JP2001279450A - Substrate treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a uniform flow of the treatment gas on a wafer without rotating the wafer. SOLUTION: A CVD system 10 comprises a holding base 17 which holds and stores the wafer 1, has a built-in heater 19 in a treatment chamber 11 and a gas head 30 having an in 35 blowing the treatment gas 37 against the wafer 1. A cylindrical exhaust duct 22 which lower end is closed and an exhaust opening 24 to suck the treatment gas 37 is installed so as to rotate around the holding table 17, and a gas head 30 is assembled in an inner circumference of an exhaust duct 22 and integrally rotates with the exhaust duct 22. Since the treatment gas blown out of the rotating gas head is sucked by the rotating exhaust duct and brought into uniform contact with the entire wafer, the thickness of the CVD film on the wafer is unified. The holding table is not rotated, and thus a electric wiring can be freely arranged to the heater and a thermocouple installed on the holding table.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for performing a desired processing on a substrate to be processed by using a processing gas. The present invention relates to a technique which is effective when applied to a substrate processing apparatus for forming an oxide film or a metal film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, when a TEOS (tri-ethyl-ortho-silicate) film, which is an example of an oxide film, is formed on a wafer, a single-wafer cold-wall type atmospheric pressure CVD device (hereinafter referred to as a "atmospheric pressure CVD device"). , A CVD apparatus). As a conventional CVD apparatus of this type, a processing chamber for accommodating a wafer as a substrate to be processed;
The processing chamber includes a holding table that holds and heats the wafer, a gas head that supplies a processing gas to the wafer by blowing it in a shower shape, and an exhaust duct that exhausts the processing chamber slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure. There is something.

In the above-described CVD apparatus, in order to uniformly form the film thickness and film quality of a CVD film formed on a wafer, the flow of a processing gas on the wafer is controlled by rotating a holding table holding the wafer. It is considered to control uniformly.

[0004]

However, the aforementioned CV
In the case where the holding table is configured to rotate in the D apparatus, there is a problem that it is not possible to lay electric wiring for a heater or a temperature sensor (thermocouple) built in the holding table.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of uniformly controlling the flow of a processing gas on a substrate without rotating the substrate.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber for accommodating a substrate to be processed; a holding table for holding and heating the substrate in the processing chamber; A gas head for supplying a processing gas to the substrate processing apparatus, wherein a cylindrical exhaust duct having an exhaust port for sucking the processing gas is disposed concentrically outside the holding table. The exhaust duct is configured to rotate around the holding table.

In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, when processing is performed on the substrate to be processed held by the holding table, the exhaust duct is rotated around the holding table. The processing gas supplied from the gas head to the substrate to be processed is sucked by the rotating exhaust duct and flows spirally over the substrate to be processed, so that the processing gas uniformly contacts the substrate to be processed throughout. You will be in a state to do. In other words, the flow of the processing gas on the substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly without rotating the holding table holding the substrate to be processed, so that the substrate to be processed can be uniformly processed throughout. . On the other hand, since the holding table does not need to be rotated, electric wiring for the heater and the temperature sensor installed on the holding table can be laid freely.

By the way, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the above means, by arranging the exhaust duct at a position equal to or higher than the installation position of the holding table, it is possible to prevent the processing gas from flowing under the holding table. it can.

Further, by installing the gas head inside the exhaust duct so as to rotate integrally therewith, the processing gas itself blown from the gas head can be rotated with respect to the substrate to be processed. Can be more uniformly controlled.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as a CVD apparatus (single wafer cold wall type normal pressure CVD apparatus). The CVD apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a chamber 12 in which a processing chamber 11 for processing a wafer (semiconductor wafer) 1 as a substrate to be processed is formed.
3 and the upper cup 14 are combined to form a cylindrical shape with the lower end face closed and the upper end face open. In the vicinity of the lower end of the cylindrical wall of the lower cup 13 of the chamber 12, a wafer loading / unloading port 15 is opened horizontally and horizontally, and the wafer loading / unloading port 15 transfers the wafer 1 as a substrate to be processed into the processing chamber 11. It is formed so that it can be loaded and unloaded by a wafer transfer device (not shown).

