JP2020043361A - Substrate processing device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of securing a maintenance area and reducing footprint.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device comprises: a first processing module including a first processing container; a second processing module arranged adjacent to a side surface side of the first processing module and including a second processing container; a first utility system including a first exhaust box and a first supply box and arranged adjacent to a back surface of the first processing module; a second utility system including a second exhaust box and a second supply box and arranged adjacent to a back surface of the second processing module; a first final valve provided in a piping between the first processing container and the first supply box; and a second final valve provided in a piping between the second processing container and the second supply box. A piping length from the first final valve to the first processing container is almost equal to a piping length from the second final valve to the second processing container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

  2. Description of the Related Art In substrate processing in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (device), for example, a vertical substrate processing apparatus that collectively processes a plurality of substrates is used. During the maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus, it is necessary to secure a maintenance area around the substrate processing apparatus, and the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus may increase in order to secure the maintenance area. Reference 1).

JP 2010-283356 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing a footprint while securing a maintenance area.

According to one aspect of the present invention,
A first processing module having a first processing container for processing a substrate;
A second processing module disposed adjacent to a side of the first processing module and having a second processing container for processing the substrate;
A first exhaust box containing a first exhaust system for exhausting the inside of the first processing container, and a first exhaust box containing a first supply system for supplying a processing gas into the first processing container. A supply box, and a first utility system disposed adjacent to the back of the first processing module;
A second exhaust box containing a second exhaust system for exhausting the inside of the second processing container, and a second exhaust box containing a second supply system for supplying a processing gas into the second processing container. A supply box, and a second utility system disposed adjacent to the back of the second processing module;
A first final valve provided in a pipe between the first processing container and the first supply box,
A second final valve provided in a pipe between the second processing container and the second supply box,
A technique is provided in which a pipe length from the first final valve to the first processing container and a pipe length from the second final valve to the second processing container are substantially equal.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce a footprint while securing a maintenance area.

1 is a top view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal section showing roughly an example of a processing furnace used suitably for an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a processing module suitably used in the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted. Further, the storage room 9 described later is referred to as a front side (front side), and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B described later are referred to as a back side (rear side). Further, the side facing the boundary (adjacent surface) of the processing modules 3A and 3B described later is defined as the inside, and the side away from the boundary is defined as the outside.

  In the present embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus is configured as a vertical substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a processing apparatus) 2 that performs a substrate processing step such as a heat treatment as one of manufacturing steps in a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device (device). Have been.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing apparatus 2 includes two adjacent processing modules 3A and 3B. The processing module 3A includes a processing furnace 4A and a transfer chamber 6A. The processing module 3B includes a processing furnace 4B and a transfer chamber 6B. Transfer chambers 6A and 6B are arranged below the processing furnaces 4A and 4B, respectively. A transfer chamber 8 including a transfer machine 7 for transferring the wafer W is disposed adjacent to the front sides of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. A storage room 9 for storing a pod (hoop) 5 for storing a plurality of wafers W is connected to the front side of the transfer room 8. An I / O port 22 is provided on the entire surface of the storage room 9, and the pod 5 is carried in and out of the processing apparatus 2 via the I / O port 22.

  Gate valves 90A and 90B are installed on the boundary walls (adjacent surfaces) between the transfer chambers 6A and 6B and the transfer chamber 8, respectively. Pressure detectors are respectively installed in the transfer chamber 8 and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B, and the pressure in the transfer chamber 8 is set to be lower than the pressure in the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. ing. An oxygen concentration detector is installed in each of the transfer chamber 8 and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. The oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 8A and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B is higher than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere. Is also kept low. A clean unit 62C for supplying clean air into the transfer chamber 8 is provided at the ceiling of the transfer chamber 8 so that, for example, an inert gas is circulated in the transfer chamber 8 as clean air. It is configured. By circulating and purging the inside of the transfer chamber 8 with an inert gas, the inside of the transfer chamber 8 can be made a clean atmosphere. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent particles and the like in the transfer chambers 6A and 6B from being mixed into the transfer chamber 8, and to naturally move on the wafer W in the transfer chamber 8 and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. Formation of an oxide film can be suppressed.

