tube 203, i.e., the opening of the manifold 226. The lid 219 is made of a metal such as a nickel alloy or stainless steel, and is formed in a disk shape. The lid 219 may be configured so that its exterior is covered with a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC.

[0019] A boat support table 218 for supporting the boat 217 is provided on the lid 219. The boat support table 218 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC, and functions as a heat insulating portion.

[0020] The boat 217 is provided on a boat support stand 218. The boat 217 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. The boat 217 has a bottom plate (not shown) fixed to the boat support stand 218 and a top plate disposed above the bottom plate. A plurality of support pillars are provided between the bottom plate and the top plate.

[0021] The boat 217 holds a plurality of wafers 200 to be processed in the processing chamber 201 in the inner tube 12. The plurality of wafers 200 are supported by columns of the boat 217 with a fixed distance between them, maintaining a horizontal posture, and aligning their centers. The loading direction of the plurality of wafers 200 is the same as the axial direction of the reaction tube 203.

[0022] A boat rotation mechanism 267 that rotates the boat is provided below the lid 219. A rotation shaft 265 of the boat rotation mechanism 267 passes through the lid 219 and is connected to the boat support base 218. By rotating the rotation shaft 265 of the boat rotation mechanism 267, the boat 217 rotates via the boat support base 218, and the rotation of the boat 217 also rotates the wafers 200 held in the boat 217.

[0023] The lid 219 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a boat elevator 115 serving as a lifting mechanism provided outside the reaction tube 203. The lifting mechanism 115 loads and unloads the boat 217 into and from the processing chamber 201 via the lid 219.

[0024] Nozzle support members 350a to 350e that support gas nozzles 340a to 340e that supply gas to the processing chamber 201 are installed on the manifold 226 so as to penetrate the manifold 226 (only the gas nozzle 340a and the nozzle support member 350a are shown).

[0025] In this embodiment, five nozzle supports 350a to 350e are provided. The nozzle supports 350a to 350c are made of a material such as nickel alloy or stainless steel (only the nozzle support 350a is shown).

[0026] Gas supply pipes 310a to 310c that supply gas to the processing chamber 201 are connected to one end of the nozzle supports 350a to 350c (only nozzle support 350a is shown). The nozzle supports to which gas nozzles 340d and 340e are connected are unified by a bifurcated pipe (not shown) and are connected to gas supply pipe 310d.

[0027] Gas nozzles 340a to 340d are connected to the other ends of nozzle support portions 350a to 350c, respectively (only nozzle support portion 350a and gas nozzle 340a are shown). Gas nozzles 340a to 340d are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC.

[0028] The gas supply pipe 310a is provided with, in order from the upstream direction, a raw material gas supply source 360a for supplying raw material gas, a mass flow controller (MFC) 320a as a flow rate controller, and a valve 330a as an on-off valve.

[0029] The gas supply pipe 310b is provided with a source gas supply source 360b for supplying a source gas, an MFC 320b, and a valve 330b, in this order from the upstream direction.

[0030] The gas supply pipe 310c is provided with an inert gas supply source 360c for supplying an inert gas, an MFC 320c, and a valve 330c, in this order from the upstream direction.

[0031] The gas supply pipe 310d is provided with an inert gas supply source 360d for supplying an inert gas, an MFC 320d, and a valve 330d, in this order from the upstream direction.

[0032] A gas supply pipe 310e for supplying an inert gas is connected to the gas supply pipe 310a downstream of the valve 330a. The gas supply pipe 310e is provided with an inert gas supply source 360e, an MFC 320e, and a valve 330e, in this order from the upstream side.

[0033] A gas supply pipe 310f for supplying an inert gas is connected to the gas supply pipe 310b downstream of the valve 330b. The gas supply pipe 310f is provided with an inert gas supply source 360f, an MFC 320f, and a valve 330f, in this order from the upstream side.

[0034] The inert gas supply sources 360c to 360e that supply the inert gas are connected to a common supply source.

[0035] The process gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 310a includes a reactive gas. The process gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 310b includes a source gas such as a gas containing a silicon (Si) source or a gas obtained by displacing a source material containing Si into a gaseous state. The inert gas supplied from each of the gas supply pipes 310c to 310f includes nitrogen (N ２ ) gas. It goes without saying that the raw material is not limited to Si.

[0036] An exhaust port 230 is provided in the outer tube 14 of the reaction tube 203. The exhaust port 230 is formed below the second gas exhaust port 237 and is connected to an exhaust pipe 231.

