JP6029452B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

  In a substrate processing apparatus that performs a process such as a film forming process on an object to be processed, a sealing member such as an O-ring is used to seal between a plurality of constituent members constituting a processing container. Patent Document 1 describes a vertical epitaxial growth apparatus that seals between an outer ring fixed to a bell jar and a base plate on which a susceptor is disposed, using an O-ring.

  The component members are sealed by using an O-ring. However, if there is a slight gap between the constituent members, the processing gas may enter the gap and deposits may be generated on the O-ring. When deposits are generated on the O-ring, the sealing performance between the constituent members deteriorates, and the airtightness of the processing container deteriorates.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a concentric groove is provided in the gap between the outer ring and the base plate in order to prevent reaction products from adhering to the O-ring, that is, deposits from being generated on the O-ring. A gas for purging the reaction gas is ejected into the gap through this groove according to the sequence of epitaxial growth. Thereby, in patent document 1, degradation of the airtightness of a processing container is suppressed.

No. 6-459

  By the way, patent document 1 comprises the big processing container which accommodates a to-be-processed object by a bell jar and a baseplate. A large airtight space is formed inside the large processing vessel by the bell jar and the base plate. An object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is placed on a susceptor disposed on a base plate, and the object to be processed placed on the susceptor is subjected to a process such as a film forming process in a wide airtight space. .

  As described in Patent Document 1, the airtight space provided for processing the object to be processed is originally wide, and the volume of the airtight space tends to be larger than the size of the object to be processed. . In order to fill a large hermetic space with the processing gas, a large amount of processing gas is required. In addition to this, the processing gas that actually contributes to the reaction such as film formation is very small of the supplied processing gas.

  As described above, a substrate processing apparatus that has a wide airtight space inside the processing container and uses the wide airtight space as a processing space for processing an object to be processed requires a large amount of processing gas. The usage efficiency is low.

  The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that does not require a large amount of processing gas, has high use efficiency of processing gas, and has good airtightness in a processing space for processing a target object.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a stage having a mounting surface on which an object to be processed is mounted, and a processing gas that is provided at one end of the stage and that processes the object to be processed. A gas supply head having a plurality of gas holes ejected on a surface, and a processing space for storing the gas supply head and the object to be processed placed on the mounting surface, and processing the object to be processed A cover formed on the mounting surface and detachably attachable to the stage; a seal member provided at a joint between the cover and the stage; and sealing between the cover and the stage; provided at the junction between the cover and the stage, and a purge gas groove provided between the sealing member and the processing space, and a purge gas supply mechanism for supplying purge gas to said purge gas groove, the par Comprising a purge gas exhaust mechanism for exhausting the purge gas from the gas grooves.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus that does not require a large amount of processing gas, has high use efficiency of processing gas, and has good airtightness in a processing space for processing a target object.

The horizontal sectional view showing an example of the substrate processing device concerning a 1st embodiment of this invention, 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views taken along line II-II in FIG. Sectional view along line III-III in FIG. Horizontal sectional view showing a first modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Sectional view along line VV in FIG. Sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG. Horizontal sectional view showing a second modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Horizontal sectional view showing a third modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Sectional view along line IX-IX in FIG. 10A is a horizontal sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 10A. 11A is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a reference example of the second embodiment, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIB-XIB in FIG. Horizontal sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a reference example of the second embodiment FIG. 13A is a horizontal sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13B is a side view seen from the direction of arrow XIIIB in FIG. 13 (C) is a side view seen from the direction of arrow XIIIC in FIG. 13 (A). Diagram showing gas flow Horizontal sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a reference example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention Horizontal sectional view showing a first example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Horizontal sectional view showing a second example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings to be referred to.

(First embodiment)
1 is a horizontal sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2A and 2B are sectional views taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line | wire in FIG.

  In the first embodiment, a glass substrate used for manufacturing an FPD or a solar cell module is used as an example of an object to be processed, and a film forming apparatus that performs a film forming process on the glass substrate is illustrated as an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a stage 2 having a mounting surface 2 a on which the object to be processed G is mounted. At one end of the stage 2, a gas supply head 3 for ejecting a processing gas for processing the object to be processed G is provided. The gas supply head 3 supplies a plurality of gas holes 4 for ejecting a processing gas to the mounting surface 2 a, a gas diffusion chamber 5 communicating with each of the plurality of gas holes 4, and a processing gas to the gas diffusion chamber 5. A processing gas supply path 5a is provided. A cover 6 that can be detachably joined to the stage 2 is disposed above the stage 2.