  Since the processing module 3A and the processing module 3B have the same configuration, only the processing module 3A will be described below as a representative.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the processing furnace 4A includes a cylindrical reaction tube 10A and a heater 12A as a heating unit (heating mechanism) installed on the outer periphery of the reaction tube 10A. The reaction tube is formed of, for example, quartz or SiC. Inside the reaction tube 10A, a processing chamber 14A for processing a wafer W as a substrate is formed. A temperature detector 16A as a temperature detector is installed in the reaction tube 10A. The temperature detector 16A is provided upright along the inner wall of the reaction tube 10A.

  A gas used for substrate processing is supplied into the processing chamber 14A by a gas supply mechanism 34A as a gas supply system. The gas supplied by the gas supply mechanism 34A is changed according to the type of the film to be formed. Here, the gas supply mechanism 34A includes a source gas supply unit, a reaction gas supply unit, and an inert gas supply unit. The gas supply mechanism 34A is housed in a supply box 72A described later.

  The raw material gas supply unit includes a gas supply pipe 36a, and the gas supply pipe 36a is provided with a mass flow controller (MFC) 38a that is a flow controller (flow control unit) and a valve 40a that is an on-off valve in order from the upstream. Have been. The gas supply pipe 36a is connected to a nozzle 44a penetrating the side wall of the manifold 18. The nozzle 44a is provided upright in the reaction tube 10 along the up-down direction, and has a plurality of supply holes opened toward the wafer W held by the boat 26. The source gas is supplied to the wafer W through the supply hole of the nozzle 44a.

  Hereinafter, in the same configuration, the reaction gas is supplied to the wafer W from the reaction gas supply unit via the supply pipe 36b, the MFC 38b, the valve 40b, and the nozzle 44b. The inert gas is supplied to the wafer W from the inert gas supply unit via the supply pipes 36c and 36d, the MFCs 38c and 38d, the valves 40c and 40d, and the nozzles 44a and 44b.

  A cylindrical manifold 18A is connected to a lower end opening of the reaction tube 10A via a seal member such as an O-ring and supports the lower end of the reaction tube 10A. The lower end opening of the manifold 18A is opened and closed by a disc-shaped lid 22A. A sealing member such as an O-ring is provided on the upper surface of the lid 22A, whereby the inside of the reaction tube 10A and the outside air are hermetically sealed. A heat insulating part 24A is placed on the lid 22A.

  An exhaust pipe 46A is attached to the manifold 18A. The exhaust pipe 46A is connected via a pressure sensor 48A as a pressure detector (pressure detecting unit) for detecting the pressure in the processing chamber 14A and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 40A as a pressure regulator (pressure adjusting unit). , A vacuum pump 52A as a vacuum exhaust device is connected. With such a configuration, the pressure in the processing chamber 14A can be set to a processing pressure according to the processing. An exhaust system A is mainly configured by the exhaust pipe 46A, the APC valve 40A, and the pressure sensor 48A. The exhaust system A is housed in an exhaust box 74A described later.

  The processing chamber 14A houses therein a boat 26A as a substrate holder for vertically supporting a plurality of wafers W, for example, 25 to 150 wafers W in a shelf shape. The boat 26A is supported above the heat insulating part 24A by a rotating shaft 28A that penetrates the lid part 22A and the heat insulating part 24A. The rotating shaft 28A is connected to a rotating mechanism 30A installed below the lid 22A, and the rotating shaft 28A is configured to be rotatable in a state where the inside of the reaction tube 10A is hermetically sealed. The lid 22 is driven vertically by a boat elevator 32A as an elevating mechanism. Thus, the boat 26A and the lid 22A are integrally moved up and down, and the boat 26A is carried in and out of the reaction tube 10A.