[0037] A vacuum pump 246 serving as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the exhaust pipe 231 via a pressure sensor 245 serving as a pressure detector for detecting the pressure of the processing chamber 201 and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 244 serving as a pressure regulator. The exhaust pipe 231 downstream of the vacuum pump 246 is connected to a waste gas treatment device (not shown) or the like. This allows the processing chamber 201 to be evacuated to a predetermined pressure (vacuum level) by controlling the output of the vacuum pump 246 and the opening of the valve 244.

[0038] The APC valve 244 is an on-off valve that opens and closes the valve to evacuate and stop the evacuation of the processing chamber 201, and further adjusts the conductance by adjusting the valve opening, thereby adjusting the pressure in the processing chamber 201.

[0039] A temperature sensor (not shown) serving as a temperature detector is installed inside the reaction tube 203. By adjusting the power supplied to the heater 207 based on the temperature information detected by this temperature sensor, the temperature of the processing chamber 201 can be made to approach a desired temperature distribution.

[0040] In the processing furnace 202, a boat 217 carrying a plurality of wafers 200 to be batch-processed in multiple stages is inserted into the processing chamber 201 by a boat support 218. The wafers 200 inserted into the processing chamber 201 are then heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater 207 and subjected to a predetermined process.

[0041] Next, the configuration of the reaction tube 203 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. FIG.

[0042] 2, the inner pipe 12 is formed with a plurality of gas supply slits 235a to 235c for supplying gas to the processing chamber 201. The gas supply slits 235a to 235c connect the nozzle arrangement chamber 222 and the processing chamber 201.

[0043] In the nozzle arrangement chamber 222, a ring-shaped gap S is formed between the outer peripheral surface 12c of the inner tube 12 and the inner peripheral surface 14a of the outer tube 14. The nozzle arrangement chamber 222 includes a first chamber 222a, a second chamber 222b, and a third chamber 222c. The chambers 222a to 222c are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the ring-shaped gap S.

[0044] The first chamber 222a has a front wall on the center side of the reaction tube 203 that is formed by the peripheral wall of the inner tube 12, and a side wall in the circumferential direction that is formed by the first partition 18a and the second partition 18b, and is closed on the outer tube 14 side by the connecting wall 18e.

[0045] The second chamber 222b has a front wall on the center side of the reaction tube 203 that is formed by the peripheral wall of the inner tube 12, a side wall in the circumferential direction that is formed by the second partition 18b and the third partition 18c, and is closed on the outer tube 14 side by the connecting wall 18e.

[0046] A communication passage 222e is formed between the connecting wall 18e and the peripheral wall of the outer tube 14, connecting the first chamber 222a and the third chamber 222c.

[0047] The third chamber 222c has a front wall on the center side of the reaction tube 203 which is formed by the peripheral wall of the inner tube 12, and a side wall in the circumferential direction which is formed by the third partition 18c and the fourth partition 18d, and is closed on the outer tube 14 side by the connecting wall 18e.

[0048] Each of the partitions 18a to 18d and the connecting wall 18e is formed from the upper end to the lower end of the inner pipe 12. As a result, each of the chambers 222a to 222c is open at the lower end and closed at the upper end by a wall that forms the ceiling of the inner pipe 12. In other words, each of the chambers 222a to 222c is formed with a ceiling.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, gas nozzles 340a to 340c extending in the vertical direction are installed in the chambers 222a to 222c of the nozzle arrangement chamber 222, respectively.

[0050] 2, first buffer portions 12b, each having an inner peripheral surface 12a recessed outward, are provided on the peripheral wall of the inner pipe 12 on both sides of the opening 236. The first buffer portions 12b are formed in the up-down direction. Specifically, the first buffer portion 12b includes an outer wall 70 curved in an arc shape in a plan view, and a pair of side walls 72, 74.

[0051] The outer wall 70 of the first buffer section 12b is configured to be concentric with the peripheral wall constituting the outer tube 14. A pair of side walls 72, 74 are arranged opposite to each other in the circumferential direction of the outer tube 14. The side wall 72 is located on the nozzle arrangement chamber 222 side. The side wall 74 is located on the opening 236 side. A gas nozzle 340d is arranged inside one of the first buffer sections 12b. A gas nozzle 340e is arranged inside the other first buffer section 12b. Note that the term "plan view" used here refers to a plan view of a cross section of the reaction tube 203 in a direction perpendicular to the central axis.