A support shaft 16 is inserted into the processing chamber 11 from below on the center line of the bottom wall of the lower cup 13 of the chamber 12, and the support shaft 16 is a lifting drive device using an air cylinder device or the like (see FIG. 1). (Not shown). At the upper end of the support shaft 16, a holding table 17 formed in a disc shape larger in diameter than the wafer 1 is concentrically arranged and fixed horizontally, and the holding table 17 is moved up and down by the support shaft 16. ing. A holding surface 18 for holding the wafer 1 in close contact with the upper surface of the holding table 17 is formed.

A heater 19 is provided inside the holding table 17, and the heater 19 is provided on the wafer 1 held by the holding surface 18.
Is configured to be uniformly heated throughout. A plurality of thermocouples 20 as temperature sensors are arranged inside the holding table 17 at appropriate intervals, and each thermocouple 20 measures the temperature of the wafer 1 heated by the heater 19. Is configured. Heater 1
9 and the electric wiring (not shown) of the thermocouple 20
7 and connected to an external power supply and controller through the hollow portion of the support shaft 16.

A plurality of ejector pins 21 are provided on the bottom wall of the lower cup 13 of the chamber 12 so as to protrude vertically upward, and as shown in FIG. The wafer 1 held on the holding surface 18 is lifted and lifted off the holding surface 18 by being inserted into the holding table 17 in a state where the holding table 17 is lowered.

On the other hand, an exhaust duct 22 formed in a substantially cylindrical hollow body is concentrically and horizontally disposed in the upper cup 14 of the chamber 12 and is rotatably supported by a bearing device (not shown). The exhaust duct 22 is rotated by a rotary drive device (not shown) such as an electric motor. The inner diameter of the exhaust duct 22 is set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the holding table 17.
The lower end of 2 substantially coincides with the upper surface of the holding table 17.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exhaust duct 22 is formed by a pair of cylinders having an upper end face closed and a lower end face opened and arranged concentrically inside and outside and up and down and connected between lower ends. It is constructed of a cylindrical hollow body with an end face closed, and an exhaust passage 23 is formed in the hollow body of the exhaust duct 22 by a hollow portion. At the lower end of the inner cylindrical wall of the exhaust duct 22, a plurality of exhaust ports 24 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to communicate between the inside and the outside of the exhaust path 23. A processing gas, a purge gas, and the like on the center side of the pipe 22 are uniformly sucked in the circumferential direction and exhausted through the exhaust path 23.

As shown in FIG. 2B, a flow adjusting member 25 formed in a short cylindrical shape is provided on a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical wall of the exhaust duct 22 which faces the exhaust port 24. It is slidably fitted in the circumferential direction, and the flow rate adjusting member 25 is provided with adjusting ports 26 having substantially the same shape as the exhaust ports 24 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to face the respective exhaust ports 24. ing. The flow rate adjusting member 25 is slid in the circumferential direction with respect to the exhaust duct 22, and the degree of opening of the adjusting port 26 with respect to the exhaust port 24 is appropriately adjusted.
Is controlled. That is, by sliding the flow rate adjusting member 25, the conductance of the exhaust duct 22 at the time of film formation and at the time of exhausting the processing gas can be controlled.

A rotary shaft 27 formed in a cylindrical shape is fixed on the center line of the closing wall of the exhaust duct 22, and the rotary shaft 27 is rotatably supported by a bearing device and rotated by a rotary drive device. By the exhaust duct 2
2 is to be rotated. The hollow cylindrical portion of the rotating shaft 27 communicates with the exhaust passage 23 of the exhaust duct 22.
That is, the cylindrical hollow portion of the rotating shaft 27 forms an exhaust path 28, and the exhaust path 28 is connected to a vacuum exhaust device (not shown) such as a vacuum pump at an end opposite to the exhaust duct 22.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a gas head 30 for supplying a processing gas is integrally incorporated in the exhaust duct 22. That is, the exhaust duct 22
A gas inlet 31 is opened at the center of the rotary shaft 27, and a gas inlet pipe 32 inserted on the center line of the rotating shaft 27 is connected to the gas inlet 31. The gas introduction path 33 formed by the gas introduction pipe 32 is fluidly connected to a gas supply device (not shown) for introducing a processing gas such as a source gas or a purge gas at an end opposite to the gas introduction port 31. Incidentally, the exhaust path 28 formed by the hollow portion of the rotating shaft 27 is in a state formed by the space between the rotating shaft 27 and the gas introduction pipe 32.