  The stage 2 and the cover 6 are configured to be movable relative to the height direction. When the stage 2 and the cover 6 are shifted in the height direction, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the cover 6 is raised and the cover 6 is separated from the stage 2, the placement surface 2a of the stage 2 is moved to the outside. Exposed. Thereby, it becomes possible to carry in, place, and carry out the object G using the transfer arm TA on the placement surface 2a. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a lifter that raises and lowers the workpiece G on the placement surface 2 a is not shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3, when the cover 6 is lowered while the object to be processed G is placed on the placement surface 2 a and the cover 6 is brought into close contact with the stage 2, the stage 2 A processing space 7 that accommodates the object to be processed G placed on the gas supply head 3 and the placement surface 2 a and performs processing on the object to be processed G is formed between the cover 6 and the cover 6.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the processing space 7 limited only above the mounting surface 2 a of the stage 2 is formed by the stage 2 and the cover 6. For example, such a processing space 7 forms an airtight space by a bell jar and a base plate, and the volume of the processing space 7 per size of the object to be processed G is reduced as compared with a device that uses this as a processing space. be able to. For this reason, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, there can be obtained an advantage that a large amount of processing gas is not required and the use efficiency of the processing gas is increased.

  In this example, the cover 6 is raised and lowered with respect to the stage 2, but the stage 2 can be raised and lowered with respect to the cover 6. Of course, both the stage 2 and the cover 6 can be configured to be raised and lowered.

  An exhaust groove 8 is provided inside the processing space 7 together with the gas supply head 3. The exhaust groove 8 is formed in the stage 2 and connected to the exhaust device 9. The exhaust device 9 exhausts the inside of the processing space 7 through the exhaust groove 8. The exhaust device 9 exhausts the inside of the processing space 7 so that the pressure in the processing space 7 is adjusted and the atmosphere in the processing space 7 is replaced (purged).

  In this example, both the gas supply head 3 and the exhaust groove 8 are linear. And the linear gas supply head 3 and the exhaust groove 8 are arrange | positioned along the mutually opposing positions, for example, two opposing sides of the rectangular-shaped stage 2 provided with 4 sides. The object G to be processed is placed on the placement surface 2a in the form of being sandwiched between the straight gas supply head 3 and the straight exhaust groove 8. Thereby, a gas flow F that becomes a laminar flow in one direction from the gas supply head 3 toward the exhaust groove 8 can be formed above the surface to be processed of the object G to be processed. As described above, in this example, a uniform process, for example, a uniform film forming process, is performed on the object G to be processed using a gas that is laminar flow in one direction.

  The gas supply mechanism 10 is connected to the gas supply path 5a of the gas supply head 3, and supplies a processing gas used for processing to the gas supply path 5a. The processing gas supplied to the gas supply path 5 a is supplied to each of the plurality of gas holes 4 via the gas diffusion chamber 5. The processing gas is ejected from each of the plurality of gas holes 4 toward the placement surface 2a. The openings of the plurality of gas holes 4 form a row in a direction along the side of the mounting surface 2a. In addition, the length L3 of the row of openings of the plurality of gas holes 4 along the side of the mounting surface 2a is the length along the gas supply head 3 of the object G mounted on the mounting surface 2a. Is equal to or greater than LG. Thereby, the gas flow F which becomes a laminar flow in one direction can be given more uniformly with respect to the whole surface to be processed of the object to be processed G, which contributes to, for example, promoting a more uniform film forming process.

  Further, in this example, a purge gas supply mechanism 11 and a purge gas exhaust mechanism 12 are provided. The purge gas supply mechanism 11 supplies a purge gas to a purge gas groove 22, which will be described in detail later, and the purge gas exhaust mechanism 12 exhausts the purge gas from the purge gas groove 22.

  Control of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performed by the control unit 13. The control unit 13 includes a process controller 13a composed of, for example, a microprocessor (computer). Connected to the process controller 13a is a user interface 13b including a keyboard for inputting commands and the like, and a display for visualizing and displaying the operation status of the substrate processing apparatus 1 so that the operator can manage the substrate processing apparatus 1. Has been. A storage unit 13c is connected to the process controller 13a. The storage unit 13c is used for causing each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to execute processing according to a control program for realizing various processes executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 under the control of the process controller 13a and processing conditions. Recipe is stored. For example, the recipe is stored in a storage medium in the storage unit 13c. The storage medium may be a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, or a portable medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or flash memory. Further, the recipe may be appropriately transmitted from another device via a dedicated line, for example. The recipe is read from the storage unit 13c according to an instruction from the user interface 13b as necessary, and the process controller 13a executes a process according to the read recipe. Under the control of the process controller 13a, desired processing and control are performed.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is provided at the joint 20 between the cover 6 and the stage 2, and is provided at the joint 20 as well as a seal member 21 that seals between the cover 6 and the stage 2. In addition, a purge gas groove 22 provided between the seal member 21 and the processing space 7 is further provided. An example of the seal member 21 is an O-ring, for example. The seal member 21 is attached to the stage 2 in this example, but it can also be attached to the cover 6.

Purge gas is supplied to the purge gas groove 22 through the purge gas supply path 23 from the purge gas supply mechanism 11 described above. An example of the purge gas is nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas, for example. The purge gas groove 22 and the purge gas supply path 23 are formed in the stage 2 in this example, but can also be formed in the cover 6.

