JP5575286B2 - Shower head for MOCVD reactor, MOCVD reactor, MOCVD apparatus and cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a removable shower head used in an MOCVD reactor, an MOCVD reactor equipped with a shower head, an MOCVD apparatus capable of in-situ cleaning of related parts of the MOCVD reactor, and a cleaning method.

  As an example of a MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus, there is a cluster apparatus having a multi-chamber configuration. For example, the MOCVD apparatus includes an MOCVD reactor, a load lock chamber, and a transfer chamber. Here, when the MOCVD reactor has passed a certain operation period, deposits of a predetermined thickness adhere to members such as a shower head and a susceptor, and thus need to be removed.

  Conventionally, cleaning of a susceptor in an MOCVD reactor is performed by transferring a susceptor to be processed to a cleaning device and removing deposits by chemical cleaning. In addition, cleaning of the showerhead in the MOCVD reactor is performed by removing deposits in the MOCVD reactor by, for example, physical cleaning using a brush and a vacuum cleaner. As described above, the cleaning for the susceptor and the cleaning for the shower head are performed by different cleaning methods in different places.

  However, in the above cleaning method, the chamber must be opened to the atmosphere when cleaning is performed, and deposits cannot be accurately removed by brush cleaning of the shower head. As a result, the time required for the cleaning operation becomes longer and the quality control becomes difficult. As a result, continuous mass production by the MOCVD apparatus is hindered, and the throughput by the semiconductor apparatus may be adversely affected.

  Accordingly, a step of depositing one or more group III element-containing layers on a substrate disposed in the substrate processing chamber, a step of transferring the substrate from the substrate processing chamber, and a halogen-containing gas in the substrate processing chamber And in-step with respect to the MOCVD chamber, including removing at least a portion of unwanted deposits from one or more internal surfaces of the substrate processing chamber (such as the inner walls of the reaction chamber and the showerhead surface). Situ cleaning methods have been proposed.

  Also, conventionally, a so-called cold wall countermeasure has been taken in which a cooling means is installed on the shower head in order to reduce the amount of deposited film adhering to the shower head in the MOCVD reactor in the course of the MOCVD reaction. Yes. As a result of the property of the deposit adhering to the shower head being close to the shape of a scum that is easily peeled off, an advantage that the deposit can be easily removed by a physical cleaning method using a brush is obtained. On the other hand, because of the scrap-like nature that easily peels off, the shower head is frequently cleaned as a result of adversely affecting the process as particles.

  Therefore, a cathode electrode used when a thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate by plasma CVD, and is detachably attached to the gas dispersion space forming portion to which the source gas is guided. A shower head type flat plate electrode that allows the source gas to flow out from the surface, and a partition plate with an outer frame in which a plurality of gas flow holes are formed so that the outer periphery is an outer frame portion. There has been proposed a non-integral type cathode electrode constituted by removably fixing a partition plate with a frame.

Republic of China No. 2011017522 JP 2010-37624 A

  However, in the conventional non-integrated cathode electrode, the partition plate with the outer frame is a very thin sheet material, and as a result of being in close contact with the adjacent shower head type flat plate electrode, the plate temperature is changed to the shower head type flat plate. There is a problem that adjustment cannot be performed independently of the electrodes.

  Further, the conventional shower head has, for example, a processing cost and an economical problem. For example, a predetermined number of openings are drilled in a partition wall of a three-layer structure, and further, for example, a predetermined number (usually 1000 or more) of gas pipes are fixed to the openings by welding or electric discharge machining (EDM). There will be a cost.

  In one embodiment, the disclosed shower head includes a shower head main body having a cooling structure in which a plurality of reaction gas supply passages penetrating in the thickness direction are formed. Further, in one embodiment, the disclosed shower head is detachably attached to the shower head main body, and in a thickness direction at a portion corresponding to a formation position of each reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body. A 1 to n manifold structure penetrating is formed and a shield plate having no cooling structure is provided.

  According to the above configuration, since the shield plate does not have a cooling structure as compared with the shower head main body portion that has been cooled by the cooling structure, the temperature of the shield plate is controlled independently of the temperature of the shower head main body portion. It can be adjusted to a high temperature that can be attached, and the lower member to which deposits are attached can be easily removed for cleaning, thereby saving time for the cleaning operation and adopting a specific gas channel structure. Thus, it is possible to provide a shower head for a MOCVD reactor, which can simplify the processing of the shower head and reduce the manufacturing cost.

  In one embodiment, the disclosed MOCVD reactor includes a rotor that can move up and down, a susceptor that is placed on the rotor and on which a substrate is placed, and a lower surface of the susceptor. A heater for heating the substrate via a susceptor and a shower head provided on the upper side inside the reactor and arranged to face the susceptor are provided, and the shower head is the shower head described above.

