JP7325343B2 - GAS SUPPLY STRUCTURE AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to gas supply structures and substrate processing apparatuses.

A substrate holder holding a plurality of substrates arranged vertically in a shelf shape is carried into a vertical reaction vessel, and a film forming gas is supplied from a gas injector into the reaction vessel to perform heat treatment on the plurality of substrates. is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The gas injector includes a cylindrical injector body arranged to extend vertically in the reaction vessel, and a cylindrical gas introduction pipe provided integrally with the injector body along the vertical direction. A plurality of gas supply holes are formed in the injector body along the vertical direction. The gas introduction pipe includes a gas inlet on the lower side that receives the film forming gas, and a gas inlet that communicates with the internal space of the injector body and introduces the film forming gas into the internal space.

JP 2018-81956 A

The present disclosure provides a technology capable of adjusting gas directivity.

A gas supply structure according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a gas supply structure for supplying a gas into a processing container of a substrate processing apparatus, comprising a gas supply member and a gas discharge section formed in the gas supply member, a gas discharge part including a plurality of through-holes penetrating a gas supply member, the plurality of through-holes converge on the gas outlet side of the gas supply member, and the gas supply member is provided inside the gas supply member. A tubular member in which a gas flow path is formed is included, and a plurality of the gas ejection portions are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member.

According to the present disclosure, directivity of gas can be adjusted.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. A diagram showing an example of a gas supply pipe The figure which shows another example of a gas supply pipe The figure which shows another example of a gas supply pipe The figure which shows another example of a gas supply pipe The figure which shows another example of a gas supply pipe The figure which shows another example of a gas supply pipe A diagram for explaining the directivity of the gas discharged from the gas supply pipe. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment; Diagram showing an example of a shower head FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment; The figure which shows the directivity simulation result of the gas discharged from a gas supply pipe.

Non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the attached drawings, the same or corresponding members or parts are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

[First embodiment]
(substrate processing equipment)
A configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for collectively performing various processes such as a film forming process and an etching process on a plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. The substrate may be, for example, a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer. The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a processing container 10 in which substrates W are accommodated.

The processing container 10 has a substantially cylindrical inner tube 12 with an open bottom end and a substantially cylindrical outer tube 14 with an open bottom end covering the inner tube 12 . The inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz, and are coaxially arranged to form a double tube structure. A substrate holder 16 for holding a plurality of substrates W at intervals in the vertical direction and substantially horizontally is carried into and out of the processing chamber 10 .

The ceiling of the inner tube 12 is flat, for example. One side of the inner tube 12 is formed with a nozzle accommodating portion 18 that accommodates a gas nozzle along its longitudinal direction (vertical direction). The nozzle accommodating portion 18 is formed by projecting a portion of the side wall of the inner pipe 12 outward to form a convex portion 20 , and the inside of the convex portion 20 is formed as the nozzle accommodating portion 18 . An opening 22 is formed along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the side wall of the inner tube 12 opposite to the nozzle accommodating portion 18 .

The opening 22 is a gas exhaust port formed to exhaust the gas inside the inner tube 12 . The length of the openings 22 is the same as the length of the substrate holder 16, or longer than the length of the substrate holder 16 so as to extend vertically.

A lower end of the processing container 10 is supported by a substantially cylindrical manifold 30 made of, for example, stainless steel. A flange portion 32 is formed at the upper end of the manifold 30, and the lower end of the outer tube 14 is placed on the flange portion 32 to support it. A sealing member 34 such as an O-ring is interposed between the flange portion 32 and the lower end of the outer tube 14 to keep the inside of the outer tube 14 airtight.

An annular support portion 36 is provided on the inner wall of the manifold 30 . The support portion 36 supports the lower end of the inner tube 12 . A lid portion 38 is airtightly attached to the opening at the lower end of the manifold 30 via a sealing member 40 such as an O-ring to airtightly close the opening at the lower end of the processing container 10, that is, the opening of the manifold 30. It's like The lid portion 38 is made of stainless steel, for example.

A rotary shaft 44 is provided through the central portion of the lid portion 38 via a magnetic fluid seal portion 42 . A lower portion of the rotary shaft 44 is rotatably supported by an arm 48 of an elevating mechanism 46 comprising a boat elevator, and is rotated by a motor.