A gas outlet plate (hereinafter, referred to as a plate) 3 formed in a disc shape is provided on the inner periphery of the exhaust duct 22.
A plurality of gas outlets (hereinafter, referred to as outlets) 35 are arranged in the plate 34 in a cross shape and flow vertically. It has been established to let. Exhaust duct 2
The gas reservoir 36 is formed by an inner space defined by the inner side surface of the plate 2 and the upper surface of the plate 34.
The processing gas 37 introduced into the gas inlet 31 is uniformly diffused as a whole, and is blown out uniformly from each outlet 35 in a shower shape.

Next, the operation will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1A, when the holding table 17 is lowered to the lower limit position by the support shaft 16 and the ejector pins 21 are inserted through the holding table 17 from below, the wafer is transferred. Wafer 1 transferred by the device
Is carried in from the wafer carry-in / carry-out port 15 and transferred between the upper ends of the plurality of ejector pins 21.

Subsequently, when the holding table 17 is raised by the support shaft 16, the ejector pins 21 are relatively drawn below the holding table 17, so that the wafer 1 on the ejector pins 21 is held on the holding surface of the holding table 17. 18 and is held on the holding surface 18.

The wafer 1 held on the holding surface 18 is heated by a heater 19, and the temperature of the heater 19 and the temperature of the wafer 1 are measured by a thermocouple 20.
Then, the heating amount of the heater 19 is feedback-controlled according to the measurement result of the thermocouple 20.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the holding table 17 holding the wafer 1 on the holding surface 18 has the upper surface of the wafer 1 substantially coincident with the plane defined by the exhaust port 24 of the exhaust duct 22. Is raised by the support shaft 16 and stopped.

Subsequently, the exhaust port 24 of the exhaust duct 22 is exhausted through the exhaust path 23 and the exhaust path 28, and the exhaust duct 22 is rotated by the rotating shaft 27.
When the displacement of the exhaust port 24 and the rotation of the exhaust duct 22 are stabilized, the processing gas 37 is introduced from the gas introduction path 33 to the gas inlet 31. For example, if the TEOS film is a wafer 1
In this case, an ethyl compound of silicon (Si) and ozone (O ₃ ) are introduced.

The processing gas 37 introduced into the gas inlet 31
The gas flows into the gas reservoir 36 by the exhaust force of the exhaust duct 22 acting on the gas reservoir 36 and radially diffuses radially outward, so that each of the outlets 35 arranged in a cross shape has a substantially uniform flow. And blows out toward the wafer 1 like a shower. The processing gas 37 blown out in a shower form from the outlet group 35 flows to the outside of the wafer 1 by the exhaust force of the exhaust duct 22, is sucked into the exhaust port 24 formed in the exhaust duct 22 in an annular shape, and is exhausted from the exhaust duct 22. Road 23
Then, the gas is exhausted through the exhaust path 28 of the rotating shaft 27.

At this time, since the gas head 30 incorporated in the exhaust duct 22 rotates together with the exhaust duct 22, the processing gas 37 blown out in a shower form from the outlet group 35 flows helically, and A state is reached in which the entire surface of the wafer 1 held thereon is uniformly contacted. Here, the film formation rate of the processing gas 37 due to the thermochemical reaction depends on the contact amount of the processing gas 37 with the wafer 1. TEO formed by
The film thickness distribution and film quality distribution of the S film become uniform over the entire surface of the wafer 1.

Further, the processing gas 37 blown out from the outlets 35 of the gas head 30 is all recovered and exhausted by the outlets 24 formed so as to surround the outlets 35. Never go around.
Therefore, the reaction product of the circulated processing gas 37 does not adhere to the lower surface of the holding table 17, the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft 16, and the wall surface of the lower cup 13 of the chamber 12.
As a result, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the adhered substance is separated, scattered as foreign matter, and the wafer 1 is contaminated. Further, the frequency of the cleaning operation of the processing chamber 11 for removing the deposit can be reduced.

