Substrate processing device, plasma generation method, manufacturing method of semiconductor device and program

Abstract

The present invention includes: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a gas supply unit that is connected to the processing chamber and that can supply the processing chamber with, as a supply gas, a gas containing a first element and a second element different from the first element or a mixed gas of a gas containing the first element and a gas containing the second element; an excitation unit that can generate, from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber, a first radical containing the first element and the second radical containing the second element; and an activation unit that is provided closer to a placement part of the substrate than the excitation unit and that can individually activate the first radical and the second radical from the supply gas.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, plasma generation method, semiconductor device manufacturing method and program

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

[0002] Conventionally, processing using plasma has been known in substrate processing apparatuses. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe processing a substrate by turning a plurality of types of gas into a plasma state. Patent Document 3 describes supplying gas into a vessel constituting a processing chamber to generate plasma and heat the vessel.

[0003] International Publication No. 2018 / 179038 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-177191 International Publication No. 2019 / 053806

[0004] In a process using plasma, it is desirable to effectively utilize a specific type of radical among a plurality of types of radicals according to the process.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can selectively adjust the amount of specific types of radicals that reach a substrate.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a configuration including: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a gas supply unit connected to the processing chamber and capable of supplying a gas containing a first element and a second element different from the first element, or a mixed gas of a gas containing the first element and a gas containing the second element, as a supply gas to the processing chamber; an excitation unit capable of generating a first radical containing the first element and a second radical containing the second element from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber; and an activation unit located closer to a placement unit for the substrate than the excitation unit and capable of individually activating the first radical and the second radical from the supply gas.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the amount of specific types of radicals that reach the substrate can be selectively adjusted.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in an aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control unit preferably used in an aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating overall processing steps included in substrate processing using a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in an aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating main processing steps included in substrate processing using a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in an aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first modified example of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second modified example of the present disclosure; and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third modified example of the present disclosure.

[0009] <One Aspect of the Present Disclosure> Hereinafter, one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements shown in the drawings do not necessarily match those of reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0010] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one, and may be present in plural. Furthermore, in the drawings, substantially identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations in the specification will be omitted.

[0011] Furthermore, the term "wafer" used in this specification may refer to the wafer itself or to a laminate of the wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. The term "surface of a wafer" used in this specification may refer to the surface of the wafer itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer or the like formed on the wafer. When described in this specification, "forming a predetermined layer on a wafer" may mean forming a predetermined layer directly on the surface of the wafer itself or forming a predetermined layer on a layer or the like formed on the wafer. When used in this specification, the term "substrate" is synonymous with the term "wafer".

[0012] (1) Configuration of the Substrate Processing Apparatus The substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes a processing chamber 201 for processing wafers 200 as substrates, a gas supply unit, a resonant coil 212 as an excitation unit, and a first activation unit 280a and a second activation unit 280b as activation units. First, the processing chamber 201, the gas supply unit, and the resonant coil 212 will be described.

[0013] (Processing Chamber) The processing apparatus 100 includes a processing furnace 202 for plasma processing the wafers 200. The processing furnace 202 includes a processing container 203 that constitutes the processing chamber 201. The processing container 203 in FIG. 1 includes a dome-shaped upper container 210 and a bowl-shaped lower container 211. The processing chamber 201 is formed by the upper container 210 covering the lower container 211. A gate valve 244 is provided on the lower sidewall of the lower container 211 in FIG. 1.

[0014] When the gate valve 244 is open, the wafer 200 can be loaded into the processing chamber 201 through the loading / unloading port 245, and the wafer 200 can be unloaded out of the processing chamber 201 through the loading / unloading port 245. When the gate valve 244 is closed, the gate valve 244 functions as a sluice valve that maintains the airtightness of the processing chamber 201.

[0015] The processing chamber 201 has a plasma generation space 201a, which is surrounded by a resonant coil 212 as described below, and a substrate processing space 201b, which is connected to the plasma generation space 201a and in which the wafer 200 is processed. The plasma generation space 201a is a space in which plasma is generated. The plasma generation space 201a in this embodiment is, for example, a space above the lower end of the resonant coil 212 within the space inside the processing chamber 201 in FIG. 1. The lower end of the resonant coil 212 in FIG. 1 is illustrated by a dashed line. On the other hand, the substrate processing space 201b is a space in which the wafer 200 is processed with plasma. The substrate processing space 201b in this embodiment is, for example, a space below the lower end of the resonant coil 212 within the space inside the processing chamber 201 in FIG. 1.

[0016] (Substrate Mounting Portion) A susceptor 217 serving as a substrate mounting portion for mounting a wafer 200 is disposed at the center of the bottom side of the processing chamber 201. A heater 217b serving as a heating mechanism is integrally embedded inside the susceptor 217. When power is supplied to the heater 217b via a heater power adjustment mechanism 276, the heater 217b is configured to heat the surface of the wafer 200 to, for example, approximately 25°C to 1000°C. The susceptor 217 is electrically insulated from the lower vessel 211.

[0017] An impedance adjusting electrode 217c is provided inside the susceptor 217. The impedance adjusting electrode 217c is grounded via an impedance variable mechanism 275 serving as an impedance adjustment unit. The impedance variable mechanism 275 is composed of a coil and a variable capacitor.

[0018] The impedance variable mechanism 275 is configured to control the inductance and resistance of the coil and the capacitance of the variable capacitor, thereby changing the impedance within a range from approximately 0 Ω to the parasitic impedance value of the processing chamber 201. This allows the potential of the wafer 200 (i.e., bias voltage) to be controlled via the impedance adjustment electrode 217 c and the susceptor 217.

[0019] The susceptor 217 is provided with a susceptor lifting mechanism 268 that raises and lowers the susceptor 217. The susceptor 217 is provided with through holes 217a. Meanwhile, wafer push-up pins 266 are provided on the bottom surface of the lower container 211 at at least three locations facing the through holes 217a. When the susceptor 217 is lowered, the wafer push-up pins 266 are configured to pass through the through holes 217a. The susceptor 217 and the heater 217b mainly constitute a substrate placement portion according to this embodiment. An impedance adjustment electrode 217c may also be included in the substrate placement portion.

[0020] (Gas Supply Unit) The gas supply unit is connected to the processing chamber 201. Specifically, a gas supply head 236 is provided above the processing chamber 201 in FIG. 1 , that is, on top of the upper vessel 210. The gas supply head 236 includes a cap-shaped lid 233, a gas inlet 234, a buffer chamber 237, an opening 238, a shielding plate 240, and a gas outlet 239. The gas supply head 236 is configured to be able to supply a supply gas as a processing gas into the processing chamber 201. The buffer chamber 237 functions as a dispersion space that disperses the processing gas introduced from the gas inlet 234.

[0021] The gas inlet 234 is connected to the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 232a, the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 232b, and a gas supply pipe 232c that supplies an inert gas used when replacing the inside of the processing chamber, etc., so that they flow together.

