JP2012175075A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a risk of damage of a gas nozzle and simplify the nozzle adjustment as there is a risk for the damage to the gas nozzle and it takes a fair amount of time to adjust the nozzle position and direction when the gas nozzle is connected to a gas supply port with a conventional gas nozzle fixing structure.SOLUTION: A gas supply nozzle structure has a gas supply port which is provided at the inner side of a processing chamber on an upper surface of a manifold and extends to the exterior of the processing chamber penetrating the manifold through a nozzle fixing plate. The gas supply nozzle is supported by the nozzle fixing plate while fitting therein.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a method for manufacturing a substrate, in particular, a substrate processing apparatus having a step of forming a silicon carbide (hereinafter referred to as SiC) epitaxial film on a substrate, a semiconductor The present invention relates to a device manufacturing method and a substrate manufacturing method.

  SiC is attracting attention as an element material for power devices. On the other hand, it is known that SiC is more difficult to produce a crystal substrate and a device than silicon (hereinafter referred to as Si).

  On the other hand, when manufacturing a device using SiC, a wafer in which a SiC epitaxial film is formed on a SiC substrate is used. As an example of a SiC epitaxial growth apparatus for forming a SiC epitaxial film on this SiC substrate, there is Patent Document 1.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a SiC epitaxial growth apparatus having a vertical structure in which a plurality of substrates are stacked in the vertical direction and processed collectively.

JP 2011-388A

  In the conventional gas nozzle fixing structure, there is a risk of damage to the gas nozzle when connecting to the gas supply port, and it takes time to adjust the position and direction of the nozzle, so the risk of damage to the gas nozzle is reduced. There was a problem of simplification of adjustment.

  The present invention provides a processing chamber for stacking and storing substrates, heating means for heating the processing chamber to a desired temperature, gas supply means for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber, and exhausting the processing chamber. The gas supply means includes a gas supply nozzle erected in the substrate stacking direction, a nozzle fixing plate that supports the gas supply nozzle, and a manifold that forms a lower portion of the processing chamber. The nozzle fixing plate is provided on the processing chamber side of the upper surface of the manifold, and has a gas supply port that extends through the manifold and out of the processing chamber via the nozzle fixing plate, The gas supply nozzle may be supported by being fitted to the nozzle fixing plate.

Further, in the present invention, the gas supply nozzle has a convex portion for fixing the nozzle position on a side surface, and the nozzle fixing plate is provided with a concave portion that fits the convex portion. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that a gas supply nozzle installation structure with a simple structure and a low possibility of breakage of the nozzle can be realized.

1 is a perspective view of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to which the present invention is applied. It is side surface sectional drawing of the processing furnace of a prior art. It is a plane sectional view of a processing furnace to which the present invention is applied. It is a figure explaining the gas supply unit of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with which this invention is applied. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the processing furnace of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with which this invention is applied, and its peripheral structure. It is side surface sectional drawing of the processing furnace to which this invention is applied. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the nozzle arrangement | positioning of a prior art. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the nozzle which shows the insertion method of the nozzle of a prior art. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the nozzle part which shows the insertion method of the nozzle to which this invention is applied. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the nozzle part which shows the insertion method of the nozzle to which this invention is applied.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a so-called batch type vertical SiC epitaxial growth apparatus in which SiC wafers are arranged in the height direction in a SiC epitaxial growth apparatus which is an example of a substrate processing apparatus will be described. In addition, by setting it as a batch type vertical SiC epitaxial growth apparatus, the number of the SiC wafers which can be processed at once increases and a throughput improves.

<Overall configuration>
First, referring to FIG. 1, a substrate processing apparatus for forming a SiC epitaxial film according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and a substrate for forming a SiC epitaxial film which is one of semiconductor device manufacturing steps. The manufacturing method will be described.

  A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 as a substrate processing apparatus (film forming apparatus) is a batch type vertical heat treatment apparatus, and includes a housing 12 in which a main part is arranged. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10, a hoop (hereinafter referred to as a pod) 16 is used as a wafer carrier as a substrate container for storing a wafer 14 (see FIG. 2) as a substrate made of, for example, SiC. A pod stage 18 is disposed on the front side of the housing 12, and the pod 16 is conveyed to the pod stage 18. For example, 25 wafers 14 are stored in the pod 16 and set on the pod stage 18 with the lid closed.