  The transfer of the wafer W to the boat 26A is performed in the transfer chamber 6A. As shown in FIG. 3, a clean unit 60A is provided on one side surface (the outer side surface of the transfer chamber 6A, the side surface opposite to the side surface facing the transfer room 6B) in the transfer room 6A, and the transfer room 6A is provided. It is configured to circulate clean air (for example, an inert gas) therein. The inert gas supplied into the transfer chamber 6A is exhausted from the transfer chamber 6A by an exhaust unit 62A installed on a side surface (a side surface facing the transfer room 6B) facing the clean unit 60A with the boat 26A interposed therebetween. It is re-supplied from the clean unit 60A into the transfer chamber 6A (circulation purge). The pressure in the transfer chamber 6A is set to be lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber 8. The oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A is set to be lower than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere. With such a configuration, formation of a natural oxide film on the wafer W during the transfer operation of the wafer W can be suppressed.

  A controller 100 for controlling the rotation mechanism 30A, the boat elevator 32A, the MFCs 38a to 38d of the gas supply mechanism 34A, the valves 40a to 40d, and the APC valve 50A is connected. The controller 100 includes, for example, a microprocessor (computer) having a CPU, and is configured to control the operation of the processing device 2. The input / output device 102 configured as, for example, a touch panel or the like is connected to the controller 100. One controller 100 may be provided for each of the processing module 3A and the processing module 3B, or one controller 100 may be commonly provided.

  A storage unit 104 as a storage medium is connected to the controller 100. A control program for controlling the operation of the processing device 10 and a program (also called a recipe) for causing each component of the processing device 2 to execute processing according to processing conditions are stored in the storage unit 104 in a readable manner. You.

  The storage unit 104 may be a storage device (hard disk or flash memory) built in the controller 100 or a portable external recording device (magnetic disk such as a magnetic tape, a flexible disk or a hard disk, or a CD or DVD). An optical disk, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or a memory card may be used. The provision of the program to the computer may be performed using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line. The program is read from the storage unit 104 according to an instruction or the like from the input / output device 102 as needed, and the controller 100 executes a process according to the read recipe. Under the control of 100, a desired process is executed. The controller 100 is stored in the controller boxes 76A and 76B.

Next, a process of forming a film on a substrate (film formation process) using the above-described processing apparatus 2 will be described. Here, by supplying DCS (SiH ₂ Cl ₂ : dichlorosilane) gas as a source gas and O ₂ (oxygen) gas as a reaction gas to the wafer W, silicon oxide (SiO ₂ An example of forming a film will be described. In the following description, the operation of each unit constituting the processing device 2 is controlled by the controller 100.

(Wafer charge and boat load)
The gate valve 90A is opened, and the wafer W is transferred to the boat 20A. When a plurality of wafers W are loaded (wafer charging) on the boat 26A, the gate valve 90A is closed. The boat 26A is loaded (boat loaded) into the processing chamber 14 by the boat elevator 32A, and the lower opening of the reaction tube 10A is airtightly closed (sealed) by the lid 22A.

(Pressure adjustment and temperature adjustment)
The inside of the processing chamber 14A is evacuated (vacuum exhausted) by the vacuum pump 52A so that a predetermined pressure (degree of vacuum) is obtained. The pressure in the processing chamber 14A is measured by the pressure sensor 48A, and the APC valve 50A is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure information. Further, the wafer W in the processing chamber 14A is heated by the heater 12A so as to reach a predetermined temperature. At this time, the power supply to the heater 12A is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature detection unit 16A so that the processing chamber 14A has a predetermined temperature distribution. The rotation of the boat 26A and the wafer W by the rotation mechanism 30A is started.

(Film formation process)
[Source gas supply process]
When the temperature in the processing chamber 14A is stabilized at a preset processing temperature, the DCS gas is supplied to the wafer W in the processing chamber 14A. The DCS gas is controlled by the MFC 38a to have a desired flow rate, and is supplied into the processing chamber 14A via the gas supply pipe 36a and the nozzle 44a.

