JP2017128796A - Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method of vacuum processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for suppressing particles from sticking on a wafer when a gate valve partitioning off a vacuum transfer module and a vacuum processing module is opened/closed.SOLUTION: For transferring a wafer W between a vacuum transfer chamber 2 and a processing vessel 30, an Ar gas is supplied from above a mounting table 5 in the processing vessel 30 before a gate valve 40 partitioning off both is opened so that the inert gas has a smaller flow rate than an Ngas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the pressure in the processing vessel 30 is lower than the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2. Consequently, when the gate valve 40 is opened, the Ngas flows from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 to flow in the processing vessel 30 and then flows from a center portion toward a peripheral part of a top surface of the mounting table 5, and then the gate valve 40 is opened while an air current flowing downward from the peripheral edge of the mounting table 5 is maintained so as to transfer the wafer W, thereby suppressing sticking matter 100 from scattering to above the mounting table 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field for transferring a substrate between a vacuum transfer module and a vacuum processing module.

  A multi-chamber system is known as an apparatus that performs high-throughput vacuum processing, which is one of semiconductor device manufacturing processes. In this system, a plurality of vacuum processing chambers are connected to a common vacuum transfer chamber via a gate valve, and a substrate is transferred from an atmospheric atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere at normal pressure to a vacuum transfer chamber via a load lock chamber. The substrate is transferred to the vacuum processing chamber by a transfer mechanism in the substrate transfer chamber. Examples of the vacuum process include a film forming process, a dry etching process, and an annealing process.

  Conventionally, when a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) is transferred between a vacuum transfer chamber and a vacuum processing chamber, the pressure on the vacuum transfer chamber side is kept slightly higher than the pressure on the vacuum processing chamber side. The valve is opened and closed so that the atmosphere on the vacuum processing chamber side does not flow into the vacuum transfer chamber side. On the other hand, depending on the wafer processing process and the structure of the vacuum processing chamber, reaction by-products during the process may adhere and accumulate in the vacuum processing chamber, particularly in the vicinity of the gate valve. Therefore, when the gate valve is opened and closed and the atmosphere (inert gas) on the vacuum transfer chamber side flows into the vacuum processing chamber side, the by-product is rolled up and becomes particles and adheres to the surface of the transferred wafer. was there.

  In Patent Document 1, in a state where the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber is higher than that in the vacuum processing chamber, the gas flow rate in the vacuum processing chamber is set to be twice or more the gas flow rate in the vacuum transfer chamber, and the gate valve is opened and closed. A technique for suppressing the adhesion of particles to the surface of the film is described. However, the gas flow rate in the vacuum transfer chamber may suddenly increase, and particles may be wound up. Further, if the gas flow rate in the vacuum processing chamber is made larger than the gas flow rate in the vacuum transfer chamber, particles may be scattered to the vacuum transfer chamber side.

JP 2009-64873 A

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and an object thereof is to suppress adhesion of particles to a substrate when a gate valve that partitions between a vacuum transfer module and a vacuum processing module is opened and closed. To provide technology.

The vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention is a vacuum processing apparatus for processing a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere.
A substrate mounting table and a first gas supply unit for supplying a gas in a shower shape toward the mounting table are provided in the processing container in which the substrate transfer port is formed, and is lower than the mounting table. A vacuum processing module in which a first exhaust port for evacuating the inside of the processing container is formed on the side;
A transport mechanism for transporting a substrate to and from the inside of the processing container and a second gas supply for supplying an inert gas into a transport chamber that is airtightly connected to the processing container via the transport port. And a vacuum transfer module in which a second exhaust port for evacuating the transfer chamber is formed,
A gate valve for opening and closing the transfer port of the substrate;
An inert gas is supplied from the first gas supply unit, the flow rate thereof is lower than the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit, and the pressure in the processing container is lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber. And a control unit for executing the step of opening the gate valve in a state.

The operation method of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a substrate mounting table and a first gas supply unit for supplying gas in a shower shape toward the mounting table in a processing container in which a substrate transfer port is formed. And a vacuum processing module in which a first exhaust port for evacuating the inside of the processing container is formed below the mounting table,
A transport mechanism for carrying the substrate in and out of the processing container and a second gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the transport chamber that is airtightly connected to the processing container via the transport port. And a vacuum transfer module in which a second exhaust port for evacuating the transfer chamber is formed;
Using a vacuum processing apparatus provided with a gate valve that opens and closes the transfer port of the substrate,
An inert gas is supplied from the first gas supply unit, the flow rate thereof is lower than the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit, and the pressure in the processing container is lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber. Forming a state; and
Opening the gate valve in the state;
Next, a step of transporting the substrate between the processing container and the transport chamber by the transport mechanism;
And a step of closing the gate valve.

  In carrying out the transfer of the substrate between the vacuum transfer module and the processing container of the vacuum processing module, the present invention supplies an inert gas from the upper side of the mounting table in the processing container before opening the gate valve that partitions the two. Supply. Further, the flow rate of the inert gas is smaller than the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber, and the pressure in the processing container is lower than the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber. For this reason, when the gate valve is opened, the inert gas is prevented from flowing rapidly from the vacuum transfer chamber into the processing container, so that scattering of reaction products adhering to the processing container is suppressed, and the substrate surface is moved to. Since the scattering of the particles is suppressed at the same time, the particle contamination of the substrate can be reduced.