  A pod transfer device 20 is disposed in a front face of the housing 12 and at a position facing the pod stage 18. A pod storage shelf 22, a pod opener 24, and a substrate number detector 26 are disposed in the vicinity of the pod transfer device 20. The pod storage shelf 22 is disposed above the pod opener 24 and is configured to hold a plurality of pods 16 mounted thereon. The substrate number detector 26 is disposed adjacent to the pod opener 24, and the pod transfer device 20 transfers the pod 16 among the pod stage 18, the pod storage shelf 22, and the pod opener 24. The pod opener 24 opens the lid of the pod 16, and the substrate number detector 26 detects the number of wafers 14 in the pod 16 with the lid opened.

  A substrate transfer machine 28 and a boat 30 as a substrate holder are disposed in the housing 12. The substrate transfer machine 28 has an arm (tweezer) 32, and has a structure that can be moved up and down and rotated by a driving means (not shown). The arm 32 can take out, for example, five wafers 14. By moving the arm 32, the wafer 14 is transferred between the pod 16 and the boat 30 placed at the position of the pod opener 24.

  The boat 30 is made of a heat-resistant material such as carbon graphite or SiC, for example, and a plurality of wafers 14 are arranged in a horizontal posture and aligned with their centers aligned, and are stacked and held in the vertical direction. It is configured. Note that a boat heat insulating portion 34 is disposed as a disk-shaped heat insulating member made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or SiC at the lower portion of the boat 30, and heat from the heated body 48 to be described later is processed. It is comprised so that it may become difficult to be transmitted to the downward side of the furnace 40 (refer FIG. 2).

  The processing furnace 40 is disposed in the upper part on the back side in the housing 12. The boat 30 loaded with a plurality of wafers 14 is loaded into the processing furnace 40 and subjected to heat treatment.

<Processing furnace configuration>
Next, referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the processing furnace 40 of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 for forming a SiC epitaxial film will be described. The processing furnace 40 is provided with a first gas supply nozzle 60 having a first gas supply port 68, a second gas supply nozzle 70 having a second gas supply port 72, and a first gas exhaust port 90. It is done. In addition, a third gas supply port 360 and a second gas exhaust port 390 for supplying an inert gas are shown.

  The processing furnace 40 is made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or SiC, and includes a reaction tube 42 formed in a cylindrical shape having a closed upper end and an opened lower end. Below the reaction tube 42, a manifold 36 is disposed concentrically with the reaction tube 42. The manifold 36 is made of, for example, stainless steel and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. The manifold 36 is provided to support the reaction tube 42. An O-ring (not shown) as a seal member is provided between the manifold 36 and the reaction tube 42. Since the manifold 36 is supported by a holding body (not shown), the reaction tube 42 is installed vertically. A reaction vessel is formed by the reaction tube 42 and the manifold 36.

  The processing furnace 40 includes a heated body 48 formed in a cylindrical shape having a closed upper end and an opened lower end, and an induction coil 50 as a magnetic field generating unit. A reaction chamber 44 is formed in a hollow cylindrical portion of the heated body 48 and is configured to be able to store a boat 30 holding a wafer 14 as a substrate made of SiC or the like. Further, as shown in the right frame of FIG. 2, the wafer 14 is held by the boat 30 in a state where the wafer 14 is held by the annular lower wafer holder 15 and the upper surface is covered by the disk-like upper wafer holder 15a. Good. Thereby, the wafer 14 can be protected from particles falling from the upper part of the wafer, and film formation on the back surface side with respect to the film formation surface (lower surface of the wafer 14) can be suppressed. Further, the film forming surface can be separated from the boat column of the wafer holder 15, and the influence of the boat column can be reduced. The boat 30 is configured to hold the wafers 14 held by the wafer holder 15 so as to be aligned in the vertical direction in a horizontal posture and with the centers aligned. The heated body 48 is heated by a magnetic field generated by an induction coil 50 provided outside the reaction tube 42. The heated body 48 generates heat, thereby heating the inside of the reaction chamber 44. It is supposed to be done.