[0022] (Supply Gas) As the supply gas, a gas containing a first element and a second element different from the first element, i.e., a gas containing at least a compound of the first element and a second element different in type from the first element, or a mixed gas of a gas containing at least the first element and a gas containing at least the second element can be used.

[0023] In this disclosure, a gas containing at least a first element is referred to as a "first element-containing gas," and a gas containing at least a second element is referred to as a "second element-containing gas."

[0024] 1, a first-element-containing gas supply source 250a, a mass flow controller (MFC) 252a serving as a flow rate control device, and a valve 253a serving as an on-off valve are provided in the gas supply pipe 232a in this order from the upstream side in the flow of the supply gas in Fig. 1. A second-element-containing gas supply source 250b, an MFC 252b, and a valve 253b are provided in the gas supply pipe 232b in this order from the upstream side.

[0025] The gas supply pipe 232c is provided with, in order from the upstream side, an inert gas supply source 250c, an MFC 252c, and a valve 253c. The gas supply pipes 232a, 232b, and 232c merge into a junction gas supply pipe 232 on the downstream side. The junction gas supply pipe 232 is provided with a valve 243a.

[0026] In the present disclosure, the gas supply pipes for supplying the first-element-containing gas and the second-element-containing gas may be provided with, in order from the upstream side, a first-element-containing and second-element-containing gas supply source, a mass flow controller (MFC) as a flow rate control device, and a valve as an on-off valve. Also, in the present disclosure, the gas supply pipes for supplying the first-element-containing and second-element-containing gas may merge with a merged gas supply pipe 232 on the downstream side.

[0027] 1 . By opening and closing the valves 253a, 253b, 253c, and 243a, processing gases such as a first element-containing gas and a second element-containing gas can be supplied as supply gases into the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipes 232a, 232b, and 232c while adjusting the flow rates of the respective gases using the MFCs 252a, 252b, and 252c. The gas supply head 236 includes a cover 233, a gas inlet 234, a buffer chamber 237, an opening 238, a shielding plate 240, and a gas outlet 239.

[0028] The first-element-containing gas supply system according to this embodiment is mainly constituted by the gas supply pipe 232a, the MFC 252a, and the valve 253a. The first-element-containing gas supply source 250a may be included in the first-element-containing gas supply system. The second-element-containing gas supply system according to this embodiment is mainly constituted by the gas supply pipe 232b, the MFC 252b, and the valve 253b. The second-element-containing gas supply system may also include the second-element-containing gas supply source 250b. The first-element and second-element-containing gases may be supplied from the second-element-containing gas supply system.

[0029] The inert gas supply system according to this embodiment is mainly composed of the gas supply head 236, the gas supply pipe 232c, the MFC 252c, and the valves 253c and 243a. The inert gas supply system may also include the inert gas supply source 250c. Furthermore, the first element-containing gas supply system, the second element-containing gas supply system, and the inert gas supply system constitute a gas supply unit according to this embodiment.

[0030] (Exhaust Section) A gas exhaust port 235 for exhausting the processing gas from inside the processing chamber 201 is provided on the sidewall of the lower vessel 211. The upstream end of a gas exhaust pipe 231 is connected to the gas exhaust port 235. The gas exhaust pipe 231 is provided with, in order from the upstream side in FIG. 1 , an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 242 and a valve 243b as pressure regulators (i.e., pressure adjusting sections), and a vacuum pump 246 as a vacuum exhaust device. The exhaust section according to this embodiment is mainly composed of the gas exhaust port 235, the gas exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 242, and the valve 243b. The vacuum pump 246 may be included in the exhaust section.

[0031] (Excitation Unit) A spiral resonant coil 212 is provided around the outer periphery of the processing chamber 201, i.e., on the outside of the sidewall of the upper vessel 210, so as to surround the processing chamber 201. An RF sensor 272, a high-frequency power supply 273, and a frequency matching device 274 are connected to the resonant coil 212. The high-frequency power supply 273 supplies high-frequency power to the resonant coil 212. The RF sensor 272 is provided on the output side of the high-frequency power supply 273. The RF sensor 272 monitors information on the forward and reflected high-frequency waves being supplied. The frequency matching device (i.e., frequency control unit) 274 performs frequency matching by controlling the high-frequency power supply 273 based on information on the reflected waves monitored by the RF sensor 272 so as to minimize the reflected waves.

[0032] Both ends of resonant coil 212 are electrically grounded. At least one end of resonant coil 212 is grounded via a movable tap 213 in order to fine-tune the electrical length of resonant coil 212 when the apparatus is first installed or when processing conditions are changed, and to make the resonance characteristics approximately equal to those of high-frequency power supply 273. A fixed ground 214 at the other end of resonant coil 212 is illustrated in FIG. 1 .

[0033] Furthermore, a power supply section is formed between both grounded ends of resonant coil 212 by movable tap 215. Movable tap 215 is used to finely adjust the impedance of resonant coil 212 when the apparatus is initially installed or when processing conditions are changed. Shielding plate 223 prevents electromagnetic waves from leaking outside resonant coil 212, and also forms a capacitance component between resonant coil 212 and itself, which is necessary to form a resonant circuit.

[0034] The plasma generating unit according to this embodiment is mainly composed of the resonant coil 212, the RF sensor 272, and the frequency matching box 274. The plasma generating unit may also include a high frequency power supply 273.

[0035] The resonant coil 212 can generate at least first radicals containing a first element and second radicals containing a second element from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber 201. For example, when the supply gas is a mixed gas of a gas containing a second element and a gas containing the first element, the first radicals and the second radicals can be generated by plasmatizing the supply gas.

[0036] (Activation Unit) Next, the activation unit of the processing apparatus 100 will be described. In this embodiment, the activation unit includes a first activation unit 280a that activates first radicals and a second activation unit 280b that activates second radicals. In the present disclosure, the number of activation units may be one or three or more. For example, the number of activation units may be set according to the number of types of radicals to be activated. The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b are provided closer to the susceptor 217 of the wafer 200 than the resonance coil 212, and are capable of individually activating the first radicals and the second radicals from the supply gas.

[0037] The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b are provided on the outer periphery of the processing chamber 201, i.e., outside the sidewall of the upper container 210, so as to surround the processing chamber 201. Both the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b are ring-shaped. The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b may be coil-shaped. Furthermore, even if the ring-shaped unit is ring-shaped, the ring may have a diameter different from that of the coil, specifically, a diameter smaller than that of the coil. The resonant coil 212 is a coil having multiple windings arranged along the sidewall of the processing chamber 201. The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b, both of which are ring-shaped, are arranged between adjacent windings of the resonant coil 212. If the diameters are different, the windings may be on the inside (the upper container 210 side as viewed from the resonant coil 212) or the outside (the opposite side from the upper container 210 as viewed from the resonant coil 212).