[0052] The gas nozzles 340a to 340c are provided from the bottom to the top of the nozzle arrangement chamber 222, and the gas nozzles 340d and 340e are provided from the bottom to the top of the first buffer section 12b. In addition, the partitions 18a to 18d of the nozzle arrangement chamber 222 are formed from the ceiling of the nozzle arrangement chamber 222 to the upper part of the lower end of the reaction tube 203.

[0053] The gas nozzles 340a to 340e are each configured as a long I-shaped nozzle. Gas supply holes 234a to 234e for supplying gas are provided on the side surfaces of the gas nozzles 340a to 340e, respectively. The gas supply holes 234a to 234e are each open toward the center of the reaction tube 203, and supply gas from each gas supply hole 234a to 234e toward the center of the reaction tube 203. The gas nozzles 340a to 340c are an example of a third supply unit configured to be able to supply gas to the processing chamber 201.

[0054] The gas nozzles 340a and 340c inject inert gas from the gas supply holes 234a and 234c. The gas nozzle 340b releases source gas into the second chamber 222b, which is the space between the partitions 18b and 18c corresponding to the gas nozzle 340b. In particular, the gas nozzle 340b is an example of a third supply unit configured to supply gas to the processing chamber 201 by flash flow. Gas from each of the gas nozzles 340a to 340c is supplied into the inner tube 12 through inlets provided in the inner tube 12, which constitute the front wall of each of the chambers 222a to 222c. It is desirable to position the inlets provided in the inner tube 12 between the wafers 200, the bottom plate, and the top plate of the boat 217, from the space between the lowest wafer 200 that can be placed on the boat 217 and the bottom plate of the boat 217 to the space between the highest wafer 200 and the top plate of the boat 217.

[0055] The opening 236 is arranged to sandwich the region in which the wafer 200 is accommodated in the processing chamber 201 between the opening 236 and the nozzle arrangement chamber 222. The opening 236 is formed in a region (wafer region) from the lower end side to the upper end side of the processing chamber 201 in which the wafer 200 is accommodated.

[0056] A second gas exhaust port 237 is formed in a portion of the peripheral wall below the opening 236 of the inner pipe 12. The opening 236 is formed to communicate between the processing chamber 201 and the gap S, and the second gas exhaust port 237 is formed to exhaust the atmosphere below the processing chamber 201.

[0057] That is, the opening 236 is a gas exhaust port that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201 to the gap S, and the gas exhausted from the opening 236 is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231 to the outside of the reaction tube 203 via the gap S outside the inner tube 12 and the exhaust port 230. In addition, the gas exhausted from the second gas exhaust port 237 is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231 to the outside of the reaction tube 203 via the lower side of the gap S and the exhaust port 230.

[0058] With this configuration, the gas after passing the wafer is exhausted via the outside of the cylindrical portion, thereby reducing the difference between the pressure in the exhaust section such as the vacuum pump 246 and the pressure in the wafer region, thereby minimizing pressure loss. Minimizing pressure loss also reduces the pressure in the wafer region, increasing the flow rate in the wafer region and mitigating the loading effect.

[0059] This forms a main exhaust path 20 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the inner tube 12 through the opening 236, the gap S, and the exhaust port 230 provided in the outer tube 14, as shown in FIG.

[0060] In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, a secondary exhaust path 22 is formed to exhaust the atmosphere inside the inner tube 12 to the outside through the second gas exhaust port 237, the gap S, and the exhaust port 230 provided in the outer tube 14.

[0061] 1, the opening 236 is formed in the wafer region of the inner tube 12, and communicates with the processing chamber 201 via a gap S. The second gas exhaust port 237 is formed from a position higher than the upper end of the exhaust port 230 to a position higher than the lower end of the exhaust port 230.

[0062] 2 , the reaction tube 203 has a second buffer section 80 on the opposite side of the opening 236, across the first buffer section 12b, along the outer tube 14, in a plan view of the reaction tube 203. The second buffer section 80 is formed so as to be surrounded by the inner tube 12, the outer tube 14, and the side wall 74 of the first buffer section 12b. Specifically, the second buffer section 80 is formed so as to be surrounded by the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 12, the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 14, the side wall 74 of the first buffer section 12b, and the first partition 18a.

[0063] In the reaction tube 203, a width W1 of a first gap 90 formed between the outer wall 70 of the first buffer section 12b and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 14 is narrower than a width W2 of a second gap 92 formed between the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube 12 from the first buffer section 12b to the opening and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 14. Specifically, in the reaction tube 203, the first buffer section 12b is configured such that the width W1 of the first gap 90 is narrower than the width W2 of the second gap 92 in the plan view.