  In the vicinity of the object to be heated 48, a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided as a temperature detector for detecting the temperature in the reaction chamber 44. The induction coil 50 and the temperature sensor are electrically connected to the temperature control unit 52, and the inside of the reaction chamber 44 is adjusted by adjusting the degree of energization to the induction coil 50 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor. The temperature is controlled at a predetermined timing so as to obtain a desired temperature distribution (see FIG. 5).

  Preferably, in the reaction chamber 44, between the first and second gas supply nozzles 60, 70 and the first gas exhaust port 90, and between the heated object 48 and the wafer 14. In the meantime, a structure 300 extending in the vertical direction and having an arc-shaped cross section is preferably provided in the reaction chamber 44 so as to fill the space between the heated object 48 and the wafer 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, by providing the structures 300 at the opposing positions, the gas supplied from the first and second gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 flows along the inner wall of the heated object 48. Bypassing the wafer 14 can be prevented. When the structure 300 is preferably made of a heat insulating material, carbon felt or the like, heat resistance and generation of particles can be suppressed.

  Between the reaction tube 42 and the heated object 48, for example, a heat insulating material 54 made of carbon felt or the like which is difficult to be dielectric is provided. By providing the heat insulating material 54, the heat of the heated object 48 is transferred to the reaction tube. 42 or transmission to the outside of the reaction tube 42 can be suppressed.

  Further, an outer heat insulating wall 55 having, for example, a water cooling structure is provided outside the induction coil 50 so as to suppress the heat in the reaction chamber 44 from being transmitted to the outside so as to surround the reaction chamber 44. Further, a magnetic seal 58 for preventing the magnetic field generated by the induction coil 50 from leaking outside is provided outside the outer heat insulating wall 55.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a first gas supply nozzle 60 provided with at least one first gas supply port 68 is installed between the heated object 48 and the wafer 14. In addition, a second gas supply nozzle 70 provided with at least one second gas supply port 72 is provided at a location different from the first gas supply nozzle 60 between the object to be heated 48 and the wafer 14. It is done. Similarly, the first gas exhaust port 90 is also disposed between the heated object 48 and the wafer 14. In addition, a third gas supply port 360 and a second gas exhaust port 390 are disposed between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54.

  The first gas supply nozzle 60 and the second gas supply nozzle 70 may be provided one by one. However, as shown in FIG. 3, three second gas supply nozzles 70 are provided, It is preferable that the first gas supply nozzle 60 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the two gas supply nozzles 70. By alternately arranging in this way, even if different gas types are supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 60 and the second gas supply nozzle, mixing of the different gas types can be promoted. Further, by using an odd number of the first gas supply nozzles and the second gas supply nozzles, the deposition gas supply can be made symmetrical about the central second gas supply nozzle 70, and the inside of the wafer 14 can be made symmetrical. Can improve the uniformity. The gas types supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 60 and the second gas supply nozzle 70 will be described later.

  The first gas supply port 68 and the first gas supply nozzle 60 are made of, for example, carbon graphite and are provided in the reaction chamber 44. The first gas supply nozzle 60 is attached to the manifold 36 so as to penetrate the manifold 36. The first gas supply nozzle 60 is connected to the gas supply unit 200 via the first gas line 222.

  The second gas supply port 72 is made of, for example, carbon graphite and is provided in the reaction chamber 44. The second gas supply nozzle 70 is attached to the manifold 36 so as to penetrate the manifold 36. Further, the second gas supply nozzle 70 is connected to the gas supply unit 200 via the second gas line 260.

  Further, in the first gas supply nozzle 60 and the second gas supply nozzle 70, one first gas supply port 68 and one second gas supply port 72 may be provided in the arrangement region of the substrate. Alternatively, it may be provided for every predetermined number of wafers 14.

<Exhaust system>
As shown in FIG. 3, a first gas exhaust port 90 is provided below the boat 30, and a gas exhaust pipe 230 connected to the first gas exhaust port 90 is provided in the manifold 36 so as to pass therethrough. ing. A vacuum exhaust device 220 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the downstream side of the gas exhaust pipe 230 via a pressure sensor (not shown) as a pressure detector and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 214 as a pressure regulator. Yes. A pressure control unit 98 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the APC valve 214, and the pressure control unit 98 adjusts the opening degree of the APC valve 214 based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, thereby processing furnace. Control is performed at a predetermined timing so that the pressure in 40 becomes a predetermined pressure (see FIG. 5).