[0038] When the first activation portion 280a and the second activation portion 280b are ring-shaped and disposed between adjacent windings of the resonant coil 212, each of the rings of the first activation portion 280a and the second activation portion 280b may be configured to have a partial opening. This allows the first activation portion 280a, the second activation portion 280b, and the windings of the resonant coil 212 to be disposed without interfering with each other.

[0039] Both the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b are light-emitting devices capable of emitting light of a specific wavelength. The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b can be configured, for example, with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The sidewalls of the processing chamber 201 at the portions where the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b face each other are translucent. The translucent portions of the sidewalls are, for example, made of quartz.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first activating unit 280a can supply first light as a first electromagnetic wave that activates first radicals toward the inside of the processing chamber 201. The second activating unit 280b can supply second light as a second electromagnetic wave that activates second radicals toward the inside of the processing chamber 201. In the present disclosure, electromagnetic waves other than light may be adopted.

[0041] The wavelengths of the first light and the second light are different from each other. A first power supply unit 281a is connected to the first activation unit 280a, supplying energy for activating the first radicals to the first activation unit 280a. A second power supply unit 281b is connected to the second activation unit 280b, supplying energy for activating the second radicals to the second activation unit 280b. The first power supply unit 281a is connected to a controller 221 serving as a control unit via a signal line G. The second power supply unit 281b is connected to the controller 221 via a signal line H.

[0042] The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b can individually adjust the amount of energy supplied to activate the first radicals and the amount of energy supplied to activate the second radicals via the first power supply unit 281a and the second power supply unit 281b. In the present disclosure, it is not essential to individually adjust the amount of energy supplied to activate the first radicals and the amount of energy supplied to activate the second radicals. The calibration of the first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b may be performed based on, for example, the amount of light emitted by plasma under specified plasma conditions.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b can operate in a state where the first element and the second element are present inside the processing chamber 201. Specifically, for example, the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b operate in a state where both a first-element-containing gas and a second-element-containing gas are present in the processing chamber 201. The first activator 280a and the second activator 280b can activate the first radicals and the second radicals by operating in a state where the wafer 200 is placed in the processing chamber 201. Here, the operation of the activator refers to a state where power is supplied to the activator and energy is irradiated to the radicals.

[0044] (Positional Relationship Between Radical Lifetime and Activation Section) Here, when the lifetime of one radical (e.g., the second radical) is shorter than the lifetime of the other radical (e.g., the first radical), the second activation section 280b is arranged closer to the wafer 200 than the first activation section 280a in the flow direction of the supply gas, i.e., downstream of the flow of the supply gas, as shown in Fig. 1. This allows both the first radical and the second radical to reach the wafer 200 with their respective energy states increased.

[0045] On the other hand, even if the lifetime of the second radicals is shorter than that of the first radicals, the second activator 280b may be disposed closer to the gas supply unit than the first activator 280a in the flow direction of the supply gas, i.e., upstream of the flow of the supply gas. This can improve the probability that the short-lived second radicals reach the wafer 200. In the present disclosure, the position of the activator can be set arbitrarily regardless of the lifetime of the radicals.

[0046] (Detection Unit) In this aspect, the processing device 100 further includes a first detection unit 282a and a second detection unit 282b as detection units capable of detecting an indicator representing the activation state of the first radical and an indicator representing the activation state of the second radical. The detection unit is not essential in this disclosure. In this disclosure, the number of detection units may be one, or three or more.

[0047] In this embodiment, the indicator representing the activation state of the radical is, for example, the intensity of light emitted by the radical when the radical is deactivated. The indicator of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be other physical information belonging to the radical and representing the activation state of the radical.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first detection unit 282a can be configured with a light-receiving device that measures the intensity of light emitted when the first radical is deactivated. The second detection unit 282b can be configured with a light-receiving device that measures the intensity of light emitted when the second radical is deactivated. The light-receiving device is, for example, a photodiode. The first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b are connected to the controller 221 via a signal line I. The first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b calculate the intensity of light from the received light that is input continuously over time. The calculated intensity of the received light is input to the controller 221 as an index. In the present disclosure, the light intensity may be calculated by the controller 221.

[0049] The controller 221 can control the first activation unit 280a via the first power supply unit 281a in accordance with the activation state based on the indicator detected by the first detection unit 282a. The controller 221 can control the second activation unit 280b via the second power supply unit 281b in accordance with the activation state based on the indicator detected by the second detection unit 282b.

[0050] (Comparison of detected data with reference data) In this embodiment, the controller 221 includes a recording unit that records a preset reference value for an indicator representing the activation state of a radical. The reference value is not essential in the present disclosure. The recording unit may be configured, for example, by the storage device 221c in FIG. 2 or the external storage device 226. The controller 221 has a comparison unit that compares the indicators detected by the first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b with the reference value. The comparison unit may be configured, for example, by the CPU 221a in FIG. 2.

[0051] The reference value can be set based on, for example, simulations or empirical rules. For example, if the indicator detected by the corresponding detection unit for a specific radical is less than the reference value, the controller 221 determines that the amount of specific radical produced is low. Then, the controller 221 increases the output of the corresponding activation unit and increases the energy of the irradiated light via the power supply unit connected to the activation unit corresponding to the specific radical. This makes it possible to increase the amount of energy of the specific radical determined to be produced in a low amount. By comparing the indicator representing the activation state of the radical with the reference value, it is possible to produce a desired amount of the specific radical.

[0052] (Quartz Structure) In this embodiment, the entire sidewall of the processing chamber 201 is made of a quartz structure. In this disclosure, it is not essential that the processing chamber 201 be made of a quartz structure. In this disclosure, at least a portion of the processing chamber 201 may be made of a quartz structure. The first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b are disposed adjacent to the quartz structure of the processing chamber 201. The first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b are also capable of detecting the state of the quartz structure. In this embodiment, the controller 221 is capable of controlling the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b in accordance with both the activation state of the radicals detected by the detection unit and the state of the quartz structure.

[0053] The state of the quartz structure can be estimated, for example, based on the length of time it has been in use. Alternatively, an imaging device that captures an image of the quartz structure from outside may be provided separately from the first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b, and the state of the quartz structure may be estimated based on image information acquired from the imaging device.

[0054] 2, the controller 221 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 221a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 221b, a storage device 221c, and an I / O port 221d. The RAM 221b, the storage device 221c, and the I / O port 221d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 221a via an internal bus 221e. The controller 221 may be connected to an input / output device 225, such as a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, or an operation terminal. The controller 221 may also be connected to a display, such as a display, as a display unit.