  According to the said structure, according to the existing reactor structure, the MOCVD reactor which can remove a shower head member easily and can shorten the working time required for replacement | exchange of a member can be provided.

  In one embodiment, the disclosed MOCVD apparatus includes the above-described MOCVD reactor, an object support base for supporting the object to be cleaned, a heating plate for heating the object to be cleaned, and a cleaning device. A mechanical robot is installed inside the cleaning chamber including a cleaning gas introduction line for introducing gas into the cleaning chamber, a load lock chamber, the MOCVD reactor, the cleaning chamber, and the load lock chamber. A transfer chamber.

  According to the above configuration, the MOCVD apparatus with improved throughput can be provided by performing in-situ chemical cleaning on the susceptor and the showerhead member in the MOCVD reactor.

  In one embodiment, the disclosed cleaning method is a cleaning method for performing chemical cleaning on a susceptor and a shower head member included in the MOCVD reactor in an MOCVD apparatus including an MOCVD reactor, a cleaning chamber, and a transfer chamber. A step of transferring the susceptor and the showerhead member in the MOCVD reactor to the cleaning chamber through the transfer chamber after the MOCVD process by the MOCVD reactor is completed, and using the cleaning gas to the susceptor. And cleaning the showerhead member.

  According to the said structure, the throughput by a MOCVD apparatus can be improved by performing in-situ chemical cleaning with respect to the susceptor and shower head member in a MOCVD reactor.

  There is an effect that it is possible to provide an improved shower head, MOCVD reactor, and MOCVD apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of the shower head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view showing a distribution of gas holes on the surface of the shower head (shield plate surface) according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the shower head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of the reaction gas in the shower head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the MOCVD reactor in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an operation of removing the shield plate from the MOCVD reactor in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of transferring the susceptor from the MOCVD reactor in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of the entire MOCVD apparatus in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cleaning chamber in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a showerhead structure in another embodiment.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

(First embodiment)
First, the shower head according to the first embodiment will be described. Drawing 1 (A)-(C) is a figure showing typically the schematic structure of shower head 1 concerning a 1st embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the shower head 1 is detachably attached to the shower head main body 2 by a shower head main body 2 and member coupling means (not shown) such as a snapping material, a screw member, and a vacuum suction mechanism. An attached shield plate 3 is provided.

  The shower head main body 2 is formed with a plurality of reaction gas supply passages 4 that are equidistant and penetrate in the thickness direction. The shower head body 2 has a plurality of manifold structures 5 penetrating in the thickness direction of the shield plate 3 at locations corresponding to the positions where the reaction gas supply paths 4 of the shower head body 2 of the shield plate 3 are formed. It is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the manifold structure 5 includes a gas channel communication chamber 5b and a lower gas channel 5c. The gas channel communication chamber 5 b is formed so as to communicate the reaction gas supply path 4 of the shower head main body 2 and the lower gas channel 5 c of the shield plate 3. Here, the number of channels of the lower gas channel 5c penetrating from the bottom surface of the gas channel communication chamber 5b to the lower surface of the shield plate 3 is n (n ≧ 2). As a result, a single gas flow from the shower head main body 2 can be branched into n gas flows. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, according to the first embodiment, the openings to be drilled in the shower head main body 2 are compared with the method of drilling a large number of openings in the three-layer structure in the shower head and attaching the gas pipes respectively. The quantity can be reduced to 1 / n times, and the usage amount of the reaction gas channel communication member can be minimized, which is advantageous in reducing the production time and manufacturing cost of the shower head.

  A case where a plurality of types of reaction gases are supplied from the shower head will be described. For example, a case where two types of reaction gases are used will be described as an example. In this case, the reaction gas supply path 4 of the shower head main body 2 is divided into a first reaction gas supply path and a second reaction gas supply path so as to cross each other, and a first reaction gas supply source is provided. The first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are supplied by being connected to a second reaction gas supply source (not shown).

  The shape of the manifold structure and the number n of the lower gas channels 5c are not particularly limited, and may be any structure or any number as long as it can serve as a manifold. For example, in order to more uniformly mix the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas from the shower head 1 and supply them to the film formation target, it is preferable to use the structure described below. That is, as shown in FIG. 1B, which shows a perspective view of the manifold structure 5, the gas channel communication chamber 5b is processed into a cross-shaped body, and the four ends and the center of the cross-shaped body (five places in total) It is preferable to install the lower gas channel 5c respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 1C when the shower head 1 is viewed from the bottom, the manifold structure A to which the first reaction gas is supplied and the manifold structure B to which the second reaction gas is supplied are arranged in an interlaced manner. Is preferred.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing a distribution of gas holes on the surface (shield plate surface) of the shower head 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in the drawing, the manifold structure A and the manifold structure B having gas channel communication chambers that are cross-shaped bodies are gas holes in the manifold structure A (that is, the gas in the lower gas channel to which the first reaction gas is supplied). The holes) and the gas holes of the manifold structure B (that is, the gas holes of the lower gas channel to which the second reaction gas is supplied) are arranged in a matrix so as to be arranged at equal intervals. In FIG. 2, the manifold structure A and the manifold structure B are indicated by dotted lines. Moreover, the gas hole of the manifold structure A becomes a gas hole of the lower gas channel to which the first reaction gas is supplied, for example. In addition, the gas hole of the manifold structure B is, for example, a gas hole of a lower gas channel to which the second reaction gas is supplied. Here, if one processing example is given, a stainless steel material is employ | adopted as a shield board. In addition, the number of gas holes in the lower gas channel to which the first reaction gas is supplied and the number of gas holes in the lower gas channel to which the second reaction gas is supplied are 7379, respectively. The hole diameter of the lower gas channel is about 0.6 to 1.6 mm.

  FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the shower head according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, the hollow pin 8 that can be finely moved up and down is provided in the manifold structure 5 for the purpose of eliminating gas leakage accompanying warpage of the shield plate 3 due to non-uniform temperature distribution. The cap member 5d is in contact with the reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body 2. In the first embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the gas introduction structure in the shower head, the recessed portion 6 is recessed in the shield plate 3 on the surface facing the shower head main body portion 2. The recess 6 is formed so as to cover the entire manifold structure 5 in the shield plate 3.

  The manifold structure 5 shown in FIG. 3 is formed in the center of the cap member 5d in addition to the gas channel communication chamber 5b and the lower gas channel 5c, as compared with the manifold structure 5 shown in FIG. It also has an upper gas channel 5a. The upper gas channel 5a and the lower gas channel 5c communicate with each other via a gas channel communication chamber 5b. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 3, when manufacturing the manifold structure 5, a cross-shaped gas channel communication chamber 5 b is recessed in the shield plate 3 as shown in the processing image of FIG. Thereafter, a hole for forming the lower gas channel 5c is formed in the bottom of the gas channel communication chamber 5b, and the upper gas channel is formed at the center of the hollow cross-shaped body so as to cover the upper portion of the gas channel communication chamber 5b. The cap member 5d with the holes 5a is covered. As a result, the manifold structure 5 can be installed on the shield plate 3 by simple processing.

  In the first embodiment, the manifold structure 5 provided on the shield plate 3 and corresponding to the first reaction gas supply path 7A of the shower head main body 2 passes through a hollow pin 8 serving as a reaction gas channel communication member. Then, it communicates with the first reaction gas supply path 7A. As shown in the left side enlarged view of FIG. 3, the hollow pin 8 is a concave ring for fitting an O-ring 9 which is a ring portion provided on the pin portion 8 a, the flange 8 b, and the flange 8 b and is a sealing member. A portion 8c is provided. Further, the convex portion 2 a and the concave portion 2 b are provided in a portion (hollow pin housing space) that accommodates the hollow pin 8 in the middle of the reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body portion 2. Accordingly, the hollow pin 8 abuts on the convex portion 2a of the shower head main body 2 at the outer peripheral portion of the flange 8b. Moreover, the pin part 8a is extended from the bottom face of the hollow pin storage space so that it may contact | abut to the hollow part upper surface of the shield board 3. FIG. The top surface of the hollow pin 8 is in contact with a member 9 ″ (O-ring restraining plate) disposed on the lower surface of the C-ring 9 ′, which is an elastic member fitted in the recess 2b of the main body 2. According to this configuration, the hollow pin 8 is accommodated in the shower head main body 2 so as to be slightly movable up and down by the elasticity of the O-ring 9. The bottom surface of the hollow pin 8 is the shower head main body 2. The first reactive gas supply path 7A and the manifold structure 5 of the shield plate 3 are brought into contact with the upper end surface of the shield plate 3. Further, by the fine movement of the hollow pin 8, the shield plate 3 By keeping the hollow pin 8 and the manifold structure 5 of the shield plate 3 in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the reaction gas from leaking from the hollow pin 8 and mixing with other reaction gas.

  On the other hand, the second reaction gas supply path 7 </ b> B supplies the second reaction gas to the manifold structure 5 via the recess 6 of the shield plate 3 without using the reaction gas channel communication member. According to this structure, the installation quantity of the reactive gas channel communication member can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the first reaction gas supply path 7A and the second reaction gas supply path 7B are both connected to the manifold structure 5 of the shield plate 3 via the reaction gas channel communication member. You may communicate with