As described above, when the TEOS film is formed uniformly over the entire surface of the wafer 1 and a predetermined processing time has elapsed, the holding table 17 is loaded by the support shaft 16 as shown in FIG. It is lowered to the carry-out position. When the holding table 17 is lowered to the lower limit position, the wafer 1 is lifted from the holding surface 18 by the ejector pins 21 and received from above the ejector pins 21 by the wafer transfer device.
The wafer is unloaded from the processing chamber 11 through the wafer loading / unloading port 15.

Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated, so that the wafer 1 is subjected to the single wafer processing of the TEOS film by the CVD apparatus 10.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

1) Gas head 3 for blowing out processing gas 37
By rotating the exhaust duct 22 for exhausting the processing gas 37 and the blown processing gas 37, the processing gas 37 can be uniformly contacted over the entire surface of the wafer 1, so that the film thickness distribution of the CVD film formed on the wafer 1 And the film quality distribution can be controlled uniformly over the entire surface.

2) By not rotating the holder 17, the heater 19 and the thermocouple 20 can be installed inside the holder 17, and the electric wiring for the heater 19 and the thermocouple 20 can be connected to the holder 17. Can be laid easily.

3) The exhaust duct 22 is formed in the shape of a double cylinder having a closed upper surface, and a plurality of exhaust ports 24 are opened in the inner peripheral wall of the cylinder. Since the exhaust system can be prevented from protruding from the chamber 12 by disposing the exhaust system in the wall, the size of the chamber 12 and thus the entire CVD apparatus 10 can be reduced.

4) By arranging the exhaust duct 22 at a position where a small gap is left between the holding duct 17 and the processing head 37, the processing gas 37 blown out from the gas head 30 is discharged.
Can be collected and exhausted, so that the processing gas 37 can be prevented from sneaking under the holding table 17, and the reaction products due to the spilled processing gas 37 can be removed from the lower surface of the holding table 17 and the support shaft. Adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the chamber 16 and the wall surface of the lower cup 13 of the chamber 12 can be prevented beforehand.

5) According to the above item 4), it is possible to prevent a phenomenon that the adhered substance is separated and scattered as a foreign substance and scatters the wafer 1, thereby preventing the adhered substance from being removed. The frequency of the cleaning operation of the processing chamber 11 can be reduced.

6) By configuring the gas head 30 to rotate together with the exhaust duct 22, the gas head 3
Since the number of outlets 35 that are set to zero can be reduced, the manufacturing cost of the gas head 30 can be reduced.

7) By providing the flow rate adjusting member 25, the exhaust amount of the exhaust duct 22 can be adjusted, so that the conductance at the time of film formation and at the time of exhausting the processing gas can be adjusted.

8) By installing the temperature sensor on the holder, an inexpensive thermocouple can be used as the temperature sensor, so that an expensive non-contact type temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer is not required. The manufacturing cost and running cost of the entire CVD apparatus can be reduced.

9) By using the temperature sensor, the heater can be feedback-controlled, so that the temperature of the wafer as the substrate to be processed can be accurately controlled, and the film forming accuracy can be improved. Processing time can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the exhaust duct.

This embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that
The gas head 30A is fixed to the upper cup 14,
The point is that the rotating exhaust duct 22 </ b> A is disposed in the lower cup 13 of the chamber 12. That is, the plate 34 of the gas head 30A includes the lower cup 13 and the upper cup 1.
4 and is fixed between them.
The outlet 35 is opened uniformly over the entire surface. On the other hand, the exhaust duct 22A, which is formed in a substantially cylindrical hollow body whose one end face is closed, is disposed concentrically on the lower cup 13 with the closed wall side facing downward, and is rotated by the rotating shaft 27. It is configured. A wafer insertion port 29 is provided at a portion of the exhaust duct 22A facing the wafer loading / unloading port 15.
The support shaft 16 that moves up and down is inserted on the center line of the rotating shaft 27. The exhaust port 24A is opened at the upper end surface of the exhaust duct 22A, and its opening is adjusted by the adjusting port 26 of the flow rate adjusting member 25A having a circular ring plate shape.