[0055] The storage device 221c is configured, for example, by a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a CD-ROM, etc. The storage device 221c readably stores a control program for controlling the operation of the processing apparatus 100, a process recipe describing the procedures and conditions for substrate processing, etc. The process recipe functions as a program, combining procedures in the substrate processing step (described later) that are executed by the controller 221 to obtain a predetermined result. The RAM 221b is configured as a memory area (work area) in which programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 221a are temporarily stored. The controller 221 may also be connected to an external storage device 226 having a configuration similar to that of the storage device 221c.

[0056] The I / O port 221d is connected to the above-mentioned MFCs 252a to 252c, valves 253a to 253c, 243a, 243b, gate valve 244, APC valve 242, vacuum pump 246, heater 217b, RF sensor 272, high-frequency power supply 273, frequency matching box 274, susceptor lifting mechanism 268, impedance variable mechanism 275, etc.

[0057] The CPU 221a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 221c, and to read a process recipe from the storage device 221c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 225. As shown in Fig. 1, the CPU 221a controls, in accordance with the content of the read process recipe, the opening degree adjustment operation of the APC valve 242, the opening / closing operation of the valve 243b, and the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246 through the I / O port 221d and signal line A, the lifting operation of the susceptor lifting mechanism 268 through signal line B, and the operation of adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heater 217b based on a temperature sensor by the heater power adjusting mechanism 276 (i.e., temperature adjustment operation) and the operation of adjusting the impedance value by the impedance variable mechanism 275 through signal line C. , the opening and closing operation of the gate valve 244 is controlled through signal line D, the operations of the RF sensor 272, the frequency matching device 274, and the high frequency power supply 273 are controlled through signal line E, the flow rate adjustment operation of various gases by the MFCs 252a to 252c and the opening and closing operation of the valves 253a to 253c and 243a are controlled through signal line F, the supply power amount adjustment operation from the first power supply unit 281a to the first activation unit 280a is controlled through signal line G, and the supply power amount adjustment operation from the second power supply unit 281b to the second activation unit 280b is controlled through signal line H.

[0058] (2) Substrate Processing Step Next, the substrate processing step according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In the processing step according to this embodiment described below, the operation of each part constituting the processing apparatus 100 is controlled by the controller 221.

[0059] 3, the processing steps according to this embodiment are mainly comprised of a pre-processing step (i.e., plasma preheating step) S400 and a main processing step (i.e., product substrate processing step) S500 in which a product substrate is processed by an oxidation plasma treatment. In the pre-processing step S400, a plasma discharge is generated in the plasma generation space 201a to heat the processing chamber 201, particularly the upper vessel 210. The processing steps according to this embodiment are performed by the processing apparatus 100 as one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device such as a flash memory.

[0060] (2-1) Heater Heating Step (S100) First, the controller 221 supplies power to the heater 217b to start heating the susceptor 217. The heater 217b is controlled so that the temperature measured by a thermocouple (not shown) serving as a temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, more preferably, so that the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature and within a predetermined target temperature or target temperature range. Thereafter, heating by the heater 217b continues until all processing steps are completed. This target temperature or target temperature range is the same as the target temperature or target temperature range of the heater 217b set in the main processing step S500. However, until the start of the pre-processing step S400, this target temperature or target temperature range may be set lower than the target temperature or target temperature range in the main processing step S500.

[0061] (2-2) Waiting for substrate processing instruction (i.e., idling) (S200) Next, the processing apparatus 100 waits until an instruction to process a substrate by executing this processing step S500 is input to the processing apparatus 100 via the input / output device 222 or the like. That is, the processing apparatus 100 waits in an idling state. Specifically, if the instruction is not input in the substrate processing instruction waiting S200, the determination is made again at regular intervals. On the other hand, if the instruction is input, the processing proceeds to the next step. The instruction also includes an instruction for the number of substrates to be processed in this processing step S500, i.e., the number of times this processing step S500 is to be performed.

[0062] (2-3) Processing Container Temperature Determination (S300) Next, in temperature determination S300, the controller 221 determines whether the temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the upper container 210 measured by a thermocouple unit (not shown) serving as a temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined determination temperature. If it is determined that the measured temperature is equal to or higher than the determination temperature, the process proceeds to the main processing step S500. If it is determined that the measured temperature is lower than the determination temperature, the process proceeds to the pre-processing step S400.

[0063] (2-4) Main Processing Step (Product Substrate Processing Step) (S500) In the main processing step S500, an oxidation plasma treatment is performed as a modification treatment on the silicon (Si) film formed on the surface of the wafer 200, which is the product substrate, to form a silicon oxide film (SiO ２ In this embodiment, an example of an oxidation plasma treatment is described as the present treatment step, but the present disclosure is also applicable to plasma treatments using other treatment gases, or plasma treatments for other substrates or film types to be treated. The present treatment step S500 includes a substrate loading step S510, a vacuum exhaust step S520, a treatment gas supply step S530, a plasma treatment step S540, a vacuum exhaust step S550, and a substrate unloading step S560 shown in FIG.

[0064] (Substrate Loading Process S510) The susceptor lifting mechanism 268 lowers the susceptor 217 so that the wafer lifting pins 266 protrude a predetermined height from the surface of the susceptor 217. Next, the wafer 200 is transferred onto the wafer lifting pins 266 from a vacuum transfer chamber adjacent to the processing chamber 201 using a wafer transfer mechanism. Thereafter, the susceptor lifting mechanism 268 raises the susceptor 217, so that the wafer 200 is supported on the upper surface of the susceptor 217.

[0065] (Vacuum evacuation step S520) Next, the temperature of the wafer 200 is increased. The susceptor 217 has been preheated by the heater 217b since the heater temperature increase step S100. For example, the wafer 200 on the susceptor 217 is heated to a predetermined value within a range of 150 to 750°C. Note that in this specification, the notation of a numerical range such as "150 to 750°C" means that the lower limit and upper limit are included in the range. Thus, for example, "150 to 750°C" means "150°C or higher and 750°C or lower." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0066] Here, the wafer 200 is heated to a predetermined temperature between 500°C and 600°C, for example. The target temperature or target temperature range for controlling the heater 217b is also set to a similar predetermined value. However, the target temperature or target temperature range for the heater 217b may be set to a temperature or temperature range higher than these predetermined values. While the temperature of the wafer 200 is being increased, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is adjusted to a predetermined value by evacuating the processing chamber 201 via the gas exhaust pipe 231 using the vacuum pump 246.

[0067] (Processing Gas Supply Process S530) Next, supply of a processing gas as a supply gas into the processing chamber 201 is started. In this embodiment, the processing gas is a mixed gas of a first element-containing gas and a second element-containing gas. The controller 221 opens the valves 253 a and 253 b and simultaneously supplies the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas into the processing chamber 201 while controlling the flow rates with the MFCs 252 a and 252 b.

[0068] At this time, the flow rate of the second element-containing gas is set to a predetermined value within a range of, for example, 20 to 2000 sccm. The flow rate of the first element-containing gas is set to a predetermined value within a range of, for example, 20 to 1000 sccm. The aperture of the APC 242 is adjusted so that the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 becomes a predetermined pressure within a range of, for example, 50 to 200 Pa. In this way, the supply of the processing gas continues until the end of the plasma processing step S540, which will be described later.