  As described above, the gas supplied from the first gas supply port 68 and the second gas supply port 72 flows in parallel to the wafer 14 made of Si or SiC, and is exhausted from the first gas exhaust port 90. Therefore, the entire wafer 14 is exposed to the gas efficiently and uniformly.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the third gas supply port 360 is disposed between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54 and attached so as to penetrate the manifold 36. Further, the second gas exhaust port 390 is disposed between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54 so as to face the third gas supply port 360, and the second gas exhaust port 390 is a gas It is connected to the exhaust pipe 230. The third gas supply port 360 is formed in a third gas line 240 that penetrates the manifold 36, and the third gas line is connected to the gas supply unit 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the third gas line is connected to a gas supply source 210f via a valve 212f and an MFC 211f. For example, a rare gas Ar gas is supplied as an inert gas from the gas supply source 210f, and a gas contributing to the growth of the SiC epitaxial film is prevented from entering between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54. It is possible to prevent unnecessary products from adhering to the inner wall of 42 or the outer wall of the heat insulating material 54.

Further, the inert gas supplied between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54 is exhausted from the vacuum exhaust device 220 via the APC valve 214 on the downstream side of the gas exhaust tube 230 from the second gas exhaust port 390. Is done.
<Details of gas supplied to each gas supply system>
Next, the first gas supply system and the second gas supply system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A shows a separate system for supplying Si atom-containing gas and C atom-containing gas from different gas supply nozzles, and FIG. 4B shows the same gas supply nozzle for Si atom-containing gas and C atom-containing gas. The premix system supplied from is shown.

  First, the separation method will be described. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the separate method, the first gas line 222 is connected to a mass flow controller (hereinafter referred to as a flow rate control means) for SiH 4 gas, HCl gas, and inert gas (hereinafter referred to as flow rate control means). For example, the SiH4 gas supply source 210a, the HCl gas supply source 210b, and the inert gas supply source 210c are connected through the valves 211a, 211b, and 211c and the valves 212a, 212b, and 212c.

  With the above configuration, the supply flow rate, concentration, partial pressure, and supply timing of SiH 4 gas, HCl gas, and inert gas can be controlled in the reaction chamber 44. The valves 212a, 212b, and 212c and the MFCs 211a, 211b, and 211c are electrically connected to the gas flow rate control unit 78, and are controlled at a predetermined timing so that the flow rate of the supplied gas becomes a predetermined flow rate. (See FIG. 5). Note that SiH 4 gas, HCl gas, and inert gas supply sources 210 a, 210 b, 210 c, valves 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, MFC 211 a, 211 b, 211 c, first gas line 222, first gas supply nozzle 60 A first gas supply system is configured as a gas supply system by at least one first gas supply port 68 provided in the first gas supply nozzle 60.

  Further, the second gas line 260 is connected to the C3H8 gas supply source 210d through the MFC 211d and the valve 212d as a flow rate control unit for C3H8 gas, for example, as C (carbon) atom-containing gas, and as the reducing gas, For example, the H2 gas is connected to the H2 gas supply source 210e via the MFC 211e as a flow rate control means and a valve 212e.

  With the above configuration, the supply flow rate, concentration, and partial pressure of C3H8 gas and H2 gas can be controlled in the reaction chamber 44. The valves 212d and 212e and the MFCs 211d and 211e are electrically connected to the gas flow rate control unit 78, and are controlled at a predetermined timing so that the supplied gas flow rate becomes a predetermined flow rate ( (See FIG. 5). Gas supply is provided by gas supply sources 210d and 210e of C3H8 gas and H2 gas, valves 212d and 212e, MFCs 211d and 211e, a second gas line 260, a second gas supply nozzle 70, and a second gas supply port 72. A second gas supply system is configured as the system.

  Thus, by supplying the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas from different gas supply nozzles, it is possible to prevent the SiC film from being deposited in the gas supply nozzle. In addition, what is necessary is just to supply appropriate carrier gas, respectively, when adjusting the density | concentration and flow velocity of Si atom containing gas and C atom containing gas.