Next, the operation will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the film is formed, the holding table 17 holding the wafer 1 is raised to a position where the upper surface substantially coincides with the upper end surface of the exhaust duct 22A. Is approached. Exhaust duct 22
When the processing gas 37 is blown out from the outlet 35 of the gas head 30A in a shower shape at the time when the exhaust speed and the rotation speed of A are stabilized, the processing gas 37 is rotated by the rotating exhaust duct 22.
A is drawn radially outward by the exhaust port 24 by the exhaust force of A, and flows spirally over the wafer 1.
The wafer 1 is uniformly contacted over the entire surface.
In this way, the processing gas 37 uniformly contacts the wafer 1 over the entire surface, so that the processing gas 37
The film thickness distribution and film quality distribution of the formed CVD film become uniform over the entire surface.

As described above, also in the present embodiment, the film thickness distribution and the film quality distribution of the CVD film formed on the wafer 1 can be controlled uniformly over the entire surface. The holding table 17
In addition, the heater 19 and the thermocouple 20 can be easily incorporated. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the gas head 30
Since A and the exhaust duct 22A are separated, the structures of the gas head 30A and the exhaust duct 22A can be simply and independently configured.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.
It goes without saying that various changes can be made.

For example, in the embodiment in which the gas head 30 is rotated, the plurality of outlets 35 formed in the plate 34 are not limited to being arranged in a cross shape, but may be arranged in a straight line, or may be uniform over the entire surface. May be arranged.

The flow rate adjusting member may be omitted.

The temperature sensor is not limited to a thermocouple, but may be another contact type temperature sensor.

The substrate to be processed is not limited to a wafer, but may be a substrate such as a glass substrate or an array substrate in a manufacturing process of an LCD device (liquid crystal display device).

In the above description, the case where the TEOS film is formed by the CVD apparatus has been described. However, the above-described CVD apparatus can form other oxide films, metal films, and the like. Further, the present invention is not limited to a single wafer cold wall type normal pressure CVD apparatus, but can be applied to general substrate processing apparatuses such as a low pressure CVD apparatus, a plasma CVD apparatus, and a dry etching apparatus.

[0053]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the processing gas can be uniformly brought into contact with the substrate to be processed over the entire surface, uniform processing can be performed on the entire substrate to be processed, and the holding table for holding the processing substrate is not rotated. In addition, a heater and a temperature sensor can be built in, and electric wiring for them can be easily laid.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are front sectional views showing a CVD apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a state when a wafer is loaded and unloaded, and FIG. 1B shows a state during processing.

FIG. 2 shows an exhaust duct and a gas head, and (a)
Is an exploded perspective view thereof, and (b) is a partially omitted cross-sectional view along the line bb in (a).

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing a CVD apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an exhaust duct, (a) is a perspective view,
(B) is a partially omitted exploded perspective view of (a).

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 wafer (substrate to be processed), 10 CVD apparatus (substrate processing apparatus), 11 processing chamber, 12 chamber, 13 lower cup, 14 upper cup, 15 wafer loading / unloading port,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Support shaft, 17 ... Holding stand, 18 ... Holding surface, 19 ... Heater, 20 ... Thermocouple (temperature sensor), 21 ... Ejector pin, 22, 22A ... Exhaust duct, 23 ... Exhaust path, 2
4, 24A: exhaust port, 25, 25A: flow rate adjusting member, 2
6 adjustment port, 27 rotating shaft, 28 exhaust path, 29 wafer insertion port, 30 and 30A gas head, 31 gas inlet port, 32 gas inlet pipe, 33 gas inlet path, 34 gas outlet Plate, 35: gas outlet, 36: gas reservoir, 3
7 Processing gas.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tadashi Okada 3-14-20 Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo International Electric Company (72) Katsuha Kasagi 3-14-20 Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo International F term (reference) in Electric Co., Ltd. 4K030 CA04 CA12 EA11 5F045 AB32 AC09 BB02 BB08 BB15 DP03 DQ10 EB02 EF05 EF20 EG02 EG06 EM06

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A processing chamber for accommodating a substrate to be processed, a holding table for holding and heating the substrate to be processed in the processing chamber, and a gas head for supplying a processing gas to the substrate to be processed. In the substrate processing apparatus, a cylindrical exhaust duct having an exhaust port for sucking the processing gas is arranged concentrically outside the holding table, and the exhaust duct rotates around the holding table. A substrate processing apparatus characterized by being configured.