[0064] The first gap 90 is formed between the side walls 72, 74 of the first buffer portion 12b. In other words, the first gap 90 is formed from the side wall 72 to the side wall 74 of the outer wall 70. This makes it possible to reduce the conductance between the outer wall 70 of the first buffer portion 12b and the outer tube 16. This makes it possible to suppress the gas discharged from the opening 236 from leaking around.

[0065] The width W1 of the first gap 90 is configured to be constant along the outer pipe 14 in the above plan view. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and the width W1 of the first gap 90 may be configured to become narrower along the outer pipe 14 toward the second buffer portion 80 in the above plan view.

[0066] A gas nozzle 340f serving as a second supply unit that supplies a purge gas as an inert gas is provided inside one of the second buffer units 80. A gas nozzle 340g serving as a second supply unit that supplies a purge gas as an inert gas is provided inside the other second buffer unit 80. These gas nozzles 340f and 340g each extend in the vertical direction.

[0067] The gas nozzle 340f is provided with a plurality of gas supply holes 234f spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the gas nozzle 340f. The gas nozzle 340f is configured to supply purge gas toward the first gap 90, which is located on the upper side in FIG. 2 . That is, the injection direction of the purge gas from the gas nozzle 340f is directed toward the first gap 90. More specifically, the gas supply holes 234f open toward the first gap 90.

[0068] The gas nozzle 340g is provided with a plurality of gas supply holes 234g that are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the gas nozzle 340g and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The gas nozzle 340g is configured to supply purge gas toward the first gap 90 on the lower side in FIG. 2 . That is, the injection direction of the purge gas from the gas nozzle 340g is toward the first gap 90. More specifically, the gas supply holes 234g open toward the first gap 90. In this embodiment, the gas nozzle 340f and the gas nozzle 340g have the same flow path diameter (pipe diameter).

[0069] The width W1 of the first gap 90 is smaller than the flow path diameter D of the gas nozzles 340f and 340g. The protrusion amount H of the first buffer section 12b from the inner pipe 12 is larger than the flow path diameter D of the gas nozzles 340f and 340g. The second buffer section 80 is configured to be filled with the purge gas supplied from the gas nozzles 340f and 340g.

[0070] Furthermore, the gas nozzles 340f and 340g can supply purge gas toward the side wall of the first buffer section 12b, the inner pipe 12, or the outer pipe 16, thereby creating a high pressure inside the second buffer section 80 relative to the opening 236. This can enhance the effect of suppressing the gas discharged from the opening 236 from wandering around.

[0071] 6 is a block diagram showing the substrate processing apparatus 10. A controller 280 serving as a control unit of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is configured as a computer. This computer includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I / O port 121d.

[0072] The RAM 121b, the storage device 121c, and the I / O port 121d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 121a via an internal bus 121e. The controller 280 is connected to an input / output device 122 configured as, for example, a touch panel.

[0073] The storage device 121c is configured by, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. A control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, a process recipe describing procedures and conditions for substrate processing (to be described later), etc. are readably stored in the storage device 121c.

[0074] The process recipe is a combination of procedures in the substrate processing step described below that are executed by the controller 280 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, control program, etc. will be collectively referred to simply as a program.

[0075] In this specification, when the term "program" is used, it may include only a process recipe, only a control program, or both. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) where programs and data read by the CPU 121a are temporarily stored.

[0076] The I / O port 121d is connected to the above-mentioned MFCs 320a to 320f, valves 330a to 330f, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 244, vacuum pump 246, heater 207, temperature sensor, boat rotation mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, and the like.

[0077] The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c, and also to read a process recipe from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122, etc.

[0078] The CPU 121a is configured to control the flow rate adjustment of various gases by the MFCs 320a to 320f, the opening and closing of the valves 330a to 330f, and the opening and closing of the APC valve 244, in accordance with the contents of the read process recipe. The CPU 121a is also configured to control the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve 244 based on the pressure sensor 245, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, and the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on the temperature sensor. The CPU 121a is also configured to control the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the boat 217 by the boat rotation mechanism 267, the lifting and lowering operation of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, etc.