  When the cover 6 and the stage 2 are joined, the seal member 21 is crushed. Thereby, the cover 6 and the stage 2 are brought into close contact with each other, and the space between the cover 6 and the stage 2 is sealed, and the processing space 7 becomes an airtight space. At this time, it is ideal that there is no gap between the cover 6 and the stage 2. However, a slight gap is generated between the cover 6 and the stage 2. When the processing gas enters the slight gap, deposits are generated in portions of the seal member 21 and the joint portion 20 exposed in the slight gap. Therefore, in this example, the purge gas groove 22 is provided at the joint portion 20 and between the seal member 21 and the processing space 7. For example, the purge gas groove 22 is arranged so as to surround the object G to be processed placed on the placement surface 2a. For example, the purge gas is supplied to the purge gas groove 22 at least while the film is formed on the substrate. Thereby, it can suppress that process gas penetrate | invades into a slight clearance gap from the process space 7, generation | occurrence | production of the deposit on the sealing member 21 is suppressed, and deterioration of the sealing performance in the junction part 20 can be prevented. Since the deterioration of the sealing performance at the joint 20 is prevented, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can obtain the advantage that the airtightness of the processing space 7 is improved.

  And since deterioration of the sealing performance in the joining part 20 becomes difficult to progress, even if it lengthens the period from a maintenance to a maintenance, the advantage that a favorable sealing performance can be maintained over a long period can be acquired. From such advantages, an increase in downtime for maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be suppressed, and as a result, an advantage that the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is also improved can be obtained.

  Further, if deposits are generated on the seal member 21 or the joint portion 20, the deposits are peeled off and the particles are scattered every time the cover 6 or the stage 2 is opened and closed. In this example, the seal member 21 is attached to or brought into contact with the stage 2. That is, the seal member 21 surrounds the object to be processed G so as to be close on the stage 2 over the entire circumference. When particles are scattered from the sealing member 21 adjacent to the object to be processed G, the yield of electronic products manufactured using the object to be processed G may be rapidly reduced.

  In this respect, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the generation of deposits on the seal member 21 can be suppressed, it is possible to suppress the yield reduction due to the particles derived from the deposits on the seal member 21. This is a particularly effective advantage in an apparatus in which the seal member 21 surrounds the object to be processed G over the entire circumference and closely on the stage 2.

  Further, in this example, the purge gas exhaust mechanism 12 is provided, and the purge gas supplied to the purge gas groove 22 is exhausted from the purge gas groove 22 through the purge gas exhaust path 24. The purge gas exhaust mechanism 12 and the purge gas exhaust path 24 are not necessarily provided, and may be provided as necessary. However, if the purge gas is exhausted from the purge gas groove 22, for example, the purge gas groove 22 enters the processing space 7. It is possible to obtain an advantage that the amount of purge gas leaking out can be reduced. By reducing the amount of purge gas that leaks, for example, it is possible to suppress the situation that the concentration of the processing gas in the processing space 7 changes in an unstable manner due to the purge gas.

  In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, the purge gas groove 22 is a single continuous groove and has an annular shape. In the case of such a purge gas groove 22, the purge gas exhaust path 24 is connected to the purge gas groove 22 at a position that is equidistant from the connection point between the purge gas groove 22 and the purge gas supply path 23, for example, clockwise or counterclockwise. It is good to be formed as follows. By arranging the purge gas exhaust passage 24 in this way, the purge gas flow in the purge gas groove 22 from the purge gas supply passage 23 to the purge gas exhaust passage 24 can be made uniform clockwise and counterclockwise. If the flow of the purge gas in the purge gas groove 22 becomes uniform clockwise and counterclockwise, the amount of purge gas leaking out can be made symmetrical. If the left and right purge gas supply paths are not symmetric, the amount of purge gas that leaks may be non-uniform, which may affect the uniformity of the processing gas. However, by making the purge gas supply path symmetrical, the leaked purge gas amount is uniform. Thus, the uniformity of the processing gas can be maintained. Thereby, a uniform film forming process is possible.

  Further, the purge gas flow FP in the purge gas groove 22 is preferably made to coincide with each other at a location along the gas flow F from the gas supply head 3 toward the exhaust groove 8 (see FIG. 1). If the flow FP of the purge gas in the purge gas groove 22 and the gas flow F in the processing space 7 are reversed, there is a possibility that subtle turbulence of the air flow occurs in the processing space 7. Subtle turbulence in the air flow can adversely affect the uniformity of processing. In particular, in this example, the distance between the purge gas groove 22 and the workpiece G is short. In such an apparatus, if the purge gas flow FP and the gas flow F are made to coincide with each other, it is possible to minimize unexpected disturbance in the uniformity of processing.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the stage 2 and the cover 6 can form a narrow processing space 7 limited only above the placement surface 2 a of the stage 2. For this reason, there is an advantage that a large amount of processing gas is not required and the use efficiency of the processing gas is increased.

  Further, a purge gas groove 22 is provided at the joint portion 20 between the cover 6 and the stage 2 and between the seal member 21 and the processing space 7, and the purge gas is caused to flow therethrough, whereby deposits on the seal member 21 are flown. Generation | occurrence | production is suppressed and the advantage that the airtightness of the processing space 7 becomes favorable can be acquired.

  In addition, since the generation of deposits on the seal member 21 is suppressed, scattering of particles derived from the deposits on the seal member 21 can also be suppressed. In particular, the seal member 21 is disposed around the workpiece G. An advantage of being able to suppress a decrease in yield can be obtained in an apparatus that surrounds the stage 2 on the entire periphery.