[Raw gas exhaust process]
Next, the supply of the DCS gas is stopped, and the inside of the processing chamber 14A is evacuated by the vacuum pump 52A. At this time, an N ₂ gas may be supplied as an inert gas from the inert gas supply unit into the processing chamber 14A (inert gas purge).

[Reaction gas supply step]
Next, O ₂ gas is supplied to the wafer W in the processing chamber 14A. The O ₂ gas is controlled to a desired flow rate by the MFC 38b, and is supplied into the processing chamber 14A via the gas supply pipe 36b and the nozzle 44b.

[Reaction gas exhaust process]
Next, the supply of the O ₂ gas is stopped, and the inside of the processing chamber 14A is evacuated by the vacuum pump 52A. At this time, it may be supplied with N ₂ gas into the process chamber 14A from the inert gas supply section (inert gas purge).

By performing the cycle of performing the above-described four steps a predetermined number of times (one or more times), an SiO ₂ film having a predetermined composition and a predetermined thickness can be formed on the wafer W.

(Boat unload and wafer discharge)
After a film having a predetermined thickness is formed, N ₂ gas is supplied from the inert gas supply unit, the inside of the processing chamber 14A is replaced with N ₂ gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 14A is returned to normal pressure. Thereafter, the lid 22A is lowered by the boat elevator 32A, and the boat 26A is unloaded (boat unloaded) from the reaction tube 10A. Thereafter, the processed wafer W is taken out from the boat 26A (wafer discharging).

  Thereafter, the wafer W may be stored in the pod 5 and carried out of the processing apparatus 2, or may be transferred to the processing furnace 4B, and substrate processing such as annealing may be continuously performed. When processing the wafer W in the processing furnace 4B continuously after the processing of the wafer W in the processing furnace 4A, the gate valves 90A and 90B are opened, and the wafer W is directly transferred from the boat 26A to the boat 26B. Subsequent loading and unloading of the wafer W into and from the processing furnace 4B is performed in the same procedure as in the above-described substrate processing by the processing furnace 4A. The substrate processing in the processing furnace 4B is performed, for example, in the same procedure as the substrate processing in the processing furnace 4A described above.

The processing conditions for forming the SiO ₂ film on the wafer W include, for example, the following.
Processing temperature (wafer temperature): 300 ° C to 700 ° C,
Processing pressure (processing chamber pressure) 1 Pa to 4000 Pa,
DCS gas: 100 sccm to 10000 sccm,
O ₂ gas: 100 sccm to 10000 sccm,
N ₂ gas: 100 sccm to 10000 sccm,
By setting each processing condition to a value within each range, the film formation processing can be appropriately advanced.

Next, the rear configuration of the processing device 2 will be described.
For example, when the boat 26 is damaged, the boat 26 needs to be replaced. When the reaction tube 10 is damaged or when the reaction tube 10 needs to be cleaned, it is necessary to remove the reaction tube 10. As described above, when performing the maintenance in the transfer chamber 6 and the processing furnace 4, the maintenance is performed from the maintenance area on the back side of the processing apparatus 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, maintenance ports 78A and 78B are formed on the back side of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B, respectively. The maintenance port 78A is formed on the transfer chamber 6A side of the transfer chamber 6A, and the maintenance port 78B is formed on the transfer chamber 6A side of the transfer chamber 6B. The maintenance ports 78A and 78B are opened and closed by maintenance doors 80A and 80B. The maintenance doors 80A and 80B are configured to be rotatable around hinges 82A and 82B. The hinge 82A is installed on the transfer chamber 6A side of the transfer chamber 6A, and the hinge 82B is installed on the transfer chamber 6A side of the transfer chamber 6B. That is, the hinges 82A and 82B are installed adjacent to each other near the inner corner located on the adjacent surface on the back side of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. The maintenance area is formed on the processing module 3B side on the back of the processing module 3A and on the processing module 3A side on the back of the processing module 3B.