A rotating plate 50 is provided at the upper end of the rotating shaft 44 . A substrate holder 16 for holding a substrate W is mounted on the rotating plate 50 via a heat insulating base 52 made of quartz. Therefore, by raising and lowering the elevating mechanism 46 , the lid portion 38 and the substrate holder 16 are vertically moved together, so that the substrate holder 16 can be carried in and out of the processing container 10 .

A gas supply unit 60 is provided in the manifold 30 and introduces various gases such as a film forming gas, an etching gas, and a purge gas into the inner pipe 12 . The gas supply unit 60 has a plurality (eg, three) of quartz gas nozzles 62, 64, 66 with different lengths. Each of the gas nozzles 62 , 64 , 66 is provided in the inner tube 12 along its longitudinal direction, and is supported so as to penetrate the manifold 30 with its base end bent in an L-shape. The gas nozzles 62 , 64 , 66 are installed in a row along the circumferential direction inside the nozzle accommodating portion 18 of the inner pipe 12 .

The gas nozzle 62 is formed with a plurality of gas ejection portions 62A at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction in the upper portion of the inner tube 12 . Each gas discharge part 62A is provided on the center side of the inner pipe 12 and discharges gas into the inner pipe 12 . However, each gas discharge part 62A may be provided on the wall surface side of the inner tube 12 . Details of the gas discharge section 62A will be described later.

The gas nozzle 64 is formed with a plurality of gas ejection portions 64A at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction in the central portion of the inner tube 12 . Each gas discharge part 64A is provided on the center side of the inner pipe 12 and discharges gas into the inner pipe 12 . However, each gas discharge part 64A may be provided on the wall surface side of the inner tube 12 . Details of the gas discharge section 64A will be described later.

In the gas nozzle 66, a plurality of gas ejection portions 66A are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction in the lower portion of the inner tube 12. As shown in FIG. Each gas discharge part 66A is provided on the center side of the inner pipe 12 and discharges gas into the inner pipe 12 . However, each gas discharge part 66A may be provided on the wall surface side of the inner tube 12 . Details of the gas discharge section 66A will be described later.

As described above, the gas supply unit 60 has the gas nozzles 62, 64, and 66 that supply gases to different positions in the height direction, so that the gas is discharged to the upper, middle, and lower portions of the inner tube 12 independently. can.

A gas outlet 70 is formed on the upper side wall of the manifold 30 and above the support portion 36, and the gas is discharged from the opening 22 through a space 72 between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14. Gas in the inner tube 12 can be exhausted. An exhaust mechanism 74 is provided at the gas outlet 70 . The exhaust mechanism 74 includes an exhaust passage 76 , a pressure regulating valve 78 and a vacuum pump 80 . An exhaust passage 76 is connected to the gas outlet 70 . A pressure regulating valve 78 and a vacuum pump 80 are interposed in the exhaust passage 76 to exhaust the inside of the processing container 10 while controlling the pressure inside the processing container 10 .

A substantially cylindrical heating portion 90 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the outer tube 14 so as to cover the outer tube 14 . The heating unit 90 heats the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a control section 95 . The control unit 95 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), auxiliary storage device, and the like. The CPU operates based on programs stored in the ROM or auxiliary storage device, and controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 . The control unit 95 may be provided inside the substrate processing apparatus 1 or may be provided outside.

(Gas supply pipe)
Configuration examples of gas supply pipes that can be used as the gas nozzles 62, 64, and 66 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a gas supply pipe. 2(a) is a front view of the through-hole, FIG. 2(b) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe, and FIG. 2(c) is a cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe. is.

The gas supply pipe 110 has a tubular member 111 and a gas discharge section 112 .

The tubular member 111 is provided inside the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container. The tubular member 111 forms a gas flow path F inside. The tubular member 111 has a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular member 111 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like. The tubular member 111 is made of quartz, for example.

A plurality of gas ejection portions 112 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 111 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “axial direction”). Each gas discharge part 112 includes two through holes 112 a and 112 b penetrating through the tube wall of the tubular member 111 .

The through-holes 112 a and 112 b are gas holes for discharging the gas flowing through the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 111 to the outside of the tubular member 111 . The through-holes 112a and 112b are spaced apart in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the tubular member 111 on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 111), and are spaced apart on the gas outlet side (the outer wall side of the tubular member 111). merge. In other words, the through-holes 112 a and 112 b extend in different directions in the axial direction of the tubular member 111 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 111 and merge on the outer wall side of the tubular member 111 . In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the through-hole 112 a extends downward in the axial direction of the tubular member 111 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 111 . Further, the through hole 112b extends from the bottom to the top in the axial direction of the tubular member 111 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 111 . The through holes 112 a and 112 b join on the outer wall side of the tubular member 111 .