  Next, a modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described.

(First modification)
4 is a horizontal sectional view showing a first modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the substrate processing apparatus 1a according to the first modified example is different from the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. The gas supply head 3 and the exhaust groove 8 are provided in the recess 40, and the object G is placed in the recess 40. The seal member 21 and the purge gas groove 22 are formed in the joint portion 20 between the convex portion 41 formed around the concave portion 40 and the cover 6. However, in this example, as shown particularly well in FIG. 6, the portion of the purge gas groove 22 along the gas supply head 3 is formed in the recess 40. Accordingly, the purge gas groove 22 is exposed to the processing space 7 and is provided on the back surface of the gas supply head 3.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus 1a according to the first modification, the purge gas groove 22 is formed in the convex portion 41 and the object to be processed G is placed in the concave portion 40. Therefore, the position of the purge gas groove 22 and the object to be processed G Are offset from each other. Therefore, compared with the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the distance between the purge gas groove 22 and the object to be processed G can be increased, and the influence of the purge gas leaking from the purge gas groove 22 during processing is affected. The advantage that it becomes difficult to receive the to-be-processed object G can be acquired.

  Further, since the seal member 21 is formed on the convex portion 41, the seal member 21 is disposed at a height equivalent to the highest position of the processing space 7. For this reason, it is also possible to obtain an advantage that the processing gas is less likely to enter the joint portion 20 between the convex portion 41 and the cover 6.

  Further, with respect to the portion of the purge gas groove 22 along the gas supply head 3, the purge gas groove 22 is formed in the recess 40 which is the processing space 7 and is provided on the back surface of the gas supply head 3. It is possible to prevent the processing gas from flowing into the back surface of the gas supply head 3 by flowing into the processing space 7 through the gap between the upper portion of the gas supply head 3 and the cover 6. For this reason, the advantage that generation | occurrence | production of a deposit on the back surface of the gas supply head 3 can also be suppressed can be acquired.

  Of course, in the case of the portion along the gas supply head 3 of the purge gas groove 22 as well as the other portions, priority is given to the advantage that the processing gas does not easily enter the joint portion 20 between the convex portion 41 and the cover 6. Alternatively, the purge gas groove 22 may be formed in the convex portion 41 instead of the concave portion 40.

  Further, the portion of the purge gas groove 22 along the gas supply head 3 is formed in the concave portion 40 facing the processing space 7, not in the joint portion 20 between the convex portion 41 and the cover 6 that are the protruding portions of the stage 2, With respect to the provision on the back surface of the supply head 3, a structure that brings about the same effect can be applied to the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. It can also be applied to. In this case, in the structure in which the recess 40 does not exist as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the same effect can be obtained if the purge gas groove 22 is provided on the stage 2 between the joint 20 and the gas supply head 3. it can.

(Second modification)
FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view showing a second modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the substrate processing apparatus 1b according to the second modification is different from the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in that the purge gas groove 22 is placed on the placement surface 2a. The purge gas groove 22 is divided into a plurality of purge gas grooves 22a to 22c2 while being arranged so as to surround the processed object G. In this example, the purge gas groove 22 extends along the purge gas groove 22a along the end (front end) along the gas supply head 3 of the object to be processed G, and along the end (back end) along the exhaust groove 8 of the object to be processed G. The purge gas groove 22b was divided into four purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 along the end (side end) connecting the front end and the back end of the workpiece G.

  The purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply mechanism 11 to the purge gas grooves 22a to 22c2 via the flow rate adjusters 51a to 51c. The flow rate adjuster 51a adjusts the flow rate to the purge gas groove 22a and supplies the purge gas. The flow rate regulator 51b adjusts the flow rate to the purge gas groove 22b and supplies the purge gas. The flow rate adjuster 51c adjusts the flow rate to the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 and supplies the purge gas.

  Purge gas is supplied to the purge gas groove 22a from the central portion. In this example, the purge gas exhaust mechanism 12 is not connected to the purge gas groove 22a. As a result, the purge gas can be leaked to the back surface of the gas supply head 3, and the advantage that generation of deposits on the gas supply head 3 can be suppressed can be obtained.

  Purge gas is supplied to the purge gas groove 22b from both ends, and the purge gas is exhausted from the central portion using the purge gas exhaust mechanism 12. As a result, a uniform purge gas flow FP from both ends toward the center is formed in the purge gas groove 22b.

  Purge gas is supplied to the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 from the end on the gas supply head 3 side, and the purge gas is exhausted from the end on the exhaust groove 8 side using the purge gas exhaust mechanism 12. As a result, a purge gas flow FP is formed in the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 so as to coincide with the direction of the gas flow F in the processing space 7 from the gas supply head 3 side toward the exhaust groove 8 side.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus 1b according to the second modified example, since the purge gas grooves 22a to 22c2 are divided, the flow rate of the purge gas flowing into each area can be adjusted. It is possible to obtain an advantage that an optimum purge gas flow rate can be set according to the state of occurrence of deposits.