[0079] The controller 280 is not limited to being configured as a dedicated computer, but may also be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, the controller 280 of this embodiment can be configured by preparing an external storage device 123 that stores the above-mentioned program and installing the program in a general-purpose computer using this external storage device 123. Examples of external storage devices include magnetic disks such as hard disks, optical disks such as CDs, magneto-optical disks such as MOs, and semiconductor memories such as USB memories.

[0080] It should be noted that the means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying it via the external storage device 123. For example, the program may be supplied using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without going through the external storage device 123. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. When the term "recording medium" is used in this specification, it may include only the storage device 121c alone, only the external storage device 123 alone, or both.

[0081] (Example) Next, an outline of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment will be described in accordance with the control procedure performed by the controller 280 when a process recipe is executed. Note that a boat 217 on which a predetermined number of wafers 200 are previously loaded is inserted into the reaction tube 203, the reaction tube 203 is airtightly closed with a lid 219, and the vacuum pump 246 and APC valve 244 are operated to exhaust the atmosphere inside the reaction tube 203 through the exhaust port 230 and adjust the pressure to a predetermined level. Note that the boat loading and pressure adjustment may also be included in the process recipe.

[0082] For example, the controller 280 opens the valves 330b and 330f to supply the source gas from the gas nozzle 340b, which is an example of a second gas nozzle. At the same time, the controller 280 closes the valve 330a and opens the valves 330c to 330f to supply N as an inert gas from the gas nozzles 340a, 340c to 340e. ２ Gas is supplied to process the wafer 200 (first processing procedure).

[0083] At this time, the controller 280 operates the vacuum pump 246 and the APC valve 244 so that the pressure obtained from the pressure sensor 245 becomes constant, thereby discharging the atmosphere in the reaction tube 203 from the exhaust port 230. As a result, the mixed gas of the source gas and the inert gas flows parallel to the wafer 200, then flows from the top to the bottom of the gap S through the opening 236 and the second gas exhaust port 237, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231 via the exhaust port 230.

[0084] In particular, a portion of the mixed gas discharged from the opening 236 flows back (diffuses) in the gap S without heading toward the exhaust port 230. According to this embodiment, the diffusion of this mixed gas can be suppressed in front of the first buffer section 12b by utilizing the first gap 90 formed between the first buffer section 12b and the outer tube 14. As a result, the mixed gas flows in parallel over the wafers 200, then flows from the top to the bottom of the gap S through the opening 236, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231 via the exhaust port 230.

[0085] In this processing procedure, inert gas is supplied from gas nozzles 340a, 340c to 340e toward the center of wafer 200. At this time, the amount of inert gas supplied from each gas nozzle 340a, 340c to 340e is controlled by controller 280 to adjust the inert gas concentration at the center of wafer 200 to be lower than the inert gas concentration at the periphery. This makes it possible to control the amount of source gas supplied to the center of wafer 200, and therefore it is possible to change the in-plane thickness distribution of a layer formed on wafer 200 with the source gas from a centrally concave distribution to approach a flat distribution or a centrally convex distribution.

[0086] Meanwhile, in this processing procedure, the controller 280 controls the amount of inert gas supplied from each gas nozzle 340f, 340g, for example, by filling the second buffer section 80 with inert gas, thereby adjusting the pressure inside the second buffer section 80 to be higher than that on the opening 236 side. This makes it possible to suppress the flow of a portion of the mixed gas that back-diffuses within the gap S. This allows the mixed gas to be discharged from the exhaust port 230 without stagnation. Alternatively, the inert gas may be supplied from each gas nozzle 340f, 340g toward the first gap 90.

[0087] When the first process procedure is completed after a predetermined time has elapsed, the controller 280 closes the valve 330b to stop the supply of the source gas from the gas nozzle 340b, and opens the valve 330f to supply the inert gas from the gas nozzle 340b. The controller 280 also controls the vacuum pump 246 and the APC valve 244 to increase the negative pressure supplied to the reaction tube 203, thereby exhausting the atmosphere in the reaction tube 203 from the exhaust port 230 (exhaust procedure).

[0088] At this time, the supply of inert gas from the gas nozzles 340 f and 340 g is stopped. At the same time, the valves 330 a and 330 c are opened to supply inert gas from the gas nozzles 340 a and 340 c while discharging it from the exhaust port 230, and the gas remaining in the gap S between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 is purged from the exhaust port 230 (discharge procedure).