It is a top view which shows the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows a vacuum conveyance chamber and a vacuum processing module. It is a block diagram showing a gas supply section for supplying a N ₂ gas into the vacuum transfer chamber. It is explanatory drawing which shows the supply flow rate of the pressure and inert gas in a vacuum conveyance chamber and a vacuum processing module at the time of gate valve opening and closing. It is description which shows the effect | action of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is description which shows the effect | action of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is description which shows the effect | action of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is description which shows the effect | action of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. Is an explanatory view showing the N ₂ gas supply unit provided in the vacuum transfer chamber. It is description which shows the effect | action of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of gas when carrying out a processed wafer from a processing container. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of gas when carrying out a processed wafer from a processing container. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of gas when carrying an unprocessed wafer in a processing container. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of gas when carrying an unprocessed wafer in a processing container. It is a characteristic view which shows the flow volume and pressure change of the inert gas in Example 1. It is a characteristic view which shows the flow volume and pressure change of the inert gas in the comparative example 1. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing the number of wafers and the number of particles in Examples 2 and 3. FIG.

[First Embodiment]
As a vacuum processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, a vacuum processing apparatus which is a multi-chamber system will be described with reference to FIG. The vacuum processing apparatus includes a horizontally long normal pressure transfer chamber 12 whose internal atmosphere is changed to a normal pressure atmosphere by a dry gas, for example, dried nitrogen gas, and a carrier C is placed in front of the normal pressure transfer chamber 12. A loading / unloading port 11 is arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

  A door 17 that is opened and closed together with the lid of the carrier C is attached to the front wall of the normal pressure transfer chamber 12. In the normal pressure transfer chamber 12, a first transfer mechanism 14 including a joint arm for transferring the wafer W is provided. Further, an alignment chamber 16 for adjusting the orientation and eccentricity of the wafer W is provided on the left side wall of the normal pressure transfer chamber 12 when viewed from the loading / unloading port 11 side.

  For example, two load lock chambers 13a and 13b are arranged on the opposite side of the normal pressure transfer chamber 12 to the loading / unloading port 11 so as to be arranged side by side. A gate valve 18 is provided between the load lock chambers 13 a and 13 b and the normal pressure transfer chamber 12. A vacuum transfer chamber 2 constituting a vacuum transfer module (transfer chamber) is disposed via a gate valve 19 on the back side of the load lock chambers 13a and 13b as viewed from the normal pressure transfer chamber 12 side.

  A vacuum processing module 3 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 2 via a gate chamber 4 having a gate valve 40. The vacuum transfer chamber 2 is provided with a second transfer mechanism 21 having two transfer arms composed of articulated arms. The second transfer mechanism 21 allows the load lock chambers 13a and 13b and the vacuum transfer chambers 13 and 13 to be The wafer W is transferred between the processing modules 3.

The vacuum transfer chamber 2 will be described with reference to FIG. An exhaust port 22 is opened on the bottom surface of the vacuum container 200 in the vacuum transfer chamber 2. An exhaust pipe 23 is connected to the exhaust port 22, and the inside of the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is evacuated by a vacuum exhaust mechanism 24 composed of a vacuum pump or a turbo molecular pump. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 231 denotes a pressure adjusting valve, and reference numeral 232 denotes an opening / closing valve. An N ₂ gas supply unit 25 that supplies nitrogen gas (N ₂ gas), which is an inert gas, is provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 on the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 2. As shown in FIG. 3, one end of an N ₂ gas supply pipe 26 is connected to the N ₂ gas supply section 25, and an N ₂ gas supply mechanism 27 is provided on the other end side of the N ₂ gas supply pipe 26. _The N ₂ gas is supplied from the _two gas supply unit 25 into the vacuum transfer chamber 2. The N ₂ gas supply pipe 26 is provided with a pressure control valve 28 and a mass flow meter (MFM) 29 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 side. The inert gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is not limited to N ₂ gas, and other inert gas such as Ar gas can also be used. When the flow rate flowing into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is not monitored, the mass flow meter 29 can be omitted. Further, reference numeral 81 in FIG. 1 denotes a pressure measuring unit that measures the pressure in the vacuum vessel 200.

The pressure control valve 28 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The controller 8 is connected to the pressure control valve 28. The controller 8 includes an addition unit 82 and a PID calculation unit 83. Then, the controller 8 adds an amount of deviation between the pressure set value set by the computer 9 described later and the pressure detection value measured by the pressure measuring unit 81 provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 (matching circuit) 82. Ask for. For example, the PID calculation unit 83 performs a PID calculation process on the deviation, and outputs an operation amount to the pressure control valve 28. For example, the opening degree of the pressure control valve 28 is adjusted based on the operation amount. Specifically, in the pressure control valve 28, so that the N ₂ gas quantity present in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and kept constant, performs the supply of the predetermined amount of N ₂ gas, to stabilize the pressure. Accordingly, when the detected pressure value becomes low, the deviation increases, the opening degree of the pressure control valve 28 is increased, the flow rate of N ₂ gas is increased, and the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is increased. Further, when the pressure detection value becomes high, the deviation becomes small, the opening degree of the pressure control valve 28 is reduced, the flow rate of N ₂ gas is reduced, and the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is reduced.

Next, an example in which a film forming apparatus is applied as the vacuum processing module 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum processing module 3 is configured as a CVD apparatus that supplies a raw material gas containing TiCl ₄ to the wafer W, an H ₂ gas that serves as a reducing gas, and an ammonia (NH ₃ ) gas for nitriding. Yes. The vacuum processing module 3 includes a cylindrical processing container 30 having an upper opening. For example, a cylindrical exhaust chamber 31 protruding downward is formed at the center of the bottom wall of the processing chamber 30, and an exhaust port 32 is opened on a side surface of the exhaust chamber 31. An exhaust path 33 is connected to the exhaust port 32, and the exhaust path 33 is connected to a vacuum exhaust mechanism 37 so that the inside of the processing container 30 can be depressurized to a predetermined vacuum pressure. In the figure, 331 is a pressure adjusting valve, and 332 is an opening / closing valve.

  A transfer port 34 for loading and unloading the wafer W is provided on the side wall of the processing container 30, and the transfer port 34 is connected to the gate chamber 4. The gate chamber 4 is constituted by a flat housing, and an opening is formed at a position corresponding to the transfer port 34 of the processing container 30 and a position corresponding to the opening 20 formed in the vacuum transfer chamber 2. In order to avoid complication of the description, these openings are handled as a part of the transport port 34 and a part of the opening 20, respectively.