  As shown by imaginary lines, the maintenance doors 80A and 80B are horizontally rotated about the hinges 82A and 82B to the rear of the rear side of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B, thereby opening the rear maintenance ports 78A and 78B. The maintenance door 80A is configured so as to be openable to 180 ° so as to open leftward toward the transfer chamber 6A. The maintenance door 80B is configured to be opened rightward toward the transfer chamber 6B up to 180 °. That is, the maintenance door 80A rotates clockwise and the maintenance door 80B rotates counterclockwise toward the transfer chamber 6A. In other words, the maintenance doors 80A and 80B are rotated in opposite directions. The maintenance doors 80A and 80B are configured to be removable, and may be removed for maintenance.

  Utility systems 70A and 70B are installed near the rear surfaces of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. Utility systems 70A and 70B are arranged to face each other with a maintenance rear interposed therebetween. The maintenance of the utility systems 70A and 70B is performed from inside the utility systems 70A and 70B, that is, from the space (maintenance area) between the utility systems 70A and 70B. Each of the utility systems 70A and 70B includes an exhaust box 74A, 74B, a supply box 72A, 72B, and a controller box 76A, 76B in order from the housing side (the transfer chambers 6A, 6B side). The maintenance opening of each box of the utility systems 70A and 70B is formed inside (maintenance area side). That is, the maintenance ports of the boxes of the utility systems 70A and 70B are formed so as to face each other.

  The exhaust box 74A is arranged at an outer corner located on the back side of the transfer chamber 6A on the opposite side to the transfer chamber 6B. The exhaust box 74B is disposed at an outer corner located on the back side of the transfer chamber 6B on the opposite side of the transfer chamber 6A. That is, the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B are installed flat (smoothly) so that the outer side surfaces of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B and the outer side surfaces of the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B are connected to a plane. The supply box 72A is arranged adjacent to the exhaust box 74A on the side opposite to the side adjacent to the transfer chamber 6A. The supply box 72B is arranged adjacent to the exhaust box 74B on the side opposite to the side adjacent to the transfer chamber 6B.

  In top view, the thickness (width in the short side direction) of the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B is smaller than the thickness of the supply boxes 72A and 72B. In other words, the supply boxes 72A, 72B project more toward the maintenance area than the exhaust boxes 74A, 74B. In the supply boxes 72A and 72B, since a gas accumulation system and a number of auxiliary facilities are arranged, the thickness may be larger than that of the exhaust boxes 72A and 72B. Therefore, by installing the exhaust boxes 72A and 72B on the housing side, it is possible to secure a wide maintenance area in front of the maintenance doors 80A and 80B. That is, since the distance between the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B is larger than the distance between the supply boxes 72A and 72B in a top view, the exhaust boxes are more apt to be installed than when the supply boxes 72A and 72B are installed on the housing side. By installing the 74A and 74B on the housing side, a wider maintenance space can be secured.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the final valves of the gas supply mechanisms 34A and 34B (the valves 40a and 40b located at the lowest stage of the gas supply system) are arranged above the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B. Preferably, it is arranged directly above (directly above) the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B. With such a configuration, even when the supply boxes 72A and 72B are installed away from the housing, the length of the pipe from the final valve to the processing chamber can be shortened, so that the quality of film formation can be improved. it can.

As shown in FIG. 5, the processing module 3A, 3B and utility system 70A, each configuration of 70B, processing modules 3A, are disposed plane-symmetrically with respect to the adjacent surface _{S 1} of 3B. The reaction tubes 10A and 10B are installed such that the exhaust pipes 46A and 46B face the corners, that is, the exhaust pipes 46A and 46B face the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B. The pipes are arranged such that the pipe length from the final valve to the nozzle is substantially the same in the processing modules 3A and 3B. Further, as shown by arrows in FIG. 5, the rotation directions of the wafer W are also configured to be opposite to each other in the processing furnaces 4A and 4B.