  Furthermore, a reducing gas such as hydrogen gas may be used in order to use the Si atom-containing gas more efficiently. In this case, it is desirable to supply the reducing gas through the second gas supply nozzle 70 that supplies the C atom-containing gas. In this way, the reducing gas is supplied together with the C atom-containing gas and mixed with the Si atom-containing gas in the reaction chamber 44, so that the reducing gas is reduced. Therefore, the decomposition of the Si atom-containing gas is compared with that during film formation. Therefore, the deposition of the Si film in the first gas supply nozzle can be suppressed. In this case, the reducing gas can be used as a carrier gas for the C atom-containing gas. Note that the use of an inert gas (particularly a rare gas) such as argon (Ar) as the carrier of the Si atom-containing gas can suppress the deposition of the Si film.

  Further, it is desirable to supply a chlorine atom-containing gas such as HCl to the first gas supply nozzle 60. In this way, even if the Si atom-containing gas is decomposed by heat and can be deposited in the first gas supply nozzle, it becomes possible to enter the etching mode with chlorine, and the first gas supply nozzle It is possible to further suppress the deposition of the Si film inside. Further, the chlorine atom-containing gas also has an effect of etching the deposited film, and the first gas supply port 68 can be prevented from being blocked.

  Next, the premix method shown in FIG. 4B will be described. The difference from the separate method is that a gas supply source 210d of a C atom-containing gas is connected to the first gas line 222 through an MFC 211d and a valve 212d. Thereby, since Si atom containing gas and C atom containing gas can be mixed beforehand, source gas can fully be mixed with respect to a separate system.

  In this case, it is desirable that the H2 gas supply source 210e that is a reducing gas is connected to the second gas line 260 via the MFC 211e and the valve 212e. Thereby, in the first gas supply nozzle 60, the ratio (Cl / H) of chlorine as an etching gas and hydrogen as a reducing gas can be increased, so that the etching effect by chlorine becomes larger, and Si It is possible to suppress the reaction of the atom-containing gas. Therefore, even in the premix method, it is possible to suppress the deposition of the SiC film to some extent.

  In addition, although HCl gas was illustrated as Cl (chlorine) atom containing gas flowed when forming a SiC epitaxial film, you may use chlorine gas.

  In the above description, when the SiC epitaxial film is formed, a Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and a Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas are supplied. However, a gas containing Si atoms and Cl atoms, for example, tetrachlorosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiCl4 and Gas), trichlorosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiHCl3) gas, and dichlorosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiH2Cl2) gas may be supplied. Needless to say, the gas containing Si atoms and Cl atoms is also a Si atom-containing gas or a mixed gas of Si atom-containing gas and Cl atom-containing gas. In particular, SiCl4 is desirable from the viewpoint of suppressing the consumption of Si in the nozzle because the temperature at which pyrolysis is relatively high.

  In the above description, C3H8 gas is exemplified as the C (carbon) atom-containing gas. However, ethylene (hereinafter referred to as C2H4) gas or acetylene (hereinafter referred to as C2H2) gas may be used.

  Moreover, although H2 gas was illustrated as reducing gas, it is not restricted to this, You may use other H (hydrogen) atom containing gas. Furthermore, as the carrier gas, at least one of rare gases such as Ar (argon) gas, He (helium) gas, Ne (neon) gas, Kr (krypton) gas, and Xe (xenon) gas may be used. Alternatively, a mixed gas in which the above gases are combined may be used.

<Processing furnace peripheral configuration>
Next, referring to FIG. 6, the configuration of the processing furnace 40 and its surroundings will be described. Below the processing furnace 40, a seal cap 102 is provided as a furnace port lid for hermetically closing the lower end opening of the processing furnace 40. The seal cap 102 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 102 as a sealing material that comes into contact with the lower end of the processing furnace 40. The seal cap 102 is provided with a rotation mechanism 104, and the rotation shaft 106 of the rotation mechanism 104 is connected to the boat 30 through the seal cap 102, and the wafer 14 is rotated by rotating the boat 30. It is configured.

  Further, the seal cap 102 is configured as a lifting mechanism provided outside the processing furnace 40 so as to be vertically lifted by a lifting motor 122 which will be described later. It is possible to carry in and out. A drive control unit 108 is electrically connected to the rotation mechanism 104 and the lifting motor 122, and is configured to control at a predetermined timing so as to perform a predetermined operation (see FIG. 5).