[0069] The first element in the present disclosure is, for example, hydrogen (H). The second element is, for example, oxygen (O). The first element may be O and the second element may be H.

[0070] The first element-containing gas in this embodiment is, for example, a hydrogen element (H)-containing gas, such as hydrogen (H ２ In the present disclosure, the H-containing gas is not limited to simple H gas, but includes a compound gas containing H. The second element-containing gas in this embodiment is, for example, oxygen (O) as an oxygen element (O)-containing gas. ２In the present disclosure, the second element-containing gas is not limited to simple O gas, but includes a compound gas containing O. Furthermore, the gas containing at least a compound of the first element and the second element includes, for example, water vapor (HO gas) as a gas containing H and O, which is a compound of H and O.

[0071] In the present disclosure, a mixed gas of an H-containing gas other than H gas and an O-containing gas other than O gas may be used. Also, for example, ozone (O) gas may be used as the O-containing gas. Also, deuterium (D) may be used as a deuterium element (D)-containing gas instead of the H-containing gas. ２ If necessary, a rare gas such as helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), or xenon (Xe) may be added.

[0072] The inert gas is nitrogen (N ２ ) gas, or a rare gas such as Ar gas, He gas, neon (Ne) gas, or Xe gas can be used. One or more of these can be used as the inert gas. This also applies to each step described below.

[0073] (Plasma treatment step S540) Next, first radicals and second radicals are generated from the gas supplied to the processing chamber 201 using the resonant coil 212. Specifically, the controller 221 starts applying high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply 273 to the resonant coil 212. The high-frequency power supplied to the resonant coil 212 is a predetermined power, for example, in the range of 100 to 5000 W, preferably 100 to 3500 W, and more preferably 1000 to 3500 W. In order to stably generate plasma discharge, the power is desirably 1000 W or more. If the power is lower than 100 W, it is difficult to stably generate plasma discharge.

[0074] As a result, a high-frequency electric field is formed in the plasma generation space 201a to which the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas are supplied, and as a result, a donut-shaped induction plasma is excited in the plasma generation space 201a at a height position corresponding to the electrical midpoint of the resonance coil 212. The excited plasma activates and dissociates the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas, resulting in the generation of first radicals and second radicals.

[0075] In addition, reactive species containing the second element may also be generated, such as hydroxyl radicals and oxygen ions. Furthermore, reactive species containing the first element may also be generated, such as hydrogen ions. The first radicals and second radicals generated by the plasma process the surface of the substrate. For example, a silicon oxide film formed on the inner surface of a groove such as a hole on the substrate is modified and oxidized from the surface, forming an oxide layer.

[0076] (Photoactivation Treatment Step S542) Next, first radicals and second radicals are individually activated from the supply gas using the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b. This allows the amounts of first radicals and second radicals in the supply gas to be maintained or the lifetimes of each radical to be extended. Specifically, the controller 221 starts supplying power from the first power supply unit 281a to the first activator 280a and starts supplying power from the second power supply unit 281b to the second activator 280b. The first radicals and second radicals activated by photoactivation using the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b perform a film modification process on the wafer 200.

[0077] During the photoactivation treatment step S542, the first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b each measure the intensity of light emitted when the first radical and the second radical are deactivated as an index. The indexes from the first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b are input to the CPU 221a. The controller 221 adjusts the amount of activation of the first radical by controlling the first activator 280a via the first power supply unit 281a in accordance with the activation state based on the index detected by the first detection unit 282a. The controller 221 also adjusts the amount of activation of the second radical by controlling the second activator 280b via the second power supply unit 281b in accordance with the activation state based on the index detected by the second detection unit 282b.

[0078] The plasma generation method of the present disclosure is configured by the process gas supply step S530, the plasma treatment step S540, and the photoactivation treatment step S542. Note that this embodiment can be applied not only to film modification processes but also to film formation processes.

[0079] (Photoactivation Treatment Before Gas Supply) In this embodiment, the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b can be operated before the supply gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201. That is, after the wafer 200 is placed, the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b can start operating before the supply gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201. Here, if the first activation unit 280a and the second activation unit 280b start operating after the supply gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201, the amount of deactivated radicals increases, resulting in a decrease in the use efficiency of the supply gas.

[0080] In this embodiment, the first activator 280a can be operated before the supply gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201, so that when the supply gas reaches the area irradiated with the first light by the first activator 280a, activation of the first radicals by the first activator 280a can be started quickly. Also, the second activator 280b can be operated before the supply gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201, so that when the supply gas reaches the area irradiated with the second light by the second activator 280b, activation of the second radicals by the second activator 280b can be started quickly. Therefore, a decrease in the use efficiency of the supply gas can be suppressed.

[0081] Then, after a predetermined processing time has elapsed since the start of application of high-frequency power to the resonant coil 212, the power output from the high-frequency power supply 273 is stopped, thereby stopping plasma discharge in the processing chamber 201. Furthermore, the supply of power from the first power supply unit 281a is stopped, thereby stopping the operation of the first activation unit 280a. Furthermore, the supply of power from the second power supply unit 281b is stopped, thereby stopping the operation of the second activation unit 280b. Furthermore, the valves 253a and 253b are closed, thereby stopping the supply of the first-element-containing gas and the second-element-containing gas into the processing chamber 201.

[0082] (Vacuum Exhaust Step S550) After the supply of the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas has stopped, the controller 221 evacuates the processing chamber 201 using the gas exhaust pipe 231. As a result, the first element-containing gas, the second element-containing gas, and other exhaust gases containing residues in the processing chamber 201 are exhausted to the outside of the processing chamber 201. Thereafter, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is adjusted to the same pressure as that of the vacuum transfer chamber adjacent to the processing chamber 201 by adjusting the aperture of the APC valve 242.

[0083] (Substrate Unloading Process S560) When the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 reaches a predetermined pressure, the controller 221 lowers the susceptor 217 to a transfer position for the wafer 200 and causes the wafer 200 to be supported on the wafer lift-up pins 266. Then, the gate valve 244 is opened and the wafer 200 is unloaded from the processing chamber 201 using a transfer mechanism (not shown). The above-described processes constitute the substrate processing process and semiconductor device manufacturing method according to this embodiment.

[0084] (2-5) Determining the Number of Repetitions (S600) After the completion of this processing step S500, the controller 221 refers to the instruction on the number of substrates to be processed, that was input during the substrate processing instruction waiting S200, i.e., the number of times this processing step S500 has been performed. The controller 221 then determines whether or not the processing of the instructed number of substrates has been completed. If it is determined that the processing of the instructed number of substrates has been completed, the processing proceeds to the next step. On the other hand, if it is determined that the processing of the instructed number of substrates has not been completed, this processing step S500 is performed again on another substrate to be processed.