  The gate chamber 4 is provided with a plate-like gate valve 40 that closes the transfer port 34 of the processing container 30. An elevating mechanism 43 is provided below the gate valve 40 on the bottom surface of the gate chamber 4, and the gate valve 40 is configured to be movable up and down. A very narrow gap is provided between the gate valve 40 and the wall surface on the vacuum processing module 3 side in the gate chamber 4 so as not to prevent the gate valve 40 from moving up and down. Further, a ridge 40a is formed on the upper surface of the gate valve 40, and a groove 44 is formed on the ceiling surface of the gate chamber 4 at a position corresponding to the ridge 40a. When the gate valve 40 is raised to the upper position indicated by the chain line in FIG. 2, the ridge 40a is inserted into the groove 44 and is airtightly partitioned. As described above, since the space between the gate valve 40 and the wall surface on the vacuum processing module 3 side in the gate chamber 4 is very narrow, the transfer port 34 is airtightly closed when the gate valve 40 is in the upper position. When the gate valve 40 is lowered to the lower position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2, the transfer port 34 is opened.

  A metal mounting table 5 for holding the wafer W substantially horizontally is provided in the processing container 30, and the mounting table 5 is fixed to the bottom surface of the exhaust chamber 31 by a support column 50. A heater (not shown) is embedded in the mounting table 5, and the wafer W is heated to a set temperature, for example, 400 ° C. or higher based on a control signal from a computer 9 described later. The mounting table 5 is connected to the ground potential and serves as a lower electrode as will be described later. Further, the mounting table 5 is formed with three through holes 55 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the lifting pins 51 for holding and lifting the wafer W on the mounting table 5 in each through hole 55. Is provided. The raising / lowering pin 51 is connected to the raising / lowering mechanism 53 which consists of the air cylinder provided in the exterior of the processing container 30 via the raising / lowering axis | shaft 52, for example. In the figure, reference numeral 54 denotes a bellows for making the inside of the processing container 30 airtight. The wafer W is mounted on the mounting table 5 by the cooperative action of the lift pins 51 and the second transfer mechanism 21 in the vacuum transfer chamber 2.

  Further, the upper portion of the processing container 30 is closed by a gas shower head 7, which is a metal gas supply unit forming an upper electrode, via an insulating member 75. A high frequency power source 77 is connected to the gas shower head 7 via a matching unit 78. A gas to be excited is supplied from the gas shower head 7 into the processing vessel 30, and high-frequency power is applied between the gas shower head 7 forming the upper electrode and the mounting table 5 forming the lower electrode, thereby generating plasma. The parallel plate type plasma processing apparatus is configured.

  The gas shower head 7 which is a gas supply unit includes a shower plate (diffusion plate) 71 in which gas supply holes 73 penetrating in the thickness direction are arranged vertically and horizontally, for example, and supplies gas toward the mounting table 5 in a shower shape It is configured to be able to. Reference numeral 74 denotes a gas diffusion chamber for diffusing gas. In the gas shower head 7, a heating mechanism 79 is embedded in the ceiling member 72 above the gas diffusion chamber 74, and based on a control signal transmitted from a computer 9 described later, a heating mechanism is supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). By supplying power to 79, it is heated to a set temperature.

The gas shower head 7 is connected to the downstream end of the gas supply path 6 that penetrates the ceiling member 72, and the upstream side of the gas supply path 6 is branched to provide a titanium tetrachloride (TiCl ₄ ) gas supply source 61. A hydrogen (H ₂ ) gas supply source 62, an ammonia (NH ₃ ) gas supply source 63, an argon (Ar) gas supply source 64, and an N ₂ gas supply source 65 are connected. In FIG. 2, V1 to V5 are valves, and M1 to M5 are flow rate adjusting units. The flow rate adjustment units M <b> 1 to M <b> 5 are configured by, for example, a mass flow controller, and are controlled so that the flow rate of the gas supplied to the processing container 30 becomes a flow rate set by the computer 9.
A pressure measuring unit 35 that measures the pressure in the processing container 30 is provided at a position below the mounting table 5 on the side wall of the processing container 30.

The film forming process for the wafer W will be briefly described. After the wafer W is mounted on the mounting table 5, first, TiCl ₄ gas, Ar gas, and H ₂ gas are supplied into the processing container 30 as film forming gases. Thereafter, the high frequency power supply 77 is turned on, and high frequency power is applied between the gas shower head 7 and the mounting table 5 to generate plasma in the processing chamber 30. As a result, the TiCl ₄ gas and the H ₂ gas are activated and reacted to form a Ti film on the surface of the wafer W. In this film formation reaction, by-products such as NH ₄ Cl are generated during the reaction. Therefore, as the film forming process proceeds, reaction products accumulate on the surface in the processing container 30.

Subsequently, the supply of TiCl ₄ gas, Ar gas and H ₂ gas, and high-frequency power are stopped, the processing container 30 is exhausted, and TiCl ₄ , Ar gas and H ₂ gas are discharged from the processing container 30. Next, NH ₃ gas, Ar gas, and H ₂ gas are supplied into the processing container 30 to perform a process of nitriding the surface of the Ti film. By supplying the NH ₃ gas, the Ti film is nitrided, the chemical reaction shown in the formula (1) proceeds, and a TiN (titanium nitride) layer is formed on the surface.
TiCl ₄ + 6NH ₃ → TiN + 4NH ₄ Cl + 1 / 2N ₂ + H ₂ (1) Formula In this way, a TiN layer is stacked on the surface of the wafer W to form a TiN film.
Even in this series of reactions, by-products such as NH ₄ Cl are generated as shown in the equation (1), these by-products accumulate in the processing vessel 30 as deposits. Further, not only by-products but also Ti-containing materials generated by corrosion of the processing container 30, for example, adhere to the processing container 30 as adhering substances.