[0089] When the processing of the wafers 200 is completed by executing the above-described first processing procedure and discharge procedure, the boat 217 is unloaded from the reaction tube 203 by performing the above-described operations in reverse order. The wafers 200 are transferred from the boat 217 to a pod on a transfer shelf by a wafer transfer machine (not shown), the pod is transferred from the transfer shelf to a pod stage by a pod transport machine, and is unloaded to the outside of the housing by an external transport device.

[0090] (Variation 1) After the first process procedure, the controller 280 may open the valves 330a and 330e to supply a reactive gas (e.g., a nitrogen-containing gas or an oxygen-containing gas) from the gas nozzle 340a. In this case, the controller 280 may be configured to simultaneously close the valve 330b and open the valves 330c, 330d, and 330f to supply nitrogen (N2) gas as an inert gas from the gas nozzles 340a, 340c, 340d, and 340f to process the wafer 200 (second process procedure).

[0091] At this time, a portion of the mixed gas of the reactive gas and the inert gas discharged from the opening 236 flows back through the gap S without heading toward the exhaust port 230. As in the first processing procedure, the diffusion of this mixed gas can be suppressed before the first buffer section 12b by utilizing the first gap 90 formed between the first buffer section 12b and the outer tube 14. Furthermore, by controlling the supply amount of the inert gas supplied from each gas nozzle 340f, 340g with the controller 280, the pressure in the second buffer can be adjusted to be higher than that on the opening 236 side, thereby suppressing the flow of the part of the mixed gas that diffuses back through the gap S.

[0092] When the second processing procedure is completed after a predetermined time has elapsed, the exhaust procedure is performed and the supply of the inert gas from the gas nozzles 340f and 340g is stopped.

[0093] (Variation 2) Next, in the process of supplying source gas to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201 (first processing procedure), first, the valves 330b and 330f are opened. The source gas is supplied to a reservoir (not shown) via gas supply pipes 310b and 310f. The source gas is stored in the reservoir and heated by a heater (not shown) to be vaporized. The vaporized gaseous source (source gas) is supplied to the gas supply pipes 310b and 310f with its flow rate adjusted by MFCs 320b and 320f. This source gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the gas supply hole 234b of the gas nozzle 340b and exhausted from the exhaust port 230.

[0094] At this time, the raw material gas discharged from the opening 236 travels straight through the gap S and collides with the outer tube 14, and then a part of the raw material gas diffuses along the outer tube within the gap S without heading toward the exhaust port 230. In other words, in the flash supply in the embodiment, there is a concern that a large amount of raw material gas will diffuse within the gap S without heading toward the exhaust port 230.

[0095] However, even in this case, similarly to the first processing procedure described above, diffusion of the source gas can be suppressed before the first buffer section 12b by utilizing the first gap 90 formed between the first buffer section 12b and the outer tube 14. Furthermore, by controlling the supply amount of the inert gas supplied from each gas nozzle 340f, 340g with the controller 280, the pressure in the second buffer can be adjusted to be higher than the pressure on the opening 236 side, thereby suppressing the flow of some of the source gas that diffuses back through the gap S. This improves the exhaust of the source gas.

[0096] According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects are achieved.

[0097] (a) In a plan view, the width W1 of the first gap 90 formed between the outer wall 70 of the first buffer section 12b and the outer tube 142 is narrower than the width W2 of the second gap 92 formed between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 from the first buffer section 12b to the opening 236. This reduces the conductance between the outer wall of the first buffer section 12b and the outer tube 14. That is, in the gap S between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14, the nozzle arrangement chamber 222 side can be made to have a positive pressure relative to the exhaust port 230 side. This prevents the exhaust gas discharged from the opening 236 from wandering around. This prevents adhesion and generation of by-products inside the reaction tube 203, thereby reducing particle generation.

[0098] (b) Furthermore, the gas nozzles 340f, 340g can supply purge gas toward the first gap 90 formed between the first buffer section 12b and the outer tube 14, thereby enhancing the effect of suppressing the inward flow of exhaust gas discharged from the opening 236 and suppressing the accumulation of the inward flow of exhaust gas. Furthermore, the flow rate of the purge gas can be reduced compared to when the first gap 90 is not formed as in the present disclosure.

[0099] (c) Even if the exhaust gas discharged from the opening 236 flows around due to the high-flow rate supply (flush supply), this configuration makes it possible to reduce the conductance between the outer wall 70 of the first buffer portion 12b and the outer pipe 14 because, in a plan view, the width W1 of the first gap 90 between the inner pipe 12 and the outer pipe 14 is narrow and the width W1 is constant along the outer wall 70 of the first buffer portion 12b. This makes it possible to suppress the exhaust gas discharged from the opening 236 from flowing around.