  A lower substrate 112 is provided on the outer surface of the load lock chamber 110 as a spare chamber. The lower substrate 112 is provided with a guide shaft 116 that is slidably fitted to the lifting platform 114 and a ball screw 118 that is screwed to the lifting platform 114. Further, an upper substrate 120 is provided at the upper ends of the guide shaft 116 and the ball screw 118 erected on the lower substrate 112. The ball screw 118 is rotated by an elevating motor 122 provided on the upper substrate 120, and the elevating platform 114 is moved up and down by rotating the ball screw 118.

  A hollow elevating shaft 124 is vertically suspended from the elevating platform 114, and a connecting portion between the elevating platform 114 and the elevating shaft 124 is airtight. The elevating shaft 124 is moved up and down together with the elevating platform 114. The elevating shaft 124 passes through the top plate 126 of the load lock chamber 110, and a sufficient clearance is formed in the through hole of the top plate 126 through which the elevating shaft 124 passes so that the elevating shaft 124 does not contact the top plate 126. Has been.

  A bellows 128 is provided as a hollow elastic body having elasticity so as to cover the periphery of the lifting shaft 124 between the load lock chamber 110 and the lifting platform 114, and the load lock chamber 110 is hermetically sealed by the bellows 128. It is supposed to be kept. The bellows 128 has a sufficient amount of expansion and contraction that can accommodate the amount of elevation of the lifting platform 114, and the inner diameter of the bellows 128 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the lifting shaft 124. It is comprised so that 124 may not contact.

  The elevating board 130 is horizontally fixed to the lower end of the elevating shaft 124, and the drive unit cover 132 is airtightly attached to the lower surface of the elevating board 130 via a seal member such as an O-ring. The elevating board 130 and the drive unit cover 132 constitute a drive unit storage case 134, and this configuration isolates the inside of the drive unit storage case 134 from the atmosphere in the load lock chamber 110.

  A rotation mechanism 104 for the boat 30 is provided inside the drive unit storage case 134, and the periphery of the rotation mechanism 104 is cooled by a cooling mechanism 135.

  The power cable 138 passes through the hollow portion from the upper end of the elevating shaft 124 and is guided to the rotation mechanism 104 and connected thereto. A cooling water flow path 140 is formed in the cooling mechanism 135 and the seal cap 102. Further, a cooling water pipe 142 is led from the upper end of the elevating shaft 124 through the hollow portion to the cooling water flow path 140 and connected thereto.

  As the elevating motor 122 is driven and the ball screw 118 rotates, the drive unit storage case 134 is raised and lowered via the elevating platform 114 and the elevating shaft 124.

  When the drive unit storage case 134 is raised, the seal cap 102 provided in an airtight manner on the elevating substrate 130 closes the furnace port 144 that is an opening of the processing furnace 40, so that wafer processing is possible. Further, when the drive unit storage case 134 is lowered, the boat 30 is lowered together with the seal cap 102, and the wafer 14 can be carried out to the outside.

<Control unit>
Next, referring to FIG. 5, the control configuration of each part constituting the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 for forming a SiC epitaxial film will be described.

  The temperature control unit 52, the gas flow rate control unit 78, the pressure control unit 98, and the drive control unit 108 constitute an operation unit and an input / output unit, and are electrically connected to a main control unit 150 that controls the entire semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10. ing. The temperature control unit 52, the gas flow rate control unit 78, the pressure control unit 98, and the drive control unit 108 are configured as a controller 152.

<Method of forming SiC film>
Next, as a step of the semiconductor device manufacturing process using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 described above, a substrate manufacturing method for forming, for example, a SiC film on a substrate such as a wafer 14 made of SiC or the like will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 is controlled by the controller 152.

  First, when the pod 16 storing a plurality of wafers 14 is set on the pod stage 18, the pod 16 is transferred from the pod stage 18 to the pod storage shelf 22 by the pod transfer device 20 and stocked. Next, the pod 16 stocked on the pod storage shelf 22 is transported and set to the pod opener 24 by the pod transport device 20, the lid of the pod 16 is opened by the pod opener 24, and the pod 16 is detected by the substrate number detector 26. The number of wafers 14 housed in is detected.

  Next, the wafer 14 is taken out from the pod 16 at the position of the pod opener 24 by the substrate transfer device 28 and transferred to the boat 30.