  According to the first embodiment, the water cooling mechanism (cooling water supply path 7C) for cooling the shower head is not provided on the shield plate 3 side, and is provided only on the shower head main body 2 side. As a result, the temperature of the shield plate 3 is heated to 500 ° C. or more by the radiant heat of the heater to a temperature at which the source gas is not decomposed. As a result, the deposit formed on the surface of the shield plate 3 in the film formation process It becomes a dense film-like material rather than a crumb-like material that easily falls off from the showerhead surface. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which particles from crushed particles float in the reactor and adhere to the inner wall of the reactor or related members. Then, the deposit on the shield plate 3 can be removed by transferring the shield plate 3 to which the film-like deposit is adhered to a cleaning chamber to be described later and performing cleaning.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the reaction gas in the shower head 1 according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the group III reaction gas is circulated through the first reaction gas supply path 7 </ b> A that communicates with the manifold structure (not shown) of the shield plate 3 through the reaction gas channel communication member. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the group V reaction gas flows through the second reaction gas supply path 7 </ b> B communicating with the manifold structure via the recess 6 of the shield plate 3 without using the reaction gas channel communication member. Has been. A cooling water supply path 7 </ b> C for cooling the shower head main body 2 is provided in the lower half of the shower head main body 2.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, by adopting a configuration in which the cooling structure is provided only in the shower head main body 2 in the shower head 1 and the cooling structure is not provided in the shield plate 3, the shield plate 3. Is maintained at 500 ° C. or more suitable for forming a film-like material independently of the temperature of the shower head main body 2. In this case, the temperature of the reaction gas flowing into the manifold structure through the recess 6 of the shield plate 3 (referring to a group V reaction gas in the case of FIG. 4) may cause some temperature fluctuations in the shield plate 3. .

  In consideration of this, a configuration may be adopted in which the temperature fluctuation of the shield plate 3 is suppressed and the temperature of the shield plate 3 is adjusted as needed as required. For example, using the configuration shown in FIG. 4, a heater or the like that heats the group V reaction gas flowing through the second reaction gas supply path 7B to a predetermined temperature at the upstream end of the second reaction gas supply path 7B. A preheating means (not shown) may be provided. In addition, the predetermined temperature which heats a V group reaction gas is 80-120 degreeC, for example.

  Usually, the group III reaction gas circulating in the shower head tends to be easily decomposed when exposed to a slightly high temperature. Therefore, in the shower head 1 shown in FIG. 4, the temperature of the first reaction gas (Group III reaction gas) flowing through the first reaction gas supply path 7A is maintained at, for example, 40 ° C. by the water cooling structure.

  Hereinafter, the MOCVD reactor 10 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, the main structure of the MOCVD reactor 10 includes a rotor 11 that can move up and down and rotate in the MOCVD reactor 10, and a susceptor 12 that is installed on the rotor 11 and on which a substrate is placed. The heater 13 for heating the substrate via the susceptor 12 is disposed on the lower surface of the susceptor 12, and is disposed on the upper side of the MOCVD reactor 10 so as to face the susceptor 12. A shower head 1 having a shield plate 3 formed so as to cover the entire bottom surface of the head main body 2 is included. Further, an exhaust port 25 for exhausting gas is provided on the bottom side surface of the MOCVD reactor 10. Here, the rotor 11 and the susceptor 12 may be configured to be relatively rotatable.

  In the MOCVD reactor 10, when performing the film forming process, the susceptor 12 on which the substrate is placed is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor 11, and from the gas hole of the shower head 1 provided on the upper side inside the MOCVD reactor 10. By supplying a deposition gas to the substrate, the substrate is formed (for example, a gallium nitride film).

  A heater 13 is provided on the lower surface of the susceptor 12. By transferring the heat from the heater 13 to the substrate via the susceptor 12, the substrate can be heated to a temperature suitable for the film formation process.

  A case where the film forming process in the MOCVD reactor 10 is once completed and the susceptor 12 and the shower head 1 are cleaned will be described. In this case, the shield plate 3 removed from the susceptor 12 and the shower head main body 2 is transferred to a cleaning chamber, which will be described later, and cleaned through an outlet 19 installed on the side surface of the MOCVD reactor 10.

  Further, for the purpose of facilitating the attachment / detachment work of the shield plate 3, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, a liner 20 supported by a liner support 21 between the side wall of the rotor 11 and the MOCVD reactor 10 is interposed. Set up. As a result, the shield plate 3 can be supported by the liner 20 by inserting the top portion 20a of the liner 20 into, for example, a concave groove (not shown) provided in the lower peripheral edge portion of the shield plate 3. Further, the liner support 21 and the rotor 11 that support the liner 20 can be moved up and down in the direction of the arrow by a driving means (not shown).

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, when removing the shield plate 3 from the shower head main body 2, the shield plate 3 attached to the shower head main body 2 is removed from the shower head main body 2, and driving means (not shown) The liner 20 supporting the shield plate 3 is lowered in conjunction with the downward movement of the liner support 21. At this time, the susceptor 12 also descends in conjunction with the downward movement of the rotor 11. Then, the shield plate 3 moves to the height position of the outlet 19 on the side surface of the MOCVD reactor 10, is transferred to the mechanical robot R from the transfer chamber described later, and is transferred to the cleaning chamber.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the susceptor 12 is raised to the height position of the outlet 19 in conjunction with the rotor 11 by a driving means (not shown), and then transferred to the mechanical robot R to be transferred to the MOCVD reactor 10. To the cleaning chamber.