  The vacuum processing apparatus includes a computer 9 that forms part of a control unit, and the computer 9 includes a program, a memory, and a CPU. These programs are stored in a computer storage medium, for example, a compact disk, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc., and installed in the computer 9. The program includes transfer of the wafer W, supply / disconnection of each gas in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the vacuum processing module 3, exhaust in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the vacuum processing module 3, and wafer between the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the vacuum processing module 3. A group of steps is set up so as to perform a series of operations including the conveyance of W. In addition, the pressure setting value of the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is written in the memory of the computer 9, and the pressure setting value is output to the adding unit 82.

  An overall wafer W processing process of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described. When the carrier C containing the wafer W is placed on the loading / unloading port 11, the wafer W in the carrier C is taken out by the first transfer mechanism 14, the alignment chamber 16 → the load lock chamber 13 a (13 b) → It is transported along the route of the vacuum transport chamber 2. After the wafer W is transferred from the normal pressure transfer chamber 12 to the load lock chamber 13a, (13b), the load lock chamber 13a, (13b) is evacuated to vacuum the load lock chamber 13a, (13b) to the vacuum transfer chamber. 2 can be conveyed. Then, the second transfer mechanism 21 takes out the wafer W from the load lock chamber 13a (13b) and then transfers it to the vacuum processing module 3.

Next, transfer of the wafer W between the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the vacuum processing module 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 schematically show the vacuum processing module 3 and the vacuum transfer chamber 2. The graphs (1) and (2) in FIG. 4 (a) show the measured pressure values in the processing chamber 30 before the gate valve 40 starts to open and after the wafer W is loaded and the gate valve 40 is closed. The time change and the time change of the pressure measurement value in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 are shown. Also, the graphs (3) and (4) in FIG. 4B show the Ar gas in the processing chamber 30 before the gate valve 40 is opened and after the wafer W is loaded and the gate valve 40 is closed. The time change of the supply flow rate of N ₂ and the time change of the supply flow rate of the N ₂ gas in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 are shown. 4A and 4B, the time when the gate valve 40 starts to open is shown as time t0, and the time after a while has elapsed after the gate valve 40 has been fully opened is taken as t1. The time when the gate valve 40 is closed is indicated as time t2. In the present embodiment, Ar gas is used as the gas supplied before and after opening and closing the gate valve 40 in the processing container 30, but it is not limited to Ar gas, and instead, inert gas such as N ₂ gas is used. Gas may be used. Similarly, the gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2 may be other inert gas instead of N ₂ gas.
It is assumed that a wafer W having a smaller order than the wafer W loaded into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is placed in the processing chamber 30 and the film forming process is completed, and the gate valve 40 is opened, It is assumed that the two transfer arms constituting the second transfer mechanism 21 are on standby for replacement with the next wafer W.

First, when the wafer W is transferred to the vacuum processing module 3, before opening the gate valve 40, Ar gas as an inert gas is flowed into the processing container 30 as shown in FIG. 5 at a flow rate of, for example, 200 sccm (milliliter / minute). Supply with. In the vacuum transfer chamber 2, N ₂ gas is supplied from the N ₂ gas supply unit 25 at a flow rate of 500 sccm, for example. As shown in FIG. 4A, the pressure in the vacuum processing module 3 at this time is set to 75 Pa, and the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is set to 100 Pa, which is higher than the pressure in the processing container 30.

Further, when the film formation process is performed in the vacuum processing module 3, as shown in FIG. 5, a Cl compound such as NH ₄ Cl generated in the film formation process, Ti, or the like is formed on the inner surface of the vacuum processing module 3. A deposit 100 such as a film adheres. The deposit 100 is also adhered to the upper surface portion of the transfer port 34 and the wall surface on the processing container 30 side in the gap between the gas shower head 7 and the processing container 30.

Before the time t0, Ar gas is supplied in a shower shape from the gas shower head 7 to the mounting table 5 in the processing container 30, so that the surface of the mounting table 5 is directed from the top to the bottom. Then, after the gas arrives, a gas flow that flows from the center of the mounting table 5 toward the peripheral edge is formed. The Ar gas flowing toward the periphery of the mounting table 5 flows downward from the periphery of the mounting table 5 and is exhausted from the exhaust port 32 provided on the lower side of the processing container 30.
Next, the gate valve 40 starts to open at time t0 shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). At this time (at time t0), since the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is higher than the pressure in the processing container 30, the atmosphere in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 flows into the processing container 30 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 decreases and the pressure in the processing container 30 increases.

Here, in the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the flow rate of the N ₂ gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is adjusted based on the change in pressure, and the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is controlled to be constant. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4A, immediately after the gate valve 40 is opened, the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 instantaneously decreases. Therefore, the supply amount of N ₂ gas suddenly increases as shown in FIG. 4B, and further, the flow rate of N ₂ gas flowing from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30 increases. On the other hand, in the processing container 30, the supply amount of Ar gas is constant, and the pressure rises without changing the supply amount of Ar gas.

  Here, the inventor determines that the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 when the gate valve 40 is opened when the pressure difference in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the pressure in the processing container 30 is large as shown in the embodiments described later. It has been found that the gas rapidly decreases and the gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 increases rapidly. When the flow rate of the gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 suddenly increases, the flow rate of the gas flowing from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30 also increases rapidly, making it easy to wind up the by-product.

In the first embodiment, before opening the gate valve 40, the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is set higher than the pressure in the processing container 30, but the difference is 25 Pa. Then, as shown in the graph (4) in FIG. 4, the N ₂ gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 immediately after the time t0 when the gate valve 40 is opened is suppressed to about 2000 sccm, for example, and in FIG. As shown in the graph (2), the change in the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 becomes small. Thereafter, the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 quickly returns to 100 Pa.