  When a plurality of wafers 14 are loaded into the boat 30, the boat 30 holding the wafers 14 is loaded into the reaction chamber 44 (boat loading) by the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting platform 114 and the lifting shaft 124 by the lifting motor 122. . In this state, the seal cap 102 is in a state of sealing the lower end of the manifold 36 via an O-ring (not shown).

  After the boat 30 is loaded, the reaction chamber 44 is evacuated by the evacuation device 220 so that the inside of the reaction chamber 44 has a predetermined pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the reaction chamber 44 is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown), and the APC valve 214 communicating with the first gas exhaust port 90 and the second gas exhaust port 390 based on the measured pressure is used. Feedback controlled. Further, the object to be heated 48 is heated so that the inside of the wafer 14 and the reaction chamber 44 has a predetermined temperature. At this time, the current supply to the induction coil 50 is feedback controlled based on temperature information detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) so that the reaction chamber 44 has a predetermined temperature distribution. Subsequently, when the boat 30 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 104, the wafer 14 is rotated in the circumferential direction.

  Subsequently, Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas contributing to the SiC epitaxial growth reaction are supplied from gas supply sources 210a and 210b, respectively, and the reaction chamber 44 is supplied from the first gas supply port 68. Erupted inside. Further, after the opening degrees of the corresponding MFCs 211d and 211e are adjusted so that the C (carbon) atom-containing gas and the reducing gas H2 gas have a predetermined flow rate, the valves 212d and 212e are opened, The gas flows through the second gas line 260, flows through the second gas supply nozzle 70, and is introduced into the reaction chamber 44 through the second gas supply port 72.

  The gas supplied from the first gas supply port 68 and the second gas supply port 72 passes through the inside of the heated body 48 in the reaction chamber 44 and passes through the gas exhaust pipe 230 from the first gas exhaust port 90. Exhausted. When the gas supplied from the first gas supply port 68 and the second gas supply port 72 passes through the reaction chamber 44, the gas contacts the wafer 14 made of SiC or the like, and the SiC is formed on the surface of the wafer 14. Epitaxial film growth is performed.

  Further, after the opening of the corresponding MFC 211f is adjusted by the gas supply source 210f so that the Ar gas, which is a rare gas as an inert gas, has a predetermined flow rate, the valve 212f is opened and the third gas line is opened. 240 is supplied to the reaction chamber 44 from the third gas supply port 360. Ar gas which is a rare gas as an inert gas supplied from the third gas supply port 360 passes between the heat insulating material 54 in the reaction chamber 44 and the reaction tube 42, and the second gas exhaust port 390. Exhausted from.

  Next, when a preset time elapses, the gas supply described above is stopped, an inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source (not shown), and the space inside the object to be heated 48 in the reaction chamber 44 becomes empty. While being replaced with the inert gas, the pressure in the reaction chamber 44 is returned to normal pressure.

  Thereafter, the seal cap 102 is lowered by the elevating motor 122, the lower end of the manifold 36 is opened, and the processed wafer 14 is carried out from the lower end of the manifold 36 to the outside of the reaction tube 42 while being held in the boat 30 ( The boat 30 waits at a predetermined position until the wafer 14 held in the boat 30 cools. When the wafers 14 in the boat 30 that have been waiting are cooled to a predetermined temperature, the wafers 14 are taken out from the boat 30 by the substrate transfer device 28, and transferred to the empty pod 16 set in the pod opener 24 for storage. To do. Thereafter, the pod 16 in which the wafers 14 are stored is transferred to the pod storage shelf 22 or the pod stage 18 by the pod transfer device 20. In this way, a series of operations of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 is completed.

  Hereinafter, main parts of the present invention will be described. In a conventional vertical heat treatment apparatus for growing a SiC film, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of wafers 14 are installed in a boat 30 and arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction. The object to be heated 48 is inductively heated by an induction coil 50 outside the quartz reaction tube 42, and film formation is performed at a predetermined temperature.

A process gas is supplied to the inside of the heated body 48 through the manifold 36 using the gas supply ports 222 and 260, and a film forming process is performed at a predetermined temperature. At this time, the heat insulating material 54 is installed so that the reaction tube 42 and the magnetic seal 58 are not heated by the radiant heat from the heated object 48. The temperature of the object to be heated 48 is measured by a radiation thermometer from the outside of the induction coil 50 and the temperature is controlled. The process gas is exhausted from the first gas exhaust port 90 of the manifold 36.