The through holes 112a and 112b have a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 112a and 112b may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of the gas supply pipe. 3(a) is a front view of the through-hole, FIG. 3(b) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe, and FIG. 3(c) is a cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe. is.

The gas supply pipe 120 has a tubular member 121 and a gas discharge section 122 .

The tubular member 121 is provided inside the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container. The tubular member 121 forms a gas flow path F inside. The tubular member 121 has a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular member 121 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like. The tubular member 121 is made of quartz, for example.

A plurality of gas discharge portions 122 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 121 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “axial direction”). Each gas discharge part 122 includes two through holes 122 a and 122 b penetrating through the tube wall of the tubular member 121 .

The through-holes 122 a and 122 b are gas holes for discharging the gas flowing through the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 121 to the outside of the tubular member 121 . The through-holes 122a and 122b are spaced apart in a direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 121 on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 121) and on the gas outlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 121). outside wall side). In other words, the through holes 122a and 122b extend in different directions perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 121 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 121, and merge on the outer wall side of the tubular member 121. do. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the through hole 122a extends from the inner wall side of the tubular member 121 toward the outer wall side in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 121 in the direction of the through hole 122b. Further, the through hole 122b extends in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 121 from the inner wall side of the tubular member 121 toward the outer wall side in the direction of the through hole 122a. The through holes 122 a and 122 b join on the outer wall side of the tubular member 121 .

The through holes 122a and 122b have a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 122a and 122b may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing still another example of the gas supply pipe. 4(a) is a front view of the through hole, FIG. 4(b) is a longitudinal section of the gas supply pipe, and FIG. 4(c) is a cross section of the gas supply pipe. is.

The gas supply pipe 130 has a tubular member 131 and a gas discharge portion 132 .

The tubular member 131 is provided inside the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container. The tubular member 131 forms a gas flow path F inside. The tubular member 131 has a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular member 131 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like. The tubular member 131 is made of quartz, for example.

A plurality of gas discharge portions 132 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 131 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “axial direction”). Each gas discharge part 132 includes three through holes 132 a , 132 b , 132 c penetrating through the tube wall of the tubular member 131 .

The through holes 132 a , 132 b , 132 c are gas holes for discharging gas flowing through the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 131 to the outside of the tubular member 131 . The through-holes 132a, 132b, and 132c are separated from each other on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 131) and join on the gas outlet side (the outer wall side of the tubular member 131). In other words, the through-holes 132a and 132b extend in different directions in the axial direction of the tubular member 131 from the inner wall side toward the outer wall side of the tubular member 131 and in directions perpendicular to the axial direction. merge on the outer wall side of Also, the relationship between the through holes 132b and 132c and the relationship between the through holes 132c and 132a are the same as the relationship between the through holes 132a and 132b. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the through-hole 132a extends downward in the axial direction of the tubular member 131 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 131 . The through-hole 132b extends from the bottom to the top in the axial direction of the tubular member 131 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 131, and extends in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 131 toward the through-hole 132c. extend to The through-hole 132c extends from the bottom to the top in the axial direction of the tubular member 131 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 131, and extends in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 131 toward the through-hole 132b. extend to The through holes 132 a , 132 b , and 132 c join together on the outer wall side of the tubular member 131 .

The through holes 132a, 132b, and 132c have circular cross-sectional shapes in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 132a, 132b, 132c may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing still another example of the gas supply pipe. 5(a) is a front view of the through hole, FIG. 5(b) is a longitudinal section of the gas supply pipe, and FIG. 5(c) is a cross section of the gas supply pipe. is.

The gas supply pipe 140 has a tubular member 141 and a gas discharge section 142 .

The tubular member 141 is provided inside the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container. The tubular member 141 forms a gas flow path F inside. The tubular member 141 has a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular member 141 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like. The tubular member 141 is made of quartz, for example.

A plurality of gas discharge portions 142 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 141 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “axial direction”). Each gas discharge part 142 includes four through-holes 142a, 142b, 142c, 142d passing through the tube wall of the tubular member 141. As shown in FIG.