Next, maintenance of the processing apparatus 2 will be described.
When the inside of the transfer chamber 6A is circulated and purged with an inert gas, an interlock is set so that the maintenance door 80A cannot be opened. An interlock is set so that the maintenance door 80A cannot be opened even when the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A is lower than the oxygen concentration at atmospheric pressure. The same applies to the maintenance door 80B. Further, when the maintenance doors 80A and 80B are open, an interlock is set so that the gate valves 90A and 90B cannot be opened. When the gate valves 90A, 90B are opened with the maintenance doors 80A, 80B open, the processing device 2 is put into a maintenance mode, and a separately installed maintenance switch is turned on. The interlock relating to 90A, 90B is released, and the gate valves 90A, 90B can be opened.

  When the maintenance door 80A is opened, the air atmosphere flows from the clean unit 62A into the transfer chamber 6A in order to raise the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A to the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere or higher, preferably to the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere. Let it. At this time, the circulation purge in the transfer chamber 6A is released so that the pressure in the transfer chamber 6A does not become higher than the pressure in the transfer chamber 8, and the atmosphere in the transfer chamber 6A is exhausted to the outside of the transfer chamber 6A. At the same time, the number of rotations of the fan of the clean unit 62A is made lower than the number of rotations at the time of the circulation purge, and the amount of air flowing into the transfer chamber 6A is controlled. By performing such control, the pressure in the transfer chamber 6A can be maintained lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber 8 while increasing the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A.

  When the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A becomes equal to the oxygen concentration in the atmospheric pressure, the interlock is released, and the maintenance door 80A can be opened. At this time, even if the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A is equal to the oxygen concentration in the atmospheric pressure, if the pressure in the transfer chamber 6A is higher than the pressure in the transfer chamber 8, the maintenance door 80A cannot be opened. It is set as follows. When the maintenance door 80A is opened, the rotation speed of the fan of the clean unit 62A is set to be at least higher than the rotation speed at the time of the circulation purge. More preferably, the rotation speed of the fan of the clean unit 62A is maximized.

  The maintenance in the transfer chamber 9 is performed from a maintenance port 78C formed in a portion in front of the transfer chamber 9 where the pod opener is not installed. The maintenance port 78C is configured to be opened and closed by a maintenance door. As described above, when the entire processing apparatus 2 is in the maintenance mode, the gate valves 90A and 90B can be opened to perform maintenance from the gate valves 90A and 90B side. That is, the maintenance in the transfer chamber 8 can be performed from either the front of the apparatus or the back of the apparatus.

<Effects of this embodiment>
According to the present embodiment, one or more effects described below can be obtained.

  (1) By arranging the utility system from the housing side to the exhaust box and the supply box, the maintenance area on the back of the processing apparatus can be widened. With such a configuration, the maintenance port on the rear surface of the transfer chamber can be formed wider, and the maintainability can be improved. Further, by increasing the maintenance area on the back of the processing apparatus, it is not necessary to secure maintenance areas on both sides of the apparatus, so that the footprint of the apparatus can be reduced.

  (2) By installing the utility systems of the left and right processing modules on both outer side surfaces of the processing apparatus so as to face each other, it is possible to use the space on the back of the apparatus as a common maintenance area for the left and right processing modules. For example, in a conventional apparatus, a supply box and an exhaust box may be installed at both ends on the back side of the apparatus so as to face each other. When two devices having such a configuration are arranged, one exhaust box and the other supply box are adjacent to each other at the boundary between the two devices. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, since no utility system is arranged at the boundary between the two processing modules, a wide maintenance area can be secured.