  The second modification can be implemented in combination with the first modification. For example, in the second modified example, the convex portion 41 and the concave portion 40 may be provided on the stage 2, and the portion of the purge gas groove 22 along the gas supply head 3 is joined at the junction between the convex portion 41 and the cover 6. You may provide in the recessed part 40 instead of 20. Needless to say, the configuration applicable to the second modification can also be combined.

(Third Modification)
FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view showing a third modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the substrate processing apparatus 1 c according to the third modification is different from the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 between the cover 6 and the stage 2. In addition, a spacer 60 provided between the seal member 21 and the outside world is further provided.

  The spacer 60 is provided at the peripheral edge of either the stage 2 or the cover 6, and the position of the upper surface of the spacer 60 is set higher than the position of the placement surface 2a.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus 1c according to the third modification, the spacer 60 is provided between the cover 6 and the stage 2 and between the seal member 21 and the outside. Comes into contact with the outside of the seal member 21 via the spacer 60. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of the particles generated by the contact between the cover 6 and the stage 2 into the processing space 7. Benefits can also be obtained.

  Further, the height of the slight gap between the cover 6 and the stage 2 can be made constant by the height of the spacer 60. If the height of the slight gap is constant, the conductance from the purge gas groove 22 to the processing space 7 can be made constant over the entire circumference and also in each processing. As a result, the amount of purge gas leaking over the entire circumference of the joint 20 can be made constant, and the amount of purge gas leaking from the purge gas groove 22 for each process can be made constant. Further, for example, in the case where a plurality of covers 6 and stages 2 are provided in the external chamber and the substrate processing apparatus 1c is a batch processing type, the purge gas grooves 22 between the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 1c to the processing space 7 are provided. It is also possible to obtain the advantages that the conductance can be made constant and the process variation among the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 1c can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 10A is a horizontal sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 10A.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment is different from the substrate processing apparatus 1b according to the second modification shown in FIG. In the purge gas groove 22b along the end (back end) along line 8, the purge gas flow FP is made to flow in one direction from one end side to the other end side. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment, the purge gas supply path 23 is provided on one end side of the purge gas groove 22b, and the purge gas exhaust path 24 is provided on the other end side.

  11A is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a reference example of the second embodiment, FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIB-XIB in FIG. 10A, and FIG. It is a horizontal sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on the reference example of 2 embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, purge gas supply paths 23 are provided at both ends of the purge gas groove 22b, purge gas is supplied from both ends of the purge gas groove 22b, and purge gas is discharged from a purge gas exhaust path 24 provided at the central portion of the purge gas groove 22b. Is exhausted. In this case, the purge gas flow FP in the purge gas groove 22b is a flow in two directions opposite to each other: a flow from one end side of the purge gas groove 22b toward the central portion and a flow from the other end side toward the central portion. These two directions of flow are in the central portion of the purge gas groove 22b, change the direction from the horizontal flow to the vertical flow above the purge gas exhaust passage 24, merge together, and flow into the purge gas exhaust passage 24. .

  According to such a purge gas flow FP, the direction is changed above the purge gas exhaust passage 24. Therefore, as shown in a circle A in FIG. 11A, there is a portion where the flow rate of the purge gas flow FP becomes “zero” above the portion where the purge gas exhaust passage 24 exists at the bottom of the purge gas groove 22b. May occur. Where the purge gas FP is present, even if the processing gas enters the purge gas groove 22b from the processing space 7, the processing gas does not pass through the purge gas groove 22b, but the portion where the flow velocity is "zero" The processing gas that has entered from the processing space 7 is allowed to pass through. For this reason, the processing gas reaches the seal member 21 downstream of the purge gas exhaust passage 24 via the upper portion of the purge gas exhaust passage 24 at the bottom of the purge gas groove 22 b along the back end, that is, the rear side of the purge gas exhaust passage 24. As a result of the arrival of the processing gas, for example, a deposit generated by the reaction of the processing gas occurs in the portion shown in a circle B in FIG. This deposit becomes a factor that deteriorates the sealing member 21, for example, a resin O-ring. In addition, the cross section which follows the XIA-XIA line | wire in FIG. 12 is FIG. 11 (A).

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, the purge gas flow FP is made to flow in one direction from one end side to the other end side in the purge gas groove 22b along the back end.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment as described above, the purge gas flow FP is unidirectionally flowed from one end side to the other end side, as particularly well shown in FIG. Thus, there is no portion where the flow rate of the purge gas flow FP becomes “zero” above the purge gas groove 22b. For this reason, it becomes difficult for the processing gas to cross the purge gas groove 22b along the back end, and it becomes difficult for the processing gas to reach the seal member 21 downstream thereof. As a result, it is possible to obtain an advantage that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deposits as in the reference example.

  Further, since the purge gas FP flowing through the back end is unidirectional, it is not symmetrical with respect to the processing substrate. However, the purge gas leaking from the purge gas groove 22b immediately flows into the exhaust groove 8, so Symmetry is not disturbed.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10B, in particular, the supply of the processing gas to the gas supply head 3 and the exhaust of the gas from the exhaust groove 8 are performed. In order to achieve a simpler configuration, the process gas supply block 70 and the gas exhaust block 71 are attached to the bottom of the stage 2.