The through holes 142 a , 142 b , 142 c , 142 d are gas holes for discharging the gas flowing through the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 141 to the outside of the tubular member 141 . The through-holes 142a, 142b, 142c, and 142d are separated from each other on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 141) and join on the gas outlet side (the outer wall side of the tubular member 141). The through holes 142a, 142b, 142c, and 142d extend in different directions in the axial direction of the tubular member 141 and/or in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction from the inner wall side of the tubular member 141 toward the outer wall side. and merge on the outer wall side of the tubular member 141 .

The through holes 142a, 142b, 142c, and 142d have circular cross-sectional shapes in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 142a, 142b, 142c, and 142d may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing still another example of the gas supply pipe. 6(a) is a front view of the through-hole, FIG. 6(b) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe, and FIG. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view of the gas supply pipe. is.

The gas supply pipe 150 has a tubular member 151 and a gas discharge portion 152 .

The tubular member 151 is provided inside the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container. The tubular member 151 forms a gas flow path F inside. The tubular member 151 has a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular member 151 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like. The tubular member 151 is made of quartz, for example.

A plurality of gas discharge portions 152 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 151 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “axial direction”). Each gas discharge part 152 includes four through-holes 152a, 152b, 152c, 152d passing through the tube wall of the tubular member 151. As shown in FIG.

The through holes 152 a , 152 b , 152 c , 152 d are gas holes for discharging the gas flowing through the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 151 to the outside of the tubular member 151 . The through-holes 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d are spaced apart in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the tubular member 151 on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 151) and on the gas outlet side (the tubular member 151). merge at the outer wall side of the member 151). In other words, the through-hole 152a, the through-hole 152b, the through-hole 152c, and the through-hole 152d extend in different directions in the axial direction of the tubular member 151 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 151. Join on the outer wall side. In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the through holes 152 a and 152 b extend downward in the axial direction of the tubular member 151 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 151 . The through-holes 152c and 152d extend from the bottom to the top in the axial direction of the tubular member 151 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 151 . The through holes 152 a , 152 b , 152 c , and 152 d join together on the outer wall side of the tubular member 151 .

The through holes 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d have circular cross-sectional shapes in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing still another example of the gas supply pipe. 7(a) is a front view of the through-hole, FIG. 7(b) is a longitudinal section of the gas supply pipe, and FIG. 7(c) is a cross section of the gas supply pipe. is.

The gas supply pipe 160 has a tubular member 161 and a gas discharge section 162 .

The tubular member 161 is provided inside the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container. The tubular member 161 forms a gas flow path F inside. The tubular member 161 has a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular member 161 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like. The tubular member 161 is made of quartz, for example.

A plurality of gas discharge portions 162 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 161 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “axial direction”). Each gas discharge part 162 includes four through-holes 162a, 162b, 162c, 162d passing through the tube wall of the tubular member 161. As shown in FIG.

The through holes 162 a , 162 b , 162 c , 162 d are gas holes for discharging gas flowing through the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 161 to the outside of the tubular member 161 . The through holes 162a, 162b, 162c, and 162d are spaced apart in a direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 161 on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 161). They merge on the outlet side (outer wall side of tubular member 161). In other words, the through holes 162a, 162b, 162c, and 162d extend in different directions perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 161 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 161, They join on the outer wall side of the tubular member 161 . In the example shown in FIG. 7, the through-holes 162a and 162b extend in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 161 from the inner wall side to the outer wall side of the tubular member 161 in the direction of the through-holes 162c and 162d. Extend. The through holes 162c and 162d extend from the inner wall side of the tubular member 161 toward the outer wall side in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 161 in the direction of the through holes 162a and 162b. The through holes 162 a , 162 b , 162 c , and 162 d join together on the outer wall side of the tubular member 161 .

The through holes 162a, 162b, 162c, and 162d have circular cross-sectional shapes in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 162a, 162b, 162c, and 162d may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

Although configuration examples of gas supply pipes that can be used as the gas nozzles 62, 64, and 66 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 have been described above with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In FIGS. 2 to 7, the case where each gas discharge part includes 2 to 4 through-holes has been described, but each gas discharge part may include, for example, 5 or more through-holes.