  (3) By installing the final valve of the gas supply system above the exhaust box, the piping length from the final valve to the processing chamber can be shortened. That is, it is possible to suppress a gas delay or a flow rate fluctuation during gas supply, and to improve the quality of film formation. Usually, the quality of film formation is affected by gas supply conditions such as gas flow rate and gas pressure. Therefore, it is preferable to install a supply box near the housing to stably supply gas into the reaction tube. However, in the present invention, by disposing the final valve near the reaction tube, it is possible to arrange the supply box at a position away from the housing without adversely affecting the quality of film formation. Further, by disposing the exhaust box below the exhaust pipe extending from the processing vessel (reaction tube) and disposing the final valve directly above the exhaust box, the length of the pipe to the processing chamber can be shortened. Further, by installing the final valve directly above the exhaust box, maintenance such as replacement of the final valve becomes easy.

  (4) By arranging the components line-symmetrically with respect to the boundary of the processing modules, it is possible to suppress variations in the quality of film formation between the left and right processing modules. In other words, by arranging the components in the processing module, the utility system, the gas supply pipe arrangement and the exhaust pipe arrangement in line symmetry, the pipe length from the supply box to the reaction pipe and the pipe length from the reaction pipe to the exhaust box are reduced. The left and right processing modules can be substantially the same. Thereby, film formation can be performed under the same conditions in the left and right processing modules, and the quality of film formation can be uniformed, so that productivity can be improved.

  (5) The maintenance door can be opened 180 degrees by installing the maintenance door on the boundary side of the two processing modules and rotating the maintenance door toward the other processing module. The maintenance port can be formed widely, so that the maintainability can be improved.

  (6) It is possible to perform maintenance of the other processing module and the transfer chamber while performing the substrate processing by one processing module. Accordingly, maintenance can be performed without stopping the film forming process, so that the operation rate of the apparatus can be increased and productivity can be improved.

  (7) When the maintenance door of one of the processing modules is opened, the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber is raised to the atmospheric oxygen concentration while maintaining the pressure in the transfer chamber lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber. It is possible to suppress the flow of the atmosphere from the transfer chamber to the transfer chamber to the transfer chamber. Also, after opening the maintenance door, the rotation speed of the fan of the clean unit in the transfer chamber is increased from that at the time of the circulation purge, so that the atmosphere from the transfer chamber to the transfer chamber is maintained even after the maintenance door is opened (after the transfer chamber is opened to the atmosphere). Can be suppressed from flowing. With such a configuration, even if the maintenance door is opened by one of the processing modules, the other processing module can continue to operate. In other words, even when maintenance is performed in the transfer room, the clean atmosphere in the transfer room can be maintained, and an increase in the oxygen concentration in the transfer room can be suppressed. Without being affected, maintenance of the stopped processing module can be performed. Accordingly, maintenance of one processing module can be performed while the other processing module is operating, so that there is no need to stop operation of the entire processing apparatus during maintenance, and productivity can be improved. .

  The embodiment of the invention has been specifically described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which DCS gas is used as a source gas has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, as a raw material gas, in addition to DCS gas, inorganic halosilane raw materials such as HCD (Si ₂ Cl ₆ : hexachlorodisilane) gas, MCS (SiH ₃ Cl: monochlorosilane) gas, TCS (SiHCl ₃ : trichlorosilane) gas, etc. Halogen-free gas such as gas, 3DMAS (Si [N (CH ₃ ) ₂ ] ₃ H: trisdimethylaminosilane) gas, BTBAS (SiH ₂ [NH (C ₄ H ₉ )]] ₂ : Bistahsalibutylaminosilane) gas of or amino-based (amine) silane source gas, MS (SiH _4: monosilane) gas, DS _(Si 2 _{H 6:} disilane) can be used inorganic silane source gas of halogen-free, such as gas.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the SiO ₂ film is formed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, in addition to or in addition to these, nitrogen (N) -containing gas (nitriding gas) such as ammonia (NH ₃ ) gas, carbon (C) -containing gas such as propylene (C ₃ H ₆ ) gas, and trichloride Using a boron (B) -containing gas such as a boron (BCl ₃ ) gas or the like, a SiN film, a SiON film, a SiOCN film, a SiOC film, a SiCN film, a SiBN film, a SiBCN film, and the like can be formed. Even when these films are formed, film formation can be performed under the same processing conditions as in the above-described embodiment, and the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  For example, in the present invention, titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W) ) Can be suitably applied to the case of forming a film containing a metal element such as), that is, a metal-based film.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which a film is deposited on the wafer W has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, the present invention can be suitably applied to a case where a process such as an oxidation process, a diffusion process, an annealing process, and an etching process is performed on the wafer W or a film formed on the wafer W.