  A gas supply path 5 b is formed in the processing gas supply block 70. The gas supply path 5 b is connected to a gas supply path 5 a formed in the stage 2. The gas supply path 5b guides the processing gas from the gas supply mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 1 to the gas supply path 5a.

  When the processing gas supply block 70 is attached to the bottom of the stage 2, for example, the gas supply path 5 a formed in the stage 2 is simply penetrated from the gas diffusion chamber 5 toward the bottom of the stage 2. It can be a straight hole. For this reason, when forming the gas supply path 5a in the stage 2, it is not necessary to perform complicated processing such as bending the gas supply path 5a into a key shape inside the stage 2. The stage 2 is a large member having a larger area than the workpiece G. Although it may be difficult to perform complicated drilling on such a large member, the processing gas supply block 70 is provided separately from the stage 2 as in the second embodiment, for example, complicated The hole processing is performed in the processing gas supply block 70 smaller than the stage 2. Thereby, even if it is a case where the stage 2 is further enlarged, the advantage that the difficulty of a process can be suppressed can be acquired.

  The gas exhaust block 71 is the same as the process gas supply block 70. By adopting a structure in which the gas exhaust block 71 is attached to the bottom of the stage 2, for example, the gas exhaust path formed in the stage 2 may simply pass through the exhaust groove 8 toward the bottom of the stage 2. The exhaust groove 8 penetrating therethrough is connected to a gas exhaust path 8 a formed in the gas exhaust block 71. Then, the gas exhaust path 8a is connected to the exhaust device 9 shown in FIG. Thereby, the gas exhaust path connected to the exhaust device 9 can be easily obtained without performing complicated hole machining on the stage 2.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment, the gas supply path 23 and the purge gas groove 22b are connected via a side surface at one end of the purge gas groove 22b. Similarly, the connection between the gas exhaust path 24 and the purge gas groove 22b is also made through the side surface at the other end of the purge gas groove 22b. However, the connection between the gas supply path 23 and the gas exhaust path 24 and the purge gas groove 22b can be made via the bottom of the purge gas groove 22b.

  However, if it is desired to surely eliminate the portion where the flow velocity becomes “zero” inside the purge gas groove 22b located on the most downstream side of the process gas flow F, the purge gas flow FP as in the second embodiment. It is preferable that the gas supply path 23 and the gas exhaust path 24 and the purge gas groove 22b are connected via the side surface of the purge gas groove 22b so that the direction of the gas does not change between the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. By doing so, the purge gas flow FP does not change direction between the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and it becomes possible to eliminate the portion where the purge gas flow velocity becomes “zero” inside the purge gas groove 22b. Because.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 13A is a horizontal sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13B is a side view seen from the direction of arrow XIIIB in FIG. 13 (C) is a side view seen from the direction of arrow XIIIC in FIG. 13 (A). FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a gas flow. In addition, illustration of the sealing member 21 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 13 (A)-FIG.13 (c), and FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the substrate processing apparatus 1e according to the third embodiment is different from the substrate processing apparatus 1b according to the second modification shown in FIG. How to exhaust. In the third embodiment, first, the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 for exhausting the purge gas from the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 along the end (side end) connecting the front end and the back end of the object G to be processed The exhaust passage, in this example, the gas exhaust passage 8a of the gas exhaust block 71 is joined obliquely along the gas flow in the gas exhaust passage 8a. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the purge gas flow FP has a vector component C in the same direction as the direction of the processing gas flow F in the gas exhaust path 8a. The purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are obliquely connected to the gas exhaust passage 8a so as to merge.

  Thus, by connecting the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 obliquely to the gas exhaust passage 8a, for example, as compared with the case where the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are connected at right angles to the gas exhaust passage 8a. Further, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the purge gas can be easily exhausted from the gas exhaust passage 8a through the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2.

  Similarly, with respect to the purge gas groove 22b along the back end of the object G to be processed, the purge gas exhaust path 24b for exhausting the purge gas from the purge gas groove 22b is changed from the gas exhaust path 8a to the gas flow in the gas exhaust path 8a. The purge gas flow FP is merged obliquely along the vector component D in the same direction as the direction of the process gas flow F in the gas exhaust path 8a.

  Thus, the purge gas exhaust passage 24b is also connected obliquely to the gas exhaust passage 8a, so that, for example, compared with the case where the purge gas exhaust passage 24b is connected to the gas exhaust passage 8a at a right angle, the purge gas is discharged. It is possible to obtain an advantage that the gas can be easily exhausted from the gas exhaust path 8a through the purge gas exhaust path 24b.