8 and 9 are enlarged views of a fixing portion of a conventional gas supply nozzle. In the conventional structure, the gas supply nozzle is composed of quartz portions 61 and 71 and carbon portions 60 and 70. The substantially L-shaped gas supply nozzles 60, 70 are slid outward from the inner surface of the manifold 36, inserted into the gas supply ports 222, 260, and the angle of the gas supply nozzles 60, 70 by the tilt adjustment screw 800. It was installed by adjusting etc.

However, since the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 are quartz members, they may be damaged when inserted into the gas supply ports 222 and 260, increasing the diameter of the gas supply nozzle or increasing the weight of the gas supply nozzle. In this case, it is difficult to insert the gas supply ports 222 and 260 into the gas supply ports 222 and 260. Further, it is necessary to have the tilt adjustment screw 800 at the lower part of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70, and there is a problem that adjustment is troublesome.

Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7, 10, and 11, by reducing the inner diameter of the manifold 36 below the reaction chamber 44, the gas nozzle fixing plate 100 is provided on the upper surface of the manifold 36 to mount the gas supply nozzle. The structure. In addition, the nozzle material is made of carbon only, eliminating the quartz part that has a high risk of breakage, and the nozzle is inserted from above the nozzle fixing plate. Furthermore, the convex part which determines a position and direction is provided in the nozzle side surface, and it was decided to fit in the concave part provided in the nozzle fixing plate.

Referring to FIG. 7, a boat heat insulating portion 34 is disposed as a disk-shaped heat insulating member made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or SiC at the lower portion of the boat 30. The distance between the inner wall of the manifold 36 and the boat heat insulating portion 34 is made as narrow as possible so that heat is not easily transmitted to the lower side of the processing furnace 40, and heat is taken away by the radiation from the boat heat insulating portion 34 to the rotating mechanism 104 of the boat 14. It was possible to reduce the heat damage.

This makes it difficult to install the gas supply nozzle by inserting a substantially L-shaped gas supply nozzle into the gas supply port from the inside of the manifold 36 as in the prior art. Therefore, the nozzle fixing plate 100 is provided on the upper surface side of the manifold 36 having a smaller inner diameter, and the gas supply nozzles 600 and 700 are inserted into the nozzle fixing plate 100 from above to be provided on the side surfaces of the gas supply nozzles 600 and 700. The convex portion 610 for determining the position and direction of the nozzle and the concave portion (not shown) provided on the nozzle fixing plate 100 are fitted.

As a result, the gas supply nozzles 600 and 700 and the gas supply ports 666 and 777 can be connected via the nozzle fixing plate 100, and the possibility of damage to the nozzle is low due to the simple structure. A supply nozzle installation structure can be realized.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the gas supply nozzle is not particularly mentioned, but the gas supply nozzle is not circular but has a square shape, which has an effect of easily adjusting the direction of the nozzle. Further, a convex portion 610 for fixing the nozzle position is provided on the side portion of the rectangular nozzle, and a concave portion (not shown) for fitting to the convex portion is provided on the nozzle fixing plate side, thereby increasing the height of the gas supply nozzle. There is an effect that adjustment in the vertical direction becomes easy.

36 Manifold

100 Nozzle fixing plate

600, 700 Gas supply nozzle

610 Convex for fixing nozzle position

666, 777 Gas supply port

Claims (2)

  A processing chamber for stacking and storing substrates, a heating unit for heating the processing chamber to a desired temperature, a gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber, and an exhaust unit for exhausting the processing chamber. The gas supply means includes a gas supply nozzle erected in the stacking direction of the substrates, a nozzle fixing plate that supports the gas supply nozzle, and a manifold that forms a lower portion of the processing chamber. The nozzle fixing plate is provided on the processing chamber side of the upper surface of the manifold, and has a gas supply port extending through the manifold and extending out of the processing chamber via the nozzle fixing plate. Is supported by being fitted to the nozzle fixing plate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion for fixing a nozzle position is provided on a side surface of the gas supply nozzle, and a concave portion that fits the convex portion is provided on the nozzle fixing plate.