As described in the background art, due to the airflow flowing from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 toward the processing container 30, the deposit 100 attached near the transfer port 34 may be scattered above the mounting table 5, Since the sudden increase in the flow rate of N ₂ gas flowing into the vacuum processing module 3 from the inside of the vacuum transfer chamber 2 immediately after the gate valve 40 is opened is suppressed, the deposit 100 adhering to the vicinity of the transfer port 34 is suppressed. Can be suppressed.

  In addition, on the surface of the mounting table 5, an airflow is formed from the central part toward the peripheral side and downward from the peripheral edge of the mounting table 5. Therefore, the airflow flowing into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 flows below the mounting table 5 together with the airflow in the processing container 30 and is exhausted from the exhaust port 32 provided below the processing container 30. Therefore, even when the deposit 100 adhering to the vicinity of the transfer port 34 of the processing container 30 is scattered by the airflow flowing from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30, the processed wafer W on the mounting table 5 is located above the processed wafer W. Are exhausted from the lower side of the processing container 30 without scattering.

Thereafter, at time t1 when a certain time has elapsed from time t0 when the gate valve 40 starts to be opened, the pressure in the vacuum processing module 3 is stabilized at, for example, about 90 Pa as shown in the graph (1) in FIG. As shown in the graph (2), the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is stable at 100 Pa, for example. As shown in the graph (4) in FIG. 4B, the flow rate of the N ₂ gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is also stable at, for example, 1800 sccm.

  Further, the wafer W on the mounting table 5 that has already been processed and is on standby is transferred to one transfer arm of the second transfer mechanism 21 as shown in FIG. Next, one of the transfer arms transfers the processed wafer W that has been processed to the vacuum transfer chamber 2. Subsequently, although not shown, the unprocessed wafer W is transferred to the vacuum processing module 3 by the other transfer arm of the second transfer mechanism 21 and transferred to the mounting table 5. Thereafter, the transfer arm is retracted. Then, the gate valve 40 starts to close, and at time t2, the gate valve 40 finishes closing as shown in FIG.

When the gate valve 40 is closed at time t2, the vacuum processing module 3 is sealed and the pressure is reduced to 75 Pa as shown in the graph (1) of FIG. Further, as shown in the graph (2), the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 slightly increases, and the flow rate of the N ₂ gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2 as shown in the graph (4) in FIG. Decrease to 500 sccm. Thereby, the pressure of the vacuum transfer chamber 2 returns to 100 Pa. Thereafter, the processed wafer W is returned to the original carrier C by the second transfer mechanism 21 through, for example, the load lock chamber 13a (13b).

According to the first embodiment, when the wafer W is transferred between the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the processing container 30, the mounting table is set in the processing container 30 before opening the gate valve 40 that partitions both. Ar gas is supplied from above 5. Furthermore, the flow rate of Ar gas is smaller than the flow rate of N ₂ gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2, and the pressure in the processing container 30 is lower than the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2. For this reason, when the gate valve 40 is opened, the N ₂ gas flows from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30, and from the center of the surface of the mounting table 5 toward the peripheral side, from the peripheral edge of the mounting table 5. The wafer W is transported by opening the gate valve 40 while maintaining both the downward flow of Ar gas. Therefore, scattering of the deposit 100 in the vacuum processing module 3 to the upper side of the mounting table 5 is suppressed, and particle adhesion to the wafer W can be suppressed. Contamination due to the inflow of particles to 2 is also suppressed at the same time.

Further, since the flow rate of N ₂ gas that suddenly flows into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 when the gate valve 40 is opened is suppressed, the processing container due to scattering of particles adhering to the processing container 30 is suppressed. In addition, contamination inside 30 is also suppressed.
In the present embodiment, the flow rate of Ar gas supplied into the processing container 30 is 200 sccm (milliliter / minute), but considering the protection of the surface of the wafer W and the back diffusion of gas into the vacuum transfer chamber 2, It is preferably 50 sccm or more and 1000 sccm or less.

From the viewpoint of reducing the flow rate of N ₂ gas flowing into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2, N ₂ supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 from when the gate valve 40 starts to be closed until the gate valve 40 is closed. The gas flow rate is preferably suppressed to 3000 sccm or less.
In order to suppress a sudden increase in the flow rate of N ₂ gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2, for example, a transfer function used in the PID calculation unit 83 in the controller 8 is adjusted. In the PID control, an increase / decrease speed (response speed) of the flow rate of the N ₂ gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is determined when the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is changed by a transfer function. Therefore, for example, by adjusting the values of the proportional gain, differential gain, and integral gain used in the transfer function, the rate of increase in the N ₂ gas flow rate when the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 decreases can be slowed (response And a sudden increase in the flow rate of N ₂ gas can be suppressed. Therefore, the controller 8 adjusts the response speed of the flow rate of the pressure control valve 28 that increases or decreases the flow rate of N ₂ gas, and corresponds to a flow rate increase / decrease speed adjustment unit.

Further, in order to more surely suppress the sudden increase in the flow rate of the N ₂ gas supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the vacuum transfer chamber 2 when the gate valve 40 is opened, and the vacuum processing module 3 such as a film forming apparatus. It is preferable to reduce the pressure difference.
If the pressure difference becomes too large, the flow rate of N ₂ gas that suddenly flows into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 increases, and the flow rate of N ₂ gas that flows from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the vacuum processing module 3 tends to increase. If the pressure difference is too small, the atmosphere in the processing container 30 may be reversely diffused into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 when the gate valve 40 is opened. Therefore, it is preferable that the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is set higher than the pressure in the processing container 30 and the pressure difference is 10 Pa or more and 50 Pa or less. More preferably, it is 20 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less.