  The purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 and the gas exhaust passage 8a are merged portions, but the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 should not be joined in the exhaust groove 8 or the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8. If the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are merged in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8 or the exhaust groove 8, the air flow in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8 or the exhaust groove 8 may be disturbed by the merge of the purge gas. It is. If the airflow in the exhaust groove 8 or the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8 is disturbed, the influence may reach the inside of the processing space 7, and a minute “fluctuation” may occur in the airflow in the processing space 7. The “fluctuation” of the air current affects the uniformity of processing on the object to be processed G, and can cause processing unevenness. For this reason, the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 and the gas exhaust passage 8a are preferably merged at a point in the exhaust groove 8, for example, at a certain distance E from the center line. The distance E to some extent is variously changed depending on the size of the substrate processing apparatus 1e. However, even if at least the purge gas is exhausted to the gas exhaust path 8a, the exhaust groove 8 or the air flow in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8 The distance must be able to maintain laminar flow. By maintaining a laminar flow with respect to the exhaust groove 8 or the air flow in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8, even if the purge gas is exhausted to the gas exhaust path 8a from which the processing gas is exhausted, the uniformity of processing on the object G is affected. For example, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of processing unevenness.

  The same applies to the joining portion of the purge gas exhaust passage 24b and the gas exhaust passage 8a. Even if the purge gas from the purge gas exhaust passage 24b is exhausted to the gas exhaust passage 8a, the air flow in the exhaust groove 8 or in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8 It should be separated by a distance that can maintain laminar flow.

  Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1e according to the third embodiment includes a purge gas groove 22b similar to the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment. That is, the purge gas flow in the purge gas groove 22b is unidirectional. In this case, there is one purge gas exhaust path 24b from the purge gas groove 22b. For this reason, the merge of the purge gas to the gas exhaust path 8a is not symmetrical. In such a case, if the purge gas exhaust passage 24b and the gas exhaust passage 8a are merged in the vicinity of the merge portion between the purge gas exhaust passage 24c1 or 24c2 and the gas exhaust passage 8a, the balance of the exhaust tends to be lost. For this reason, it may be difficult to maintain a laminar flow for the exhaust groove 8 or the airflow in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8. When there is only one purge gas exhaust passage 24b that causes such a concern, a merged portion of the purge gas exhaust passage 24b and the gas exhaust passage 8a, a purge gas exhaust passage 24c1 or 24c2, and the gas exhaust passage 8a Are preferably provided independently, and the merged portion between the purge gas exhaust passage 24b and the gas exhaust passage 8a is separated from the merge portion between the purge gas exhaust passage 24c1 or 24c2 and the gas exhaust passage 8a by a certain distance F. The distance F to some extent is variously changed depending on the size of the substrate processing apparatus 1e and the size of the gas exhaust path 8a, but the purge gas is exhausted from the only one purge gas exhaust path 24b to the gas exhaust path 8a. Even so, it is only necessary to separate the exhaust groove 8 or the air flow in the vicinity of the exhaust groove 8 by a distance that can maintain the laminar flow.

  By devising in this way, even if the purge gas is exhausted from the only one purge gas exhaust passage 24b to the gas exhaust passage 8a, it is possible to make it difficult to affect the uniformity of the processing on the object G. Thus, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of processing unevenness.

  Further, in the third embodiment, the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are joined at the upper part of the gas exhaust passage 8a, but may be joined at the side surface of the gas exhaust passage 8a. Further, although the purge gas exhaust passage 24b is joined at the side surface of the gas exhaust passage 8a, it may be joined at the upper portion of the gas exhaust passage 8a.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 15 is a horizontal sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a reference example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the purge gas is exhausted from the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 along the side end of the object to be processed G, the substrate processing of the type in which the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are connected to the bottoms of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2. In the apparatus, there is a portion where the flow rate of the purge gas becomes “zero” above the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2. Therefore, for example, deposits generated by the reaction of the processing gas are likely to occur in the corners on the downstream side of the processing gas shown in circles H1 and H2 in FIG.

  Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, even when the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are connected to the bottoms of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2, a substrate that can make it difficult for deposits to occur at the corners on the downstream side of the processing gas. A processing device is provided.

(First example)
FIG. 16 is a horizontal sectional view showing a first example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 f according to the first example of the fourth embodiment, the planar pattern of the purge gas grooves 22 c 1 and 22 c 2 along the side end of the object to be processed G is changed into the flow F of the processing gas Is bent along the purge gas groove 22b along the back end of the object G to be processed. By bending the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 in this manner, the upper portions of the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 where the purge gas flow velocity becomes “zero” overlap with the purge gas grooves 22b where the purge gas flow velocity does not become “zero”. By making it, it can suppress that process gas reaches | attains the corner part in the downstream of the flow F of process gas. The configuration of the purge gas groove 22b is preferably such that the purge gas flows in one direction, as in the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus 1f according to the first example as described above, even when the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are connected to the bottoms of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2, they are deposited at the corners on the downstream side of the process gas. The advantage that an object can be made difficult to occur can be obtained.

(Second example)
FIG. 17 is a horizontal sectional view showing a second example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the substrate processing apparatus 1g according to the second example differs from the substrate processing apparatus 1f according to the first example in that purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 are provided in the back end of the object G to be processed in the first example. The portion bent at right angles along the purge gas groove 22b along the line is bent obliquely toward the purge gas groove 22b, that is, bent at an obtuse angle. By thus bending the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 obliquely toward the purge gas groove 22b, the planar pattern of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 can be obtuse. For this reason, compared with the case where the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 are bent at a right angle, the conductance of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 can be lowered, and the advantage that the purge gas can be flowed more easily and can be easily exhausted is obtained. Can do.