  The case where it is going to mount | wear the shower head main-body part 2 with the shield board 3 by which the washing process was carried out is demonstrated. In this case, the mechanical robot R on which the shield plate 3 is placed enters the MOCVD reactor 10 through the outlet 19, and the liner 20 waiting under the mechanical robot R is raised to deliver the shield plate 3. Thereafter, the liner 20 is raised to a height necessary for mounting the shield plate 3 on the shower head main body 2, and the shield plate 3 is fixed to the shower head main body 2 by a coupling means (not shown).

  With reference to FIG.8 and FIG.9, the MOCVD apparatus 30 in 1st Embodiment is demonstrated. In the MOCVD apparatus 30 according to the first embodiment, a cleaning chamber 32 that can simultaneously perform chemical cleaning on the susceptor 12 taken out from the MOCVD reactor 31 and the shield plate 3 that is a part of the shower head is added.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the MOCVD apparatus 30 according to the first embodiment includes an MOCVD reactor 31, a cleaning chamber 32, and an MOCVD reactor 33 that is additionally mounted as necessary to improve productivity. A load lock chamber 34 and a transfer chamber 35 are provided. The MOCVD apparatus 30 includes gas supply / utility modules 31A, 32A, and 33A attached to the MOCVD reactor 31, the cleaning chamber 32, and the MOCVD reactor 33, respectively.

  Here, the gas supply / utility modules 31A and 33A supply the reaction gas and water to the MOCVD reactors 31 and 33, respectively, and are also power supply devices for driving the MOCVD reactors 31 and 33. Further, the gas supply / utility module 32 </ b> A supplies a cleaning gas or water to the cleaning chamber 32, and is also a power supply device that drives the cleaning chamber 32. The specific configuration of the MOCVD reactors 31 and 33 is the same as that described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the cleaning chamber 32 in the first embodiment includes a susceptor support 42 that supports the susceptor 12, a susceptor support 41 installed on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the susceptor support 42, and the shield plate 3. A shield plate support 45 that supports the shield plate, a shield plate support 44 installed on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the shield plate support 45, a heating plate 46 provided on the upper and lower sides at a predetermined distance, and a cleaning plate A cleaning gas introduction line 47 for introducing a gas into the cleaning chamber 32 is provided. Further, the cleaning chamber 32 is provided with an outlet 48 on the side surface for carrying the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 into and out of the cleaning chamber 32 by the mechanical robot R. Further, the cleaning chamber 32 is provided with an exhaust port 49 in the vicinity of the bottom side surface.

  The susceptor support 41 and the shield plate support 44 include the entire lower heating plate 46 for the purpose of constructing the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 that have entered the cleaning chamber 32 from the outside between the two heating plates 46. It is formed with possible dimensions. The upper heating plate 46 preferably has a size close to the size of the shield plate 3 for the purpose of uniformly heating the shield plate 3.

  Further, as a method of installing the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 between the both heating plates 46, there is a support method using the susceptor support 41 and the shield plate support 44. In addition, for example, at least one of the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 may be held by holding means such as a clamp or hanging. In this case, the installation of the susceptor support 41 and the shield plate support 44 may be reduced or unnecessary.

  In the first embodiment, the cleaning gas introduced into the cleaning chamber 32 from the cleaning gas introduction line 47 and cleaning the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 is hydrogen gas or a mixed gas of chlorine gas and nitrogen gas. Is mentioned. When hydrogen gas is used as the cleaning gas, the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 disposed between the two heating plates 46 are heated to 1000 ° C. or higher, and cleaning is performed in this state for 2 hours. When a mixed gas of chlorine gas and nitrogen gas is used as the cleaning gas, the mixed gas is introduced into the cleaning chamber 32 in a mixing ratio of 0.6 slm of chlorine gas and 1.0 slm of nitrogen gas, and both heating is performed. The susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 disposed between the plates 46 are heated to 800 ° C. or higher, and cleaning is performed in this state for 1 hour.

  Returning to the description of FIG. In addition to transferring the substrate from the MOCVD apparatus 30, the load lock chamber 34 also has a role of temporarily storing a susceptor on which a film-formed substrate as described later is placed.

  The transfer chamber 35 is connected to the MOCVD reactors 31 and 33, the cleaning chamber 32, and the load lock chamber 34 through gate valves (not shown). The transfer chamber 35 is provided with a mechanical robot R therein. The mechanical robot R transports the susceptor 12 between the MOCVD reactors 31 and 33, the cleaning chamber 32, and the load lock chamber 34, and transports the shield plate 3 between the MOCVD reactors 31 and 33 and the cleaning chamber 32. To do.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the progress of the substrate film forming process and the cleaning process after the substrate film forming process in the first embodiment will be described.