(gas directivity)
The directivity of the gas discharged from the gas supply pipe will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the directivity of the gas discharged from the gas supply pipe. FIG. 8 shows, as an example, the case where the gas supply pipe 120 (see FIG. 3) described above is provided inside the inner pipe 12 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , the gas supply pipe 120 has a tubular member 121 and a plurality of gas ejection portions 122 .

The tubular member 121 is provided inside the inner tube 12 along the longitudinal direction of the inner tube 12 .

A plurality of gas ejection portions 122 are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member 121 . Also, the plurality of gas discharge sections 122 are provided on the center side of the inner tube 12 in the tubular member 121 . Each gas discharge part 122 includes two through holes 122 a and 122 b penetrating through the tube wall of the tubular member 121 . The through-holes 122a and 122b are spaced apart in a direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 121 on the gas inlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 121) and on the gas outlet side (the inner wall side of the tubular member 121). outside wall side).

In the gas supply pipe 120, when the gas is supplied to the gas flow path F formed inside the tubular member 121, the gas flowing through the gas flow path F reaches the substrate W through the plurality of gas discharge portions 122. It is discharged towards. At this time, each gas discharge part 122 has two through-holes 122a and 122b that pass through the tube wall of the tubular member 121 and join on the gas outlet side of the tube wall, so that the gas to be discharged passes through the two through-holes 122a. , 122b at the junction. As a result, as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 8, the diffusibility of the gas discharged from each gas discharge section 122 in the vertical direction is improved. As a result, the gas is sufficiently diffused between the substrate surfaces, and the inter-surface uniformity of the substrate processing is improved. Thus, according to the first embodiment, the directivity of gas can be adjusted.

[Second embodiment]
(substrate processing equipment)
A substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

The substrate processing apparatus 2 is an apparatus for processing substrates W one by one. The substrate may be, for example, a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer. The substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a processing container 210 , a support section 220 , a gas supply section 230 and an exhaust section 240 .

The processing container 210 is configured such that the inside thereof can be decompressed. In one embodiment, processing vessel 210 includes body portion 211 , ceiling portion 212 , holding portion 213 , showerhead 214 , bottom portion 215 and gas outlet 216 . The body portion 211 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The ceiling portion 212 is fixed to the upper end of the body portion 211 . The holding part 213 is attached to the ceiling part 212 and holds the shower head 214 . The shower head 214 supplies the processing gas introduced from the gas supply unit 230 into the processing container 210 in the form of a shower via a plurality of gas discharge units 214b. Details of the shower head 214 will be described later. The bottom portion 215 is fixed to the lower end of the main body portion 211 so as to cover the opening at the lower end of the main body portion 211 . A gas outlet 216 is provided at the bottom 215 .

The support part 220 is a mounting table configured to support the substrate W inside the processing container 210 . In one embodiment, the support portion 220 includes a base portion 221 and a mounting portion 222 . The base portion 221 is fixed to the bottom portion of the processing container 210 . The mounting part 222 is fixed to the upper end of the base part 221 and mounts the substrate W on its upper surface.

A gas supply unit 230 introduces a processing gas to the showerhead 214 . In one embodiment, gas supply 230 includes a gas supply, gas lines, valves and flow controllers.

Exhaust 240 is connected to gas outlet 216 . In one embodiment, exhaust 240 includes a pressure controller and a vacuum pump.

(shower head)
A configuration example of the shower head 214 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 of FIG. 9 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the shower head 214, showing a cross section of a part of the shower head 214 enlarged.

The showerhead 214 forms a gas flow path F inside. The shower head 214 has a shower plate 214a and a gas discharge part 214b.

The shower plate 214a is disc-shaped in this example. The shower plate 214a is made of metal, for example.

A plurality of gas ejection portions 214b are formed at intervals in the plane of the shower plate 214a. Each gas discharge part 214b includes two through holes 214b1 and 214b2 passing through the shower plate 214a.

The through holes 214 b 1 and 214 b 2 are gas holes for discharging the gas flowing through the gas flow path F into the processing container 210 . The through-holes 214b1 and 214b2 are separated from each other on the gas inlet side (upper surface side of the shower plate 214a) and join on the gas outlet side (lower surface side of the shower plate 214a). In other words, the through-holes 214b1 and 214b2 extend in different directions from the upper surface side to the lower surface side of the shower plate 214a and merge on the lower surface side of the shower plate 214a.

The through holes 214b1 and 214b2 have a circular cross-sectional shape in this example. However, the cross-sectional shape of the through holes 214b1 and 214b2 may be oval, elliptical, rectangular, or the like.