  Further, the above-described embodiments and modified examples can be used in appropriate combinations. The processing conditions at this time can be, for example, the same processing conditions as in the above-described embodiment and the modification.

3 Processing module 72 Supply box 74 Exhaust box 76 Controller box

Claims (9)

A first processing module having a first processing container for processing a substrate;
A second processing module disposed adjacent to a side of the first processing module and having a second processing container for processing the substrate;
A first exhaust box containing a first exhaust system for exhausting the inside of the first processing container, and a first exhaust box containing a first supply system for supplying a processing gas into the first processing container. A supply box, and a first utility system disposed adjacent to the back of the first processing module;
A second exhaust box containing a second exhaust system for exhausting the inside of the second processing container, and a second exhaust box containing a second supply system for supplying a processing gas into the second processing container. A supply box, and a second utility system disposed adjacent to the back of the second processing module;
A first final valve provided in a pipe between the first processing container and the first supply box,
A second final valve provided in a pipe between the second processing container and the second supply box,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a pipe length from the first final valve to the first processing container and a pipe length from the second final valve to the second processing container are substantially equal.   The substrate according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the first exhaust box and the second exhaust box is larger than a distance between the first supply box and the second supply box. Processing equipment.   2. The first and second processing chambers according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust pipe attached to the first and second processing chambers is installed so as to face the directions of the first and second exhaust boxes. 3. Substrate processing equipment.   2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first utility system and the second utility system are respectively provided with first and second controller boxes that house controllers at the rearmost side. 3.   The first processing module and the second processing module are arranged in plane symmetry with respect to an adjacent surface of the first processing module and the second processing module, and the first utility system and the second processing module 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the utility system is arranged symmetrically with respect to the adjacent surface.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the wafer processed in the first processing container and the wafer processed in the second processing container are rotated in opposite directions. A first utility system disposed adjacent to a back surface of the first processing module with respect to a substrate in the first processing container of the first processing module includes a processing gas in the first processing container. While supplying gas from a first supply box that supplies the first exhaust system, the first exhaust system housed in a first exhaust box provided in the first utility system exhausts the inside of the first processing container, A first processing step of processing the substrate;
Transferring the substrate from the first processing container to a second processing container adjacent to the first processing container via a transfer chamber;
A second utility system disposed adjacent to a back surface of the second processing module with respect to the substrate in the second processing container of the second processing module; While the gas is supplied from the second supply box for supplying the processing gas, the inside of the second processing container is exhausted by the second exhaust system housed in the second exhaust box provided in the second utility system. A second processing step of processing the substrate;
Has,
In the first processing step, the gas is supplied through a first final valve provided in a pipe between the first processing container and the first supply box,
In the second processing step, a distance between a pipe between the second processing container and the second supply box to the second processing container is equal to the distance between the first processing container and the first final valve. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device to which the gas is supplied via a second final valve provided at a position equal to the distance between the two. And maintaining a first transfer chamber disposed below the first processing container.
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the step of performing the maintenance and the second processing step are performed simultaneously. The step of performing maintenance includes:
Raising the oxygen concentration in the first transfer chamber to an oxygen concentration equal to or higher than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere while maintaining the pressure in the first transfer chamber at a pressure lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber;
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 8, further comprising: opening a maintenance door formed on a back surface of the first transfer chamber.

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