  First, a substrate to be processed is placed on the susceptor 12, and the susceptor 12 is carried into the load lock chamber 34. After vacuum suction is performed on the load lock chamber 34, the susceptor 12 on which the substrate is placed is loaded into the MOCVD reactor 31 (33) by the mechanical robot R in the transfer chamber 35, and the temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature. The MOCVD process is started on the substrate. After the substrate processing is completed, the room temperature of the MOCVD reactor 31 (33) is lowered to 400 ° C. or lower, and the susceptor 12 on which the processed substrate is placed is transferred to the load lock chamber 34 by the mechanical robot R of the transfer chamber 35 and cooled. Do.

  In the cooling process of the susceptor 12, another susceptor 12 on which a new substrate used for the next reaction waiting in the load lock chamber 34 is placed in the MOCVD reactor 31 (33) by the mechanical robot R in the transfer chamber 35. The new MOCVD process is started after the temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature. The MOCVD process can be performed on a plurality of substrates by repeatedly executing such a process.

  Next, the progress of the cleaning process in the first embodiment will be described. Following the above-described processing, after the reaction in the MOCVD reactor 31 (33) is completed, the shield plate 3 is released from the shower head, and the height of the outlet 19 provided on the side surface of the MOCVD reactor 31 (33) is increased. The position is lowered to the position, transferred to the mechanical robot R in the transfer chamber 35 and transferred to the cleaning chamber 32. Then, the susceptor 12 is raised to the height position of the advancement outlet 19, transferred to the mechanical robot R, transferred to the load lock chamber 34, and cooled. After the cooling is completed, the processed substrate is taken out from the susceptor 12, and only the susceptor 12 is left in the load lock chamber 34, and the susceptor 12 is cleaned by the mechanical robot R in the transfer chamber 35 as shown in FIG. Transport to.

  While the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 are installed between the two heating plates 46 of the cleaning chamber 32 (see FIG. 9), the outlet 48 of the cleaning chamber 32 is closed and the susceptor 12 and the shield plate 3 are heated to a predetermined temperature. Then, the cleaning gas is introduced through the cleaning gas introduction line 47 and cleaning is performed for a predetermined time. The cleaning gas is, for example, hydrogen gas or a mixed gas of chlorine gas and nitrogen gas.

  After the cleaning, the outlet 48 on the side wall of the cleaning chamber 32 is opened, and the susceptor 12 is transferred to the load lock chamber by the mechanical robot R in the transfer chamber 35 and waits. Alternatively, the susceptor 12 is temporarily stored in the cleaning chamber 32 together with the shield plate 3, and after completion of the MOCVD process for the new substrate of the MOCVD reactor 31, it is again carried into the MOCVD reaction chamber 31 by the mechanical robot R and attached.

(Second Embodiment)
The shower head, the MOCVD reactor, and the MOCVD apparatus in the first embodiment have been specifically described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the first embodiment described above is merely an example, and modifications, additions, and modifications may be appropriately made within the scope of the present invention.

  For example, when three types of reaction gases are used for the film formation reaction, a third reaction gas supply path is added to the shower head main body, and two or more reaction gases are included in the first to third reaction gas supply paths. The shower head may be configured so that the supply path communicates with the manifold structure of the shield plate via the reactive gas channel communicating member.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the gas channel communication chamber is formed into a cross-shaped body with respect to the manifold structure of the shield plate has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as long as the purpose of uniformly supplying the reaction gas can be achieved, the gas channel communication chambers may be formed in other shapes, and the gas channel communication chambers may be arranged in a pattern other than a matrix shape. .

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the liner is mentioned as means for moving the shield plate up and down in the MOCVD reactor, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a hanging mechanism for moving the shield plate up and down can be installed on the shower head body. In this case, it is not necessary to install a liner.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the MOCVD apparatus has a heating plate inside the cleaning chamber. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the MOCVD apparatus can heat an object to be cleaned by far infrared heating, microwave heating, or the like. In this case, the structure inside the cleaning chamber can be further simplified.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, although an example of the connection position of the MOCVD reactor and the cleaning chamber to the transfer chamber is shown, the present invention is not limited to this.

  In addition, for example, the cleaning chamber is not necessarily connected to the load lock chamber, and the operator may transport and clean the cleaning object with another configuration.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a showerhead structure in another embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the shower head 100 used in the reactor in the MOCVD apparatus has gas holes arranged uniformly on the bottom surface of the shower head 100. Moreover, the shower head 100 introduces a group III reaction gas which is the first layer for introducing a group III reaction gas, for example, in order from the top in order to introduce a plurality of types of reaction gases into the reactor. A layer 110, a group V reaction gas introduction layer 120 which is a second layer for introducing a group V reaction gas, and a cooling water (refrigerant) circulation layer 130 which is a third layer for cooling the showerhead surface. Installed. Here, the shower head 100 is provided with a predetermined number of openings in the partition wall of the three-layer structure, and further, for example, a predetermined number (usually 1000 or more) of gas pipes are formed by welding or electric discharge machining (EDM). Fixed to the opening.