Alternatively, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, an orifice 101 and a pressure regulator 102 may be provided on the upstream side of the pressure control valve 28 in the N ₂ gas supply pipe 26 provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 to suppress the flow rate increase rate. Good. In the example shown in FIG. 9, an orifice 101 is provided between the pressure control valve 28 and the MFM 29, and a pressure regulator 102 is provided upstream thereof. In the figure, reference numeral 103 denotes a pressure gauge.

With this configuration, if the inner diameter of the orifice 101 and the set pressure by the pressure regulator 102 are adjusted in advance, even if the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 drops momentarily, the pressure control valve 28 Although the opening is increased, the orifice 101 prevents the N ₂ gas from flowing above a certain flow rate from flowing, so that the flow rate of the N ₂ gas flowing into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 can be prevented from suddenly increasing. it can.
The vacuum processing module 3 may be, for example, an etching device or an annealing device. Furthermore, the vacuum processing apparatus is not limited to a multi-chamber system, and may have a configuration in which a load lock chamber that also serves as the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is connected to a stand-alone vacuum processing module.

[Second Embodiment]
A vacuum processing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, while the inert gas is supplied from the gas shower head 7 into the processing container 30, the supply of the inert gas is stopped after the processed wafer W is unloaded from the processing container 30. Thereafter, the unprocessed wafer W is loaded.
For example, similarly to the above-described embodiment, after processing the wafer W in the processing container 30, Ar gas as an inert gas is flowed into the processing container 30 at a flow rate of 200 sccm, for example, as shown in FIG. In the vacuum transfer chamber 2, N ₂ gas is supplied from the N ₂ gas supply unit 25 at a flow rate of, for example, 500 sccm. Next, for example, the gate valve 40 is opened as shown in FIG. 6 with the pressure in the processing container 30 set to 75 Pa and the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 set to, for example, 100 Pa higher than the pressure in the processing container 30. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the processed wafer W on the mounting table 5 is received by one transfer arm of the second transfer mechanism 21 and transferred to the vacuum transfer chamber 2. Thereafter, the gate valve 40 is closed, and the supply of Ar gas from the gas shower head 7 in the processing container 30 is stopped (flow rate 0 sccm).

  In the first embodiment, after the processed wafer W in the processing container 30 is transferred to the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the unprocessed wafer W in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is subsequently transferred to the processing container 30. In the second embodiment, the sequence is different in that the gate valve 40 is once closed and the supply of Ar gas from the gas shower head 7 is stopped.

Subsequently, when the gate valve 40 is opened, as shown in FIG. 10, gas flows from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30, is exhausted from the lower side of the processing container 30, and is transferred above the mounting table 5. An air flow is formed from the mouth 34 side toward the back side of the processing container 30. Due to the airflow flowing from the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the adhering matter that adheres to the inside of the processing vessel 30, particularly the adhering matter adhering to the vicinity of the transfer port 34, is peeled off. Also, particles scattered in the processing container 30 are exhausted together with the N ₂ gas.

  Further, the unprocessed wafer W is flown from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30 by the second transfer mechanism 21 in a state where an airflow is formed from the transfer port 34 side to the back side of the processing container 30 above the mounting table 5. Is loaded into the processing container 30, and the unprocessed wafer W is delivered to the mounting table 5. At this time, in addition to the particles in the processing container 30 being previously removed by the airflow flowing into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the upper side of the mounting table 5 is directed from the transfer port 34 side to the back side of the processing container 30. The airflow prevents particles from adhering to the unprocessed wafer W. Thereafter, the second transfer mechanism 21 is retracted into the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the gate valve 40 is closed, and the unprocessed wafer W is processed. In the above description, it has been described that the unprocessed wafer W is loaded in a state where an airflow from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30 is formed. However, it is sufficient that the airflow is once formed immediately before the unprocessed wafer W is loaded.

The flow of the inert gas in the processing container 30 in 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. 11-14, the vacuum processing module 3 and the gate chamber 4 are simplified and described, and the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is omitted. When the processed wafer W is unloaded from the processing container 30, an inert gas is supplied from the gas shower head 7 at a first flow rate, and the pressure in the processing container 30 is lower than that in the vacuum transfer chamber 2. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the inert gas flows radially above the mounting table 5, and an airflow is formed that flows to the lower side of the processing container 30.
Further, when the unprocessed wafer W is loaded into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 side, the inert gas is stopped from the gas shower head 7 at a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate, here the inert gas is stopped ( The flow rate is set to 0 sccm), and the pressure in the processing container 30 is lower than that in the vacuum transfer chamber 2. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, an airflow flowing into the processing container 30 from the transfer port 34 flows above the mounting table 5 and an airflow exhausted from below the processing container 30 is formed.

  In the second embodiment, after the processed wafer W is transferred from the processing container 30 to the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the gate valve 40 is closed before the unprocessed wafer W is transferred into the processing container 30. The supply of Ar gas from the gas shower head 7 is stopped. Therefore, when the gate valve 40 is opened next, gas flows from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30 and an airflow flowing above the mounting table 5 is formed. This air flow removes in advance the adhering adhering substances in the vicinity of the transfer port 34 in the processing container 30 so that the particles are prevented from adhering when the unprocessed wafer W is loaded. In addition, after processing the wafer W, there is less possibility of particles adhering to the processed wafer W when the processed wafer W is unloaded.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the flow rate of Ar gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 when carrying in the unprocessed wafer W is set to 0 sccm, but a small amount of gas may be supplied. In this case, before the processed wafer W is transferred from the processing container 30 to the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 when the gate valve 40 is opened is unprocessed. It is necessary to reduce the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 when the wafer W is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30. As a result, when the unprocessed wafer W is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30, an airflow flows from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 and flows above the mounting table 5. An air flow is formed.