  Of course, also in the fourth embodiment, the upper portions of the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 where the flow rate of the purge gas is “zero” are overlapped with the purge gas groove 22b where the flow rate of the purge gas is not “zero”. The purge gas groove 22b is preferably configured to flow the purge gas in one direction in the same manner as the substrate processing apparatus 1d according to the second embodiment. As a result, as in the first example, even when the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 are connected to the bottoms of the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2, deposits are less likely to be generated at the corners on the downstream side of the processing gas. The advantage that it can be obtained can be obtained.

  The fourth embodiment can be used in combination with the third embodiment. Rather, the fourth embodiment is more preferably used in combination with the third embodiment.

  Further, as in the second example, when the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 are bent obliquely toward the purge gas groove 22b, the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 are formed by bending the purge gas exhaust passages 24c1 and 24c2 diagonally. It is also possible to arrange them so that they extend in a straight line when viewed from the plane (see FIG. 17). In this case, compared with the case where the direction in which the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 extend and the direction in which the purge gas exhaust paths 24c1 and 24c2 extend from a plane are shifted, the purge gas is discharged from the purge gas grooves 22c1 and 22c2 to the purge gas exhaust path. It is possible to obtain an advantage that the exhaust gas can be drawn more smoothly into the exhaust gas 24c1 and 24c2.

  As described above, the present invention has been described according to the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be variously modified.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, there is only one stage 2, but it is also possible to stack the stages 2 in multiple stages and make the substrate processing apparatus a batch processing type.

Further, when the purge gas is supplied from the back surface of the gas supply head 3 through the upper portion, for example, it can also be used as a carrier gas for the processing gas.
In addition, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

  G ... object to be processed, 2 ... stage, 2a ... mounting surface, 3 ... gas supply head, 4 ... gas hole, 5 ... gas diffusion chamber, 6 ... cover, 7 ... treatment space, 8a ... gas exhaust path, 11 ... Purge gas supply mechanism, 20 ... Joint portion, 21 ... Seal member, 22, 22a, 22b, 22c1, 22c2 ... Purge gas groove, 24, 24b, 24c1, 24c2 ... Purge gas exhaust passage

Claims (13)

A stage having a mounting surface for mounting the object to be processed;
A gas supply head which is provided at one end of the stage and has a plurality of gas holes for ejecting a processing gas for processing the object to be processed to the placement surface;
The gas supply head and the object to be processed placed on the mounting surface are accommodated, and a processing space for processing the object to be processed is formed on the mounting surface. A cover that can be joined to,
A seal member provided at a joint between the cover and the stage, and sealing between the cover and the stage;
A purge gas groove provided at a joint between the cover and the stage, and provided between the seal member and the processing space;
A purge gas supply mechanism for supplying a purge gas to the purge gas groove ;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a purge gas exhaust mechanism for exhausting purge gas from the purge gas groove . The placement surface has a recess, the gas supply head is provided in the recess, and the object to be processed is placed in the recess,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the seal member and the purge gas groove is provided on a joint surface between a convex portion formed around the concave portion and the cover.   3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the purge gas groove is disposed so as to surround the object to be processed placed on the placement surface.   4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the purge gas groove is a single continuous groove.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the purge gas groove is a groove divided into a plurality of parts.   6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the purge gas is allowed to flow in one direction into a purge gas groove located downstream of the flow of the processing gas among the plurality of divided purge gas grooves. A gas exhaust path for exhausting the processing gas supplied to the processing space;
The purge gas exhausted from the plurality of purge gas grooves is exhausted to the gas exhaust path, and the purge gas exhaust path for exhausting the purge gas has the same flow direction as the processing gas flowing in the gas exhaust path The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate processing apparatuses are combined at an angle so as to have a vector component in a direction.   Among the plurality of divided purge gas grooves, a merged portion of the purge gas groove along the side end of the object to be processed and the gas exhaust passage, the purge gas groove along the back end of the object to be processed, and the gas exhaust The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the merging portion with the path is provided independently and separated from each other. Of the plurality of divided purge gas grooves, the purge gas groove along the side end of the object to be processed is directed to the purge gas groove along the back end of the object to be processed on the downstream side of the flow of the process gas. Bend and
6. A connection portion between a purge gas groove along a side end of the object to be processed and a purge gas exhaust path for exhausting purge gas overlaps with a purge gas groove along a back end of the object to be processed. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8.   10. The part according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the purge gas groove along the gas supply head is exposed to the processing space and is on the back surface of the gas supply head. Substrate processing equipment.   The substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a spacer provided between the cover and the stage and between the seal member and the outside. Processing equipment. The openings of the plurality of gas holes of the gas supply head form a row in a direction along the side of the mounting surface,
The length of the gas supply head along the side of the mounting surface is equal to or longer than the length of the target object placed on the mounting surface along the gas supply head. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the purge gas is also used as a carrier gas for the processing gas.

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