  As shown in FIG. 10, compared to the shower head 100 in which the temperature of the entire shower head is lowered by a water cooling mechanism and deposits of debris are attached to the surface of the shower head, according to the above-described embodiment, the water cooling mechanism is attached to the shield plate. A method is adopted in which a large amount of film deposit is significantly adhered to the shield plate surface, and then the film deposit is removed in a cleaning chamber. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which debris deposits fall off from the surface of the shower head, float in the reactor in the form of suspended matter, and adhere to the inner wall of the reactor or the member.

  Moreover, according to the shower head in the above-described embodiment, a shield plate having a 1: n manifold structure is installed below the shower head body. As a result, the number of gas channels to be opened in the shower head main body can be reduced to 1 / n times the original number. As a result, the processing for the shower head can be achieved by machining and ordinary welding. As a result, the manufacturing cost is reduced to less than half of the conventional cost, and the defect rate and delivery date of the processed product can be shortened.

  Conventionally, the cleaning of the shower head in the MOCVD reactor is performed after the film formation process is completed, the temperature of the reactor is lowered, the substrate is collected, the shower head is cleaned and baked by a manual method (glove box), and then cleaned again. Then, the substrate was placed and the process was started. On the other hand, according to the MOCVD apparatus in the above-described embodiment, the cleaning chamber is added. As a result, if the temperature of the reaction chamber can be lowered to a temperature that can be transferred by the mechanical robot (about 400 ° C.), the next process can be started, and standby time unnecessary for the operation of the MOCVD apparatus can be greatly shortened (for example, 3 hours). Therefore, the throughput of the apparatus can be improved. Conventionally, cleaning of the showerhead in the MOCVD reactor is performed at a high temperature, so that a rubber sealing part (for example, an O-ring) attached to the showerhead is likely to deteriorate due to the high temperature. On the other hand, according to the MOCVD apparatus in the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary to frequently replace sealing parts, and maintenance costs and maintenance frequency can be reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shower head 2 Shower head main-body part 2a Convex part 2b Concave 3 Shield plate 4 Reaction gas supply path 5 Manifold structure 5a Upper gas channel 5b Gas channel communication chamber 5c Lower gas channel 5d Cap member 7A 1st reaction gas supply path 7B 1st Reaction gas supply path 7C Cooling water supply path 8 Hollow pin 8a Pin portion 8b Flange 8c Concave ring portion 8 Reactive gas channel communicating member 9 O-ring 10 MOCVD reactor 11 Rotor 12 Susceptor 13 Heater 19 Advance outlet 20 Liner 21 Liner Support tool 25 Exhaust port 30 MOCVD apparatus 31 MOCVD reactor 32 Cleaning chamber 32A Gas supply / utility module 33 MOCVD reactor 34 Load lock chamber 35 Transfer chamber 41 Susceptor support 42 Susceptor support base 44 Shield plate support 45 shield plate support 46 heating plate 47 cleaning gas introduction line 48 inlet and outlet ports 49 outlet

Claims (18)