[0085] (2-6) Determination of Stopping Apparatus Operation (S700) After the repetition count determination S600 is completed, if an instruction to stop the operation of the processing apparatus 100 has been input, the controller 221 ends the processing by stopping the operation of the processing apparatus 100. If an instruction to stop the operation has not been input, the steps from the substrate processing instruction waiting S200 onwards are executed again.

[0086] (2-7) Pre-treatment Step (S400) The pre-treatment step S400 is performed prior to the main treatment step S500 in order to heat the components constituting the treatment chamber 201, particularly the upper vessel 210. In this embodiment, the plasma generation unit and the activation unit can be operated in a state where no wafer 200 is placed in the treatment chamber 201.

[0087] (Plasma preheating process) In this process, by generating a plasma discharge in the plasma generation space 201a prior to the main processing process S500 in which the product substrate is processed, it is possible to perform, for example, a process of heating the quartz structure of the processing chamber 201 when it is first used, i.e., a seasoning process.

[0088] Specifically, the temperature of the components constituting the processing chamber 201, such as the upper vessel 210, can be heated until it reaches a temperature at which the thickness of the film formed in this processing step S500 becomes stable. In this case, with the wafer 200 not placed therein, gases similar to the processing gas, for example, a first element-containing gas and a second element-containing gas, are supplied to the quartz processing chamber 201 to generate plasma, and the activation unit is then operated to activate the first radicals and the second radicals.

[0089] For example, activating the second radicals promotes the deposition of O components from the quartz container, and by combining with the first radicals, it is possible to discharge the O components as a gas. In this way, the seasoning process is effective for controlling the state of the quartz container, for example. Note that the process configuration in the pre-processing step S400 is the same as that in the plasma processing step S540, except that the wafer 200 in the main processing step S500 is not placed in the processing chamber 201.

[0090] (Start of Supply of Supply Gas with a Time Delay) In the present embodiment, the case where the supply of a mixed gas of two types of gases, a first element-containing gas and a second element-containing gas, into the processing chamber 201 is started simultaneously has been exemplified. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the supply of the two types of gases may be started with a time delay. When a mixed gas of two types of gases is supplied, the controller 221 may control the gas supply unit to perform a first supply that supplies at least the first element-containing gas and, after the first supply, to perform a second supply that supplies the mixed gas of the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas. For example, after only the first element-containing gas is supplied in the first supply, the second element-containing gas is additionally supplied in the second supply, thereby supplying the mixed gas of the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas.

[0091] Furthermore, the controller 221 is configured to be capable of controlling the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b in the first supply in which only the first-element-containing gas is supplied, so that the first activator 280a activates the first radicals without the second activator 280b activating the second radicals. Furthermore, the controller 221 is configured to be capable of controlling the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b in the second supply in which a mixed gas of the first-element-containing gas and the second-element-containing gas is supplied, so that the first activator 280a activates the first radicals and also activates the second radicals. In other words, in the present disclosure, the timing of photoexcitation of the first radicals and the second radicals may be made different.

[0092] (Stopping the Supply of Supply Gas with a Time Lag) In the present embodiment, the case where the supply of the mixed gas of two types of gases, the first element-containing gas and the second element-containing gas, into the processing chamber 201 is stopped simultaneously has been exemplified, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the supply of the two types of gases may be stopped with a time lag. When the supply of the mixed gas as the supply gas is stopped, the controller 221 may control the gas supply unit to perform a first stop to stop the supply of the second element-containing gas and, after the first stop, to perform a second stop to stop the supply of the first element-containing gas.

[0093] For example, after a predetermined time has elapsed while a mixed gas of a first element-containing gas and a second element-containing gas is being supplied as in the second supply, only the supply of the second element-containing gas is stopped in the first stop, and then the supply of the first element-containing gas is stopped in the second stop. The controller 221 is configured to control the second activation unit 280b so that the activation of the second radicals stops during the first stop when the supply of the second element-containing gas is stopped. Furthermore, the controller 221 is configured to control the first activation unit 280a so that the activation of the first radicals stops during the second stop when the supply of the first element-containing gas is stopped. This makes it possible to realize, for example, a selective oxidation process that selectively oxidizes the surrounding silicon without oxidizing the metal on the wafer 200.

[0094] In the present disclosure, neither the control operation when the first supply and the second supply are performed nor the control operation when the first stop and the second stop are performed is required. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, it is not required that both the control operation when the first supply and the second supply are performed and the control operation when the first stop and the second stop are performed be performed. Only one of the control operation when the first supply and the second supply are performed and the control operation when the first stop and the second stop are performed may be performed.

[0095] (Effects) According to the present disclosure, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0096] In the processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the first activator 280 a and the second activator 280 b can individually activate the first radicals and the second radicals nearer the susceptor 217 of the wafer 200 than the resonant coil 212. That is, the activators individually activate, for each type of radical, the same type of radicals as those activated by the resonant coil 212 from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber 201, separately from the resonant coil 212. Because specific types of radicals among multiple types of radicals can be individually activated from the supply gas, the amount of specific radicals reaching the wafer 200 can be selectively adjusted. Furthermore, similar to this embodiment, the amount of specific radicals reaching the wafer 200 can also be selectively adjusted in a plasma generation method using the processing apparatus 100, a substrate processing method using the plasma generation method, a semiconductor device manufacturing method for processing semiconductor substrates using the plasma generation method, and a program.

[0097] In this embodiment, the activation unit includes a first activation unit 280 a and a second activation unit 280 b. The first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b can individually adjust the activity of the first radicals and the second radicals.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by irradiating the respective radicals with electromagnetic waves corresponding to the respective radicals, the activity of each of the first radicals and the second radicals can be adjusted more accurately.