[0100] (Other embodiments of the present disclosure) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0101] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the gas nozzle 340f is configured to supply purge gas toward the upper first gap 90 in FIG. 3 , but the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, the gas nozzle 340f may be configured to supply purge gas toward any one of the inner pipe 12, the outer pipe 14, and the sidewall 72 of the first buffer section 12b. The gas nozzle 340f is configured to supply purge gas in a direction oblique to the direction from the second buffer section 80 along the outer pipe 14 toward the opening 236. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the gas nozzle 340f injects purge gas toward the sidewall 72 of the first buffer section 12b. This configuration allows the gas nozzle 340f to supply purge gas toward the sidewall 72 of the first buffer section 12b, the inner pipe 12, or the outer pipe 14, thereby increasing the pressure inside the second buffer section 80 relative to the opening 236. This effectively suppresses the inward flow of exhaust gas discharged from the opening 236. The same effect can be achieved with the gas nozzle 340g.

[0102] Although one gas nozzle is disposed in each second buffer section 80 in the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. Multiple gas nozzles may be disposed in the second buffer section 80. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , a gas nozzle 340f that injects purge gas into the first gap 90 and a gas nozzle 340h that injects purge gas toward the sidewall 72 of the first buffer section 12b may be disposed in the second buffer section 80. With this configuration, purge gas can be supplied from the gas nozzle 340f toward the first gap 90, and purge gas can be supplied from the gas nozzle 340h toward the sidewall 72 of the first buffer section 12b, the inner pipe 12, or the outer pipe 14, thereby increasing the pressure inside the second buffer section 80 relative to the opening 236. This can enhance the effect of suppressing the inward flow of exhaust gas discharged from the opening 236. Note that the same effect as described above can be achieved by disposing multiple gas nozzles in the other second buffer section 80 and adjusting the injection direction of each purge gas.

[0103] Furthermore, some of the gas nozzles arranged in each second buffer section 80 may be gas nozzles 96 that supply purge gas toward the region between the ceiling of the outer pipe 14 and the ceiling of the inner pipe 12. When this gas nozzle 94 is used, for example, as shown in FIG. 7 , a baffle 97 extending from the top of the inner pipe 12 toward the outer pipe 14 is provided, and a baffle 98 extending from the ceiling of the inner pipe 12 toward the ceiling of the outer pipe 14 is provided. A gap is provided between the baffle 97 and the outer pipe 14. A gap is also provided between the baffle 98 and the ceiling of the outer pipe 14. In this case, the gas nozzle 94 can supply purge gas toward the exhaust gas that has gone around into the region between the ceiling of the outer pipe 14 and the ceiling of the inner pipe 12, thereby not only enhancing the effect of suppressing the exhaust gas from going around, but also improving exhaust efficiency.

[0104] 8, the processing chamber 201 may include gas nozzles 340a-340e and partition plates 18a, 18d configured to be able to supply source gas by side flow into the processing chamber 201. The second buffer section 80 is formed to be surrounded by the inner pipe 12, the outer pipe 14, the side wall 72 of the first buffer section 12b, and the partition plate 18a or 18d. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress diffusion (or flow) of the source gas into the second buffer section 80 due to wraparound from the gas nozzles 340a-340e.

[0105] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiments, a film formation process for a semiconductor device has been given as an example of a process performed by a processing apparatus, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, in addition to a film formation process, a process for forming an oxide film or a nitride film, or a process for forming a film containing a metal may also be used. Furthermore, the specific content of the substrate processing is not important, and the present disclosure can be suitably applied not only to a film formation process but also to other substrate processing processes such as an annealing process, an oxidation process, a nitriding process, a diffusion process, and a lithography process. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be suitably applied to other substrate processing apparatuses, such as an annealing process, an oxidation process, a nitriding process, an exposure apparatus, a coating apparatus, a drying apparatus, a heating apparatus, and a processing apparatus using plasma. Furthermore, the present disclosure may also be applied to a mixture of these apparatuses.