A plurality of reaction gas supply passages penetrating in the thickness direction and having a cooling structure;
A pair of n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) penetrating in the thickness direction in a portion corresponding to the formation position of each reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body portion, detachably attached to the shower head main body A shield plate having a manifold structure and no cooling structure;
The manifold structure is interposed between one upper gas channel, n lower gas channels, the upper gas channel and the lower gas channel, and communicates the upper gas channel with the lower gas channel. have a gas channel communicating chamber for,
The MOCVD reactor shower head, wherein the gas channel communication chamber and the lower gas channel are provided on the shield plate not having the cooling structure . A plurality of reaction gas supply passages penetrating in the thickness direction and having a cooling structure;
A pair of n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) penetrating in the thickness direction in a portion corresponding to the formation position of each reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body portion, detachably attached to the shower head main body A shield plate having a manifold structure and no cooling structure;
The reaction gas supply path of the showerhead main body has a first reaction gas supply path and a second reaction gas supply path formed so as to cross each other.
The shield plate has a recessed portion that is recessed so as to cover the entire manifold structure region on the surface facing the shower head main body portion,
At least one of the first reaction gas supply path and the second reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body portion communicates with the manifold structure of the shield plate through a reaction gas channel communication member. Shower head for MOCVD reactor.   2. The MOCVD according to claim 1, wherein the reaction gas supply path of the shower head main body includes a first reaction gas supply path and a second reaction gas supply path formed so as to cross each other. Shower head for reactor.   The manifold structure is interposed between n lower gas channels, the lower gas channel and the shower head main body, and communicates the lower gas channel and the reaction gas supply path of the shower head main body. A shower head for a MOCVD reactor according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a gas channel communication chamber.   3. The reaction gas supply path that communicates directly with the manifold structure of the shield plate without going through the reaction gas channel communication member communicates with the manifold structure through the recess of the shield plate. The showerhead for MOCVD reactor as described.   The surface temperature of the said shield board is maintained at 500 degreeC or more, The showerhead for MOCVD reactor of any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned.   A preheating means for heating the reaction gas to a predetermined temperature is provided at the upstream end of the reaction gas supply path that directly communicates with the manifold structure of the shield plate without using the reaction gas channel communication member. Item 6. A showerhead for an MOCVD reactor according to Item 5.   3. The MOCVD according to claim 2, wherein the reaction gas flowing through the reaction gas supply path communicating with the manifold structure of the shield plate through the reaction gas channel communication member is maintained at a temperature that does not decompose by heat. Shower head for reactor.   The reactive gas channel communication member is a hollow pin having a pin portion and a flange portion, and the hollow pin is configured such that a bottom surface of the flange portion abuts a bottom surface convex portion of a hollow pin housing space in the shower head main body portion. The hollow pin housing space is housed in the hollow pin housing space, and the pin portion is in contact with the upper surface of the hollow portion of the shield plate so as to be finely movable by an elastic member provided on the upper side of the hollow pin. The MOCVD reactor shower head according to claim 2, wherein the shower head extends from the bottom surface of the MOCVD reactor. A plurality of reaction gas supply passages penetrating in the thickness direction and having a cooling structure;
A pair of n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) penetrating in the thickness direction in a portion corresponding to the formation position of each reaction gas supply path in the shower head main body portion, detachably attached to the shower head main body A shield plate having a manifold structure and no cooling structure;
The manifold structure is interposed between one upper gas channel, n lower gas channels, the upper gas channel and the lower gas channel, and communicates the upper gas channel with the lower gas channel. A gas channel communication chamber for
The gas channel communication chamber of the manifold structure is formed in a cross-shaped body,
The lower gas channel extends from the four ends and the center of the bottom surface of the cross-shaped body to the surface of the shield plate,
The gas channel communication chamber to which the first reaction gas is supplied from the shower head main body and the gas channel communication chamber to which the second reaction gas is supplied are arranged in a matrix. Shower head for MOCVD reactor. A rotor capable of moving up and down and rotating; a susceptor mounted on the rotor for mounting a substrate; a heater provided on a lower surface of the susceptor for heating the substrate through the susceptor; and a reaction In a MOCVD reactor comprising a shower head provided on the upper side inside the reactor and arranged to face the susceptor,
The MOCVD reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the shower head is the shower head according to claim 1.   A liner interposed between a side wall of the rotor and an inner wall of the MOCVD reactor, and supporting a lower peripheral edge of the shield plate at the top; and a liner support that can move up and down to support the liner from below. The MOCVD reactor according to claim 11, comprising:   13. The MOCVD reactor according to claim 12, wherein a concave groove for fitting the top of the liner is formed at a peripheral edge of the lower surface of the shield plate. The MOCVD reactor according to any one of claims 11 to 13,
A cleaning chamber including a cleaning object support for supporting the cleaning object, a heating plate for heating the cleaning object, and a cleaning gas introduction line for introducing a cleaning gas into the cleaning chamber;
A load lock chamber;
An MOCVD apparatus, comprising: a transfer chamber connected to the MOCVD reactor, the cleaning chamber, and the load lock chamber, and having a mechanical robot installed therein. The objects to be cleaned are a susceptor and a shield plate,
The susceptor and the shield plate are respectively installed between the heating plates by an inner support member and an outer support member provided on the inner and outer sides of the upper surface of the cleaning object support base. The MOCVD apparatus described. MOCVD reactor, cleaning chamber, and a cleaning method carried out in the MOCVD apparatus comprising a transfer chamber, according to claim 1 to 3 wherein the MOCVD reactor has a chemical cleaning to the shower head member and the susceptor according to any one of 10 Because
After the MOCVD process by the MOCVD reactor is completed, transferring the susceptor and the showerhead member in the MOCVD reactor to the cleaning chamber through the transfer chamber;
And a step of cleaning the susceptor and the showerhead member using a cleaning gas. The cleaning gas is hydrogen gas,
The cleaning method according to claim 16, wherein the susceptor and the shower head member are heated to 1000 ° C. or more. The cleaning gas is a mixed gas of chlorine gas and nitrogen gas,
The cleaning method according to claim 16, wherein the susceptor and the shower head member are heated to 800 ° C. or more.

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