[0099] In addition, in this embodiment, since electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths are supplied, the first radical and the second radical are not activated simultaneously, and therefore the activation level of one radical can be controlled without activating the other radical.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of energy supplied to each of the first radicals and the second radicals can be adjusted individually, so that it is possible to process the wafer 200 in a variety of patterns, for example, by increasing the film density by activating a larger amount of radicals than in normal processing.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first detection unit 282a and the second detection unit 282b can detect indicators representing the activation state of each radical for each type of radical, so that, for example, the state when the radical is deactivated can be detected for each type of radical.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the controller 221 can control the first activation unit 280a via the first power supply unit 281a in accordance with the activation state based on the indicator detected by the first detection unit 282a. The controller 221 can control the second activation unit 280b via the second power supply unit 281b in accordance with the activation state based on the indicator detected by the second detection unit 282b. Therefore, the excitation of each radical can be adjusted by feedback control for each type in accordance with the activation state when the indicator is detected, i.e., the current situation. In the present disclosure, it is not essential that the controller 221 control the activation unit in accordance with the activation state based on the indicator detected by the detection unit.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first activation section 280a and the second activation section 280b are controlled according to the activation state of the radicals and the state of the quartz structure. Here, if the state of the quartz structure changes due to repeated substrate processing, the quartz structure may not be able to sufficiently transmit electromagnetic waves, such as light, from the first activation section 280a and the second activation section 280b. If the electromagnetic waves are not sufficiently transmitted, the energy of the electromagnetic waves may decrease, resulting in the inability to activate the radicals. In this embodiment, in which the first activation section 280a and the second activation section 280b are controlled according to the activation state of the radicals and the state of the quartz structure, for example, if the light transmittance of the quartz structure decreases, the intensity of the electromagnetic waves can be increased by the amount of the decrease in transmittance. This allows electromagnetic waves of appropriate energy to be generated, thereby activating specific radicals to the desired amount.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the wafer 200 is placed in the processing chamber 201, the first activation section 280a and the second activation section 280b can individually activate the first radicals and the second radicals, and therefore the wafer 200 can be processed using the activated radicals.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the pre-processing step S400, the plasma generating unit and the activating unit can be operated in a state where no wafer 200 is placed in the processing chamber 201. Therefore, like a seasoning process, a process for forming a film with a stable thickness can be performed on all substrates to be processed in the main processing step S500, starting with the first substrate.

[0106] In this embodiment, in the first supply mode in which only the first element-containing gas is supplied, the first activator 280a activates the first radicals without operating the second activator 280b. By operating the second activator 280b only when necessary, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced.

[0107] In this embodiment, the second activation unit 280b is stopped from operating during the first stop of the supply of the gas containing at least the second element. By operating the second activation unit 280b only when necessary, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, the activation unit is disposed between adjacent windings of the resonant coil 212, so that the supply of energy by the resonant coil 212 and the supply of energy by the activation unit overlap. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where the activation unit is disposed away from the resonant coil 212, it is possible to suppress the deactivation of radicals and activate atoms or molecules in the supply gas with higher energy.

[0109] In this embodiment, an example in which oxidation is performed using a gas containing H as the first element and O as the second element has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and nitriding may be performed using a gas containing H as the first element and N as the second element. In this case, the first element-containing gas may be, for example, H as an H-containing gas. ２ The second element-containing gas includes, for example, N as an N element-containing gas. ２ The gas containing the first element and the second element includes ammonia (NH ３ ) may also be used.

[0110] <Other Aspects> In this aspect, a case where first radicals and second radicals are individually activated from a supply gas and a film modification process on the wafer 200 is performed has been described as an example. However, in the present disclosure, the types of radicals and the type of process are not limited thereto. For example, when plasma is generated by supplying a supply gas that is a mixed gas of a first element-containing gas and a second element-containing gas, the second radicals and third radicals containing the first element and the second element may be activated in the plasma processing step S540 preceding the photoactivation processing step S542. The third radicals may be, for example, OH radicals. To improve the step coverage of the film on the wafer 200, light of a wavelength corresponding to the third radical may be irradiated onto the supply gas using the first activation unit 280a or the second activation unit 280b to extend the lifetime of the third radical. When the third radical is deactivated, the third radical can return to its original excited state by externally supplying light of a wavelength of 309 nm.

[0111] Furthermore, the first and second radicals can be simultaneously and individually activated using the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b. For example, by activating the second and third radicals separately, the amount of O component in the supply gas can be increased, resulting in effective modification of the film at the bottom of the deep trench.

[0112] Furthermore, for example, by controlling the activation amounts of the second radicals and the first radicals, it is possible to balance the oxidizing properties of the second radicals and the reducing properties of the first radicals. In this case, in order to reduce plasma damage, it is conceivable to enhance the reducing performance by making the influence of the first radicals stronger than that of the second radicals.

[0113] (First Modification) Next, a first modification will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b are partially disposed between the windings at the center in the vertical direction of the resonant coil 212, but the positions of the activation units are not limited to this in the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5 , the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b may be disposed between the windings over the entire vertical direction of the resonant coil 212. The other configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first modification is the same as that of the present embodiment, and therefore a repeated description will be omitted.

[0114] As in the first modification, the first activator 280 a and the second activator 280 b are disposed between the windings over the entire vertical length of the resonance coil 212, thereby enabling a greater amount of radical activation than when they are disposed partially. Other operational effects of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first modification are similar to those of the present embodiment.

[0115] (Second Modification) Next, a second modification will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . In the present disclosure, the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b may be disposed apart from the resonant coil 212 rather than between adjacent windings of the resonant coil 212. As shown in FIG. 6 , in the second modification, the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b are disposed below the resonant coil 212 and closer to the wafer 200 than the resonant coil 212. While the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b in the present embodiment are open ring-shaped with partial openings to avoid interference with the windings of the resonant coil 212, the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 b in the first modification may be closed ring-shaped without partial openings. Other configurations of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second modification are similar to those of the present embodiment, and therefore, a repeated description will be omitted.

[0116] In the second modification, it is easy to diversify the design patterns of the substrate processing apparatus because the positional relationship between the resonance coil 212 and the first activation unit 280 a and the second activation unit 280 can be appropriately changed. Other effects of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second modification are similar to those of the present embodiment.

[0117] (Third Modification) Next, a third modification will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In this embodiment, the first activating unit 280a and the second activating unit 280b, which are the activating units, irradiate light that activates the corresponding radicals toward the plasma generation space 201a in the processing chamber 201, as an example. However, this disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the activating units may irradiate light that activates the corresponding radicals toward the substrate processing space 201b below the plasma generation space 201a in the processing chamber 201 in Fig. 7.

[0118] 7, in the third modification, the processing chamber 201 has a cylindrical plasma generation space 201a and a cylindrical substrate processing space 201b that is located downstream of the plasma generation space 201a in the supply gas flow direction and has a larger diameter than the plasma generation space 201a. In the plasma generation space 201a, first radicals and second radicals are generated by a resonance coil 212. A wafer 200 is placed inside the substrate processing space 201b.

[0119] The first activator 280a and the second activator 280b are provided on the ceiling of the substrate processing space 201b at a portion located radially outward from the plasma generation space 201a (i.e., in the left-right direction in FIG. 7 ). In the third modification, the first activator 280a can supply first light L1 as a first electromagnetic wave for activating first radicals toward the inside of the substrate processing space 201b. The second activator 280b can supply second light L2 as a second electromagnetic wave for activating second radicals toward the inside of the substrate processing space 201b. The ceiling of the processing chamber 201 is made of a translucent material so that the first light L1 and the second light L2 can pass through. Therefore, the first activator 280a and the second activator 280b can individually activate the first radicals and the second radicals inside the substrate processing space 201b.