  Alternatively, after the processed wafer W is unloaded from the processing container 30, the flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 may be reduced without closing the gate valve 40, and then the unprocessed wafer W may be loaded. However, in order to further enhance the particle removal effect by the flow of air flow from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 into the processing container 30, the gate valve 40 is once closed before changing the flow rate of Ar gas supplied from the gas shower head 7. Is preferred. By closing the gate valve 40, the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 and the processing container 30 can be controlled independently, so that a pressure difference is formed and the particle removal effect when the gate valve 40 is opened is enhanced. . In addition, since the vacuum transfer chamber 2 adjusts the flow rate of N2 gas by pressure control, by closing the gate valve 40 once, the vacuum transfer chamber 2 is not affected by changing the flow rate of the gas in the processing vessel 30, and thus the processing vessel 30. It is also possible to prevent a change in the gas supply amount accompanying a change in the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 due to a change in the flow rate of the gas inside. As a result, there is an advantage that the gas flow rate in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 can be easily stabilized.

  Further, the processed wafer W is unloaded from the processing container 30 and, for example, the gate valve 40 is closed, and then plasma processing is performed in the processing container 30 as a post-deposition processing recipe to stabilize deposits in the processing container 30. You may let them. Thereafter, the gate valve 40 may be opened by stopping or reducing the flow rate of Ar gas supplied from the gas shower head 7. Before the unprocessed wafer W is carried into the processing container 30, it is possible to more efficiently remove the deposits adhering to the processing container 30 and to make the particles more difficult to scatter. The post-deposition process recipe may be a nitridation process for stabilizing deposits in the process container 30 or a purge process by supplying a gas into the process container 30. Further, when performing the post-deposition processing recipe, the gate valve 40 may be opened.

In order to verify the effect of the embodiment of the present invention, the following test was performed.
[Example 1]
Using the vacuum processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the pressure on the vacuum transfer chamber 2 side is set to 100 Pa, the pressure on the processing container 30 side is set to 75 Pa, and the gate valve is opened 26 seconds after the gate valve 40 starts to open. 40 is closed. The supply flow rate of N ₂ gas on the vacuum transfer chamber 2 side before opening the gate valve 40 was set to 500 sccm. In the vacuum processing module 3, Ar gas was supplied from the gas shower head 7 at a flow rate of 200 sccm.

[Comparative Example 1]
The operation is the same as in Example 1 except that the pressure in the processing container 30 before opening the gate valve 40 is set to 20 Pa, the response of the PID calculation unit 83 is increased, and the flow rate is increased or decreased. This example was designated as Comparative Example 1.
In each of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the pressure in the processing container 30, and the supply amount of N ₂ gas in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 are changed for 40 seconds from 5 seconds before the gate valve 40 starts to open. It was measured. FIGS. 15 and 16 show changes in the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the pressure in the processing container 30, and the supply amount of N ₂ gas in the vacuum transfer chamber 2 with respect to the elapsed time (seconds), respectively. In FIGS. 15 and 16, the time when the gate valve 40 starts to open is described as 0.
As shown in FIG. 15, in the first embodiment, immediately after the gate valve 40 is opened, the flow rate supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 rises to about 2000 sccm, and the vacuum transfer is performed until the gate valve 40 is completely closed. The flow rate supplied into the chamber 2 was maintained at about 1800 sccm.

As shown in FIG. 16, in Comparative Example 1, immediately after the gate valve 40 is opened, the flow rate supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 increases to about 7000 sccm, and the vacuum transfer is performed until the gate valve 40 is completely closed. The flow rate supplied into the chamber 2 was maintained at about 3000 sccm.
According to this result, the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent a sudden increase in the flow rate of N ₂ gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber 2 immediately after the gate valve 40 is opened. I can say that.

  When the wafer W was processed using the vacuum processing apparatus according to Example 1 described above, the number of particles detected in the wafer W taken out from the processing container 30 was examined. For example, 699 wafers were processed, and the number of particles in the 5, 50, 100, 199, 299, 399, 499, 599, and 699th wafers W was counted.

[Comparative Example 2]
Further, as Comparative Example 2, the wafer W was processed using a vacuum processing apparatus set in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 except that Ar gas was not supplied into the processing container 30 when the gate valve 40 was opened and closed. Then, the number of detected particles in the wafer W taken out from the processing container 30 was examined. For example, 399 wafers were processed, and the number of particles in the 2, 49, 99, 199, 299, and 399th wafers W was counted.
In Example 1, the average number of detected particles was 8.9, but in Comparative Example 2, particles started to increase from the 99th wafer W, and 47 particles in the 99th wafer W. In the 199th wafer W, the number increased rapidly to 1632, and the average number of detected particles exceeded 1000.
According to this result, it can be said that particles adhering to the wafer W can be reduced by using the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

A wafer W processed using the vacuum processing apparatus according to the second embodiment is referred to as Example 2. In Example 2, the gate valve 40 was opened and closed by setting the pressure on the vacuum transfer chamber 2 side to 100 Pa and the pressure on the processing container 30 side when carrying out the processed wafer W to 60 Pa. The supply flow rate of N ₂ gas on the vacuum transfer chamber 2 side before opening the gate valve 40 was set to 500 sccm. Further, before the processed wafer W is transferred from the vacuum processing module 3 to the vacuum transfer chamber 2, the flow rate of Ar gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 is set to 200 sccm, and the unprocessed wafer W is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 to the vacuum processing module 2. The Ar gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 was stopped (0 sccm) before being carried into 3.

In Example 2, the number of detected particles in the processed wafer W taken out from the processing container 30 was examined. For example, 700 wafers were processed, and the number of particles (diameter 45 nm or more) was counted on the 5, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700th wafers W.
An example in which the processing was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the set pressure in the processing container 30 was set to 60 Pa was taken as Example 3. In Example 3, the number of particles (with a diameter of 45 nm or more) was counted on the 5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 499, 599, and 699th wafers W.