[0106] It is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment, or to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0107] 12 Inner pipe 14 Outer pipe 12b First buffer section 80 Second buffer section 90 First gap 92 Second gap 236 First gas exhaust port (an example of an opening) W1 Width W2 Width

Claims

1. A processing vessel comprising: an inner tube having an opening for exhausting processing gas from a processing chamber and a first buffer section having a first supply section disposed inside the first supply section for supplying the processing gas to the processing chamber; an outer tube disposed on the outside of the inner tube; and a second buffer section formed along the outer tube on the opposite side of the opening across the first buffer section and surrounded by a side wall of the inner tube, the outer tube and the first buffer section, wherein the width of a first gap formed between an outer wall of the first buffer section and the outer tube is narrower than the width of a second gap formed between the inner tube and the outer tube from the first buffer section to the opening, in a plan view.

2. The processing vessel according to claim 1, wherein the width of the first gap is constant along the outer tube in a plan view.

3. The processing vessel according to claim 2, wherein the outer wall of the first buffer section and the outer tube are configured concentrically.

4. The processing vessel according to claim 1, wherein the first gap is formed between both side walls of the first buffer section.

5. The processing vessel according to claim 1, wherein the width of the first gap is configured to become narrower toward the second buffer section along the outer pipe in a plan view.

6. The processing vessel according to claim 1, further comprising a second supply section for supplying a purge gas into said second buffer section, wherein the width of said first gap is configured to be smaller than a flow path diameter of said second supply section.

7. The processing vessel according to claim 6, wherein the width between both side walls of said first buffer section is larger than the flow path diameter of said second supply section.

8. A processing vessel as described in claim 1, further comprising a second supply section that supplies a purge gas into the second buffer section, the second supply section being configured to be capable of supplying the purge gas in a direction inclined with respect to a direction from the second buffer section along the outer pipe toward the opening.

9. The processing vessel according to claim 8, wherein the second buffer section is configured so as to be capable of being filled with the purge gas.

10. The processing vessel according to claim 9, wherein the second supply section is configured to supply the purge gas toward any one of the inner pipe, the outer pipe, and a side wall of the first buffer section.

11. The processing vessel according to claim 8, wherein the second supply unit is configured to supply the purge gas toward the first gap.

12. The processing vessel according to claim 9, wherein the second supply section is disposed adjacent to the first buffer section.

13. The processing vessel of claim 8, wherein a plurality of said second supply sections are disposed within said second buffer section.

14. A processing vessel as described in claim 13, wherein the second supply section includes a first purge nozzle that supplies purge gas toward any one of the inner tube, the outer tube, and the side wall of the first buffer section, and a second purge nozzle that supplies purge gas toward a region between the ceiling of the outer tube and the ceiling of the inner tube.

15. The processing vessel according to claim 1, further comprising a third supply section configured to be able to supply the processing gas to the processing chamber by flush flow.

16. A processing vessel as described in claim 1, further comprising a third supply section configured to be able to supply the processing gas to the processing chamber by a side flow, and the second buffer section is formed so as to be surrounded by the inner pipe, the outer pipe, a side wall of the first buffer section, and the third supply section.

17. A processing vessel as described in claim 15, further comprising a second supply section that supplies a purge gas into the second buffer section, the second supply section being configured to be capable of supplying the purge gas toward a third gap formed between the third supply section and the inner pipe.

18. A processing apparatus having a processing vessel comprising: an inner tube having an opening for exhausting processing gas from a processing chamber and a first buffer section having a first supply section disposed inside the first supply section for supplying the processing gas to the processing chamber; an outer tube disposed outside the inner tube; and a second buffer section formed along the outer tube on the opposite side of the opening across the first buffer section and surrounded by a side wall of the inner tube, the outer tube and the first buffer section, wherein the width of a first gap formed between an outer wall of the first buffer section and the outer tube is narrower than the width of a second gap formed between the inner tube and the outer tube from the first buffer section to the opening, in a plan view.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: an inner tube having an opening for exhausting a process gas from a process chamber and a first buffer section having a first supply section disposed inside the first supply section for supplying the process gas to the process chamber; an outer tube disposed outside the inner tube; a second buffer section formed along the outer tube on the opposite side of the opening across the first buffer section and surrounded by side walls of the inner tube, the outer tube and the first buffer section; a process vessel configured such that, in a plan view, the width of a first gap formed between an outer wall of the first buffer section and the outer tube is narrower than the width of a second gap formed between the inner tube and the outer tube from the first buffer section to the opening; and a process of supplying the process gas to the substrate to perform a predetermined process.

20. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described in claim 19, wherein in the step of performing the specified processing, the raw material gas is supplied to the substrate via a storage container that is provided in a raw material gas supply line that supplies a raw material gas to the processing chamber and is configured to be capable of temporarily storing the raw material gas therein.

Images