[0120] The irradiation range of the first light L1 from the first activating unit 280a is set to include the entire wafer 200. Therefore, the first activating unit 280a can irradiate the first light L1 that activates the first radicals so as to cover the surface of the wafer 200. Furthermore, the irradiation range of the second light L2 from the second activating unit 280b is set to include the entire wafer 200. Therefore, the second activating unit 280b can irradiate the second light L2 that activates the second radicals so as to cover the surface of the wafer 200. The light irradiation by the first activating unit 280a and the second activating unit 280b is performed within a range that does not affect the properties of the film on the wafer 200. The other configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the third modification is the same as that of the present embodiment, so a repeated description will be omitted.

[0121] In the third modification, the first activating unit 280 a and the second activating unit 280 b can individually activate the first radicals and the second radicals inside the substrate processing space 201 b in which the wafer 200 is placed, thereby activating specific radicals on the wafer 200.

[0122] In the third modification, the first light L1 and the second light L2 are irradiated so as to cover the surface of the wafer 200. Therefore, for example, by increasing the energy of each radical on the surface of the wafer 200 to a predetermined value or more, such as the reaction energy, the surface of the wafer 200 can be uniformly processed. Other functions and effects of the substrate processing apparatus according to the third modification are the same as those of the present embodiment.

[0123] In addition, in the above-mentioned aspects, a single-wafer processing apparatus for processing a single substrate has been described as an example. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned aspects and can be suitably applied, for example, to a case where a film is processed using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned aspects, an example where a film is processed using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned aspects and can be suitably applied to a case where a film is processed using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace.

[0124] When using these substrate processing apparatuses, each process can be performed using the same processing procedures and conditions as in the above-described embodiments and modifications, and the same effects as in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be obtained.

[0125] In addition, for example, in the present disclosure, the substrate processing that the CPU 221a reads and executes software (programs) in the above-described manner may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of processors in this case include a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electrical circuit that is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically for executing specific processing, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0126] Substrate processing may be performed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.) The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0127] In addition, although the above embodiments have described an embodiment in which the program is pre-stored (installed) in the storage device 121c such as a ROM or storage, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The program may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. The present disclosure is also applicable to programs and program products.

[0128] Furthermore, the present disclosure may be configured by partially combining the configurations included in the above-disclosed multiple aspects and variations. In the present disclosure configured by a combination, the processing procedures and processing conditions executed may be configured, for example, similar to the processing procedures and processing conditions described in this aspect. The present disclosure includes various aspects not described above, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the invention-specifying matters in the claims that are appropriate from the above description.

[0129] 100 Processing apparatus (substrate processing apparatus) 200 Wafer (substrate) 201 Processing chamber

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a gas supply unit connected to the processing chamber and capable of supplying a gas containing a first element and a second element different from the first element, or a mixed gas of a gas containing the first element and a gas containing the second element, as a supply gas to the processing chamber; an excitation unit capable of generating first radicals containing the first element and second radicals containing the second element from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber; and an activation unit located closer to a placement unit for the substrate than the excitation unit and capable of individually activating the first radicals and the second radicals from the supply gas.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the activation section comprises: a first activation section that activates the first radicals; and a second activation section that activates the second radicals.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first activation section is capable of supplying a first electromagnetic wave that activates the first radicals, and the second activation section is capable of supplying a second electromagnetic wave that activates the second radicals.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the wavelength of the first electromagnetic wave and the wavelength of the second electromagnetic wave are different from each other.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the activation section is capable of individually adjusting the amount of energy supplied to activate the first radicals and the amount of energy supplied to activate the second radicals.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the activation section is capable of irradiating the surface of the substrate with a first electromagnetic wave that activates the first radicals and a second electromagnetic wave that activates the second radicals so as to cover the surface of the substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lifetime of the second radicals is shorter than the lifetime of the first radicals, and the second activation section is disposed closer to the substrate than the first activation section in the flow direction of the supply gas.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lifetime of the second radicals is shorter than the lifetime of the first radicals, and the second activation section is disposed closer to the gas supply section than the first activation section in the flow direction of the supply gas.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit capable of detecting an indicator representing the activation state of the first radicals and an indicator representing the activation state of the second radicals.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a control unit capable of controlling the activation unit in accordance with the activation state based on the indicator detected by the detection unit.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the activation unit is capable of supplying a first electromagnetic wave that activates the first radicals to the processing chamber and a second electromagnetic wave that activates the second radicals to the processing chamber, at least a portion of the processing chamber is constructed of a quartz structure, the activation unit is arranged adjacent to the quartz structure of the processing chamber, and the apparatus further comprises a control unit that controls the activation unit in accordance with the activation state of the radicals detected by the detection unit and the state of the quartz structure.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein power can be supplied to the activation section while the substrate is placed in the processing chamber.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein power can be supplied to the activation unit when the substrate is not placed in the processing chamber.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a control unit configured to control a gas supply unit so that, when the mixed gas is supplied as the supply gas, a first supply is performed to supply only gas containing the first element, and a second supply is performed to supply the mixed gas after the first supply; and to control the first activation unit and the second activation unit so that, in the first supply, the first activation unit activates the first radicals without the second activation unit activating the second radicals, and, in the second supply, the first activation unit activates the first radicals and activates the second radicals.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit configured to control the gas supply unit so that, when the supply of the mixed gas as the supply gas is stopped, a first stop is performed to stop the supply of the gas containing the second element, and after the first stop, a second stop is performed to stop the supply of the gas containing the first element, and to control the second activation unit so that activation of the second radicals is stopped when the first stop is performed.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation unit is a coil having a plurality of windings arranged along a side wall of the processing chamber, and the activation unit is arranged between adjacent windings of the coil.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber has a cylindrical generation space in which the first radicals and the second radicals are generated by the excitation section, and a cylindrical substrate processing space that is located downstream of the generation space in the flow direction of the supply gas, has a larger diameter than the generation space, and in which the substrate is located inside, and the activation section is provided on a ceiling of the substrate processing space radially outward from the generation space, and is capable of individually activating the first radicals and the second radicals inside the substrate processing space.

18. A plasma generation method comprising: a step of supplying a gas containing a first element and a second element different from the first element, or a mixed gas of a gas containing the first element and a gas containing the second element, as a supply gas into a processing chamber; a step of generating, using an excitation unit, first radicals containing the first element and second radicals containing the second element from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber; and a step of individually activating the first radicals and the second radicals from the supply gas using an activation unit provided closer to a substrate placement unit than the excitation unit.

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

20. A program that causes a substrate processing apparatus to execute, by a computer, the following steps: supplying a gas containing a first element and a second element different from the first element, or a mixed gas of a gas containing the first element and a gas containing the second element, as a supply gas into a processing chamber; generating, using an excitation unit, first radicals containing the first element and second radicals containing the second element from the supply gas supplied to the processing chamber; and individually activating the first radicals and the second radicals from the supply gas using an activation unit provided closer to a substrate placement unit than the excitation unit.

Images