  FIG. 17 shows this result, and is a characteristic diagram showing the number of wafers W in Examples 2 and 3 and the number of detected particles. As shown in FIG. 17, in Example 2, the number of detected particles was 20 or less, and in Example 3, it was 30 or less. Therefore, in Examples 2 and 3, it can be seen that the number of detected particles is much smaller than in Comparative Example 2 described above. In the second embodiment, the number of detected particles is further reduced as compared with the third embodiment.

In each of Examples 2 and 3, when the number of particles attached to the twelfth processed wafer W was counted, 5 particles were detected in Example 2 and 20 particles were detected in Example 3. It was done.
Accordingly, the inert gas supplied from the gas shower head 7 is stopped when the unprocessed wafer W is carried into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2 so that the gas flows into the processing container 30 from the vacuum transfer chamber 2. By doing so, it can be said that particles adhering to the processed wafer W can be further suppressed.

2 vacuum transfer chamber 3 vacuum processing module 4 gate chamber 5 mounting table 6 gas supply path 7 gas shower head 9 computer 14 first transfer mechanism 21 second transfer mechanism 22 exhaust ports 24 and 37 vacuum exhaust mechanism 25 N ₂ gas supply Part 32 Exhaust port 40 Gate valve

Claims (12)

In a vacuum processing apparatus for processing a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere,
A substrate mounting table and a first gas supply unit for supplying a gas in a shower shape toward the mounting table are provided in the processing container in which the substrate transfer port is formed, and is lower than the mounting table. A vacuum processing module in which a first exhaust port for evacuating the inside of the processing container is formed on the side;
A transport mechanism for transporting a substrate to and from the inside of the processing container and a second gas supply for supplying an inert gas into a transport chamber that is airtightly connected to the processing container via the transport port. And a vacuum transfer module in which a second exhaust port for evacuating the transfer chamber is formed,
A gate valve for opening and closing the transfer port of the substrate;
An inert gas is supplied from the first gas supply unit, the flow rate thereof is lower than the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit, and the pressure in the processing container is lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber. And a control unit for executing the step of opening the gate valve in a state.   2. The maximum flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit to the transfer chamber after the gate valve starts to be closed until the gate valve is closed is 3000 ml / min or less. The vacuum processing apparatus as described in.   The said 2nd gas supply part is provided with the increase / decrease speed adjustment part for adjusting the increase / decrease speed of a flow volume, The maximum flow volume of the said inert gas is set by the said increase / decrease speed adjustment part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The vacuum processing apparatus according to 2.   The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second gas supply unit includes an orifice in order to suppress an increase rate of the flow rate.   5. The difference between the pressure in the processing container when starting to open the gate valve and the pressure in the transfer chamber is 10 Pa or more and 50 Pa or less. 5. Vacuum processing equipment.   Following the step of opening the gate valve, the step of transporting the processed substrate from the processing container to the transport chamber by the transport mechanism, and the step of opening the gate valve, the inert gas from the first gas supply unit When the flow rate is the first flow rate, following the step of transporting the processed substrate, the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the first gas supply unit is set to a second flow rate that is smaller than the first flow rate. A step of forming an airflow flowing from the transfer chamber into the processing container, a step of transferring an unprocessed substrate from the transfer chamber into the processing container, and a step of closing the gate valve thereafter. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a section.   Following the step of transferring the processed substrate from the processing chamber to the transfer chamber, the step of closing the gate valve, the post-deposition processing step for suppressing particle scattering in the processing vessel, and then the transfer chamber Forming an airflow that flows into the processing container from above, further opening the gate valve, and then transporting an unprocessed substrate from the transport chamber into the processing container. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 6. A substrate mounting table and a first gas supply unit for supplying a gas in a shower shape toward the mounting table are provided in the processing container in which the substrate transfer port is formed, and is lower than the mounting table. A vacuum processing module in which a first exhaust port for evacuating the inside of the processing container is formed on the side;
A transport mechanism for carrying the substrate in and out of the processing container and a second gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the transport chamber that is airtightly connected to the processing container via the transport port. And a vacuum transfer module in which a second exhaust port for evacuating the transfer chamber is formed;
Using a vacuum processing apparatus provided with a gate valve that opens and closes the transfer port of the substrate,
An inert gas is supplied from the first gas supply unit, the flow rate thereof is lower than the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit, and the pressure in the processing container is lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber. Forming a state; and
Opening the gate valve in the state;
Next, a step of transporting the substrate between the processing container and the transport chamber by the transport mechanism;
And a step of closing the gate valve, and a method for operating the vacuum processing apparatus.   9. The maximum flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit into the transfer chamber after the gate valve starts to be opened until the gate valve is closed is 3000 ml / min or less. The operating method of the vacuum processing apparatus as described in 2.   The operation of the vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a difference between a pressure in the processing container when starting to open the gate valve and a pressure in the transfer chamber is 10 Pa or more and 50 Pa or less. Method. The step of transferring the substrate between the inside of the processing container and the transfer chamber by the transfer mechanism,
From the first gas supply unit in the step of transferring the processed substrate from the processing container to the transfer chamber by the transfer mechanism, and the step of forming a state in which the pressure in the processing container is smaller than the pressure in the transfer chamber When the flow rate of the inert gas is the first flow rate, the second flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the first gas supply unit is smaller than the first flow rate following the step of transporting the processed substrate. Setting a flow rate and forming an airflow flowing into the processing container from the transfer chamber;
The method for operating a vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a step of transferring an unprocessed substrate from a transfer chamber into the processing container. Next to the step of transferring the processed substrate from the processing container to the transfer chamber,
Closing the gate valve;
Subsequently, a post-deposition processing step for suppressing particle scattering in the processing container,
Thereafter, forming an airflow flowing into the processing container from the transfer chamber;
And subsequently opening the gate valve;
The method for operating the vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a step of transferring an unprocessed substrate from the transfer chamber into the processing container.

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