In the shower head 214, when the gas is supplied to the gas flow path F formed inside, the gas flowing through the gas flow path F is discharged toward the substrate W via the plurality of gas discharge portions 214b. . At this time, each gas discharge part 214b has two through holes 214b1 and 214b2 that pass through the shower plate 214a and merge on the gas outlet side of the shower plate 214a. Therefore, the discharged gas collides at the junction of the two through holes 214b1 and 214b2. This improves the diffusivity in the horizontal direction of the gas discharged from each gas discharge portion 214b. As a result, the gas is sufficiently diffused within the substrate surface, and the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing is improved. Thus, according to the second embodiment, the directivity of gas can be adjusted.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the case where the gas discharge portion 214b includes the two through holes 214b1 and 214b2 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the gas discharge part 214b may include three or more through-holes like the gas discharge part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
A substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment.

The substrate processing apparatus 3 is provided with a plurality of substrates W placed in the rotation direction of a turntable 321 provided in the processing container 310 and spaced apart along the rotation direction while the turntable 321 is being rotated. This apparatus processes a substrate W by supplying a processing gas from a plurality of gas supply units. The substrate may be, for example, a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer. The substrate processing apparatus 3 includes a processing vessel 310 , a support section 320 , a gas supply section 330 and an exhaust section 340 .

The processing container 310 is configured such that the inside thereof can be decompressed. In one embodiment, processing vessel 310 includes vessel body 311 , top plate 312 , gas nozzle 313 , showerhead 314 and gas outlet 315 .

The container body 311 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom.

The top plate 312 is airtightly and detachably arranged on the upper surface of the container body 311 via a sealing member (not shown) such as an O-ring.

The gas nozzle 313 is provided above the turntable 321 and in a partial area in the rotation direction of the turntable 321 . The gas nozzle 313 is introduced into the processing container 310 from the outer peripheral wall of the processing container 310 and is attached so as to extend horizontally with respect to the rotary table 321 along the radial direction of the container body 311 . The gas nozzle 313 is made of quartz, for example. The gas nozzle 313 has a plurality of gas discharge portions (not shown) formed along the axial direction, and the processing gas introduced from the gas supply portion 330 is introduced into the processing container 310 through the plurality of gas discharge portions 314b. supply to As the gas nozzle 313, the gas supply pipes 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 described in the first embodiment can be used.

The shower head 314 is provided above the turntable 321 and in a partial area in the rotation direction of the turntable 321 . The shower head 314 is provided apart from the gas nozzle 313 in the circumferential direction of the rotary table 321 . The shower head 314 supplies the processing gas introduced from the gas supply unit 330 into the processing container 310 in the form of a shower via a plurality of gas discharge units 314b. As the shower head 314, the shower head 214 described in the second embodiment can be used.

A gas outlet 315 is provided at the bottom of the container body 311 .

The support part 320 is configured to support the substrate W within the processing vessel 310 . In one embodiment, the support part 320 includes a rotary table 321 , a connecting part 322 and a rotary shaft 323 .

The rotary table 321 is provided inside the processing container 310 and has a rotation center at the center of the processing container 310 . A plurality of (for example, six) substrates W are placed on the upper surface of the rotary table 321 along the rotation direction (circumferential direction).

The connecting portion 322 has a substantially cylindrical shape and connects the rotating table 321 and the rotating shaft 323 at the central portion of the rotating table 321 .

The rotating shaft 323 is connected to the lower end of the connecting portion 322 . The rotating shaft 323 penetrates the bottom of the container body 311, and the lower end thereof is attached to a drive section (not shown) that rotates the rotating shaft 323 around a vertical axis.

The gas supply unit 330 introduces processing gas to the gas nozzle 313 and the showerhead 314 . In one embodiment, gas supply 330 includes a gas supply, gas lines, valves and flow controllers.

Exhaust 340 is connected to gas outlet 315 . In one embodiment, exhaust 340 includes a pressure controller and a vacuum pump.

The substrate processing apparatus 3 has the gas nozzle 313 and the shower head 314 . The gas nozzle 313 has a gas discharge portion, and the gas discharge portion includes a plurality of through holes penetrating the pipe wall and merging on the gas outlet side of the pipe wall. As a result, the gas discharged from the gas discharge portion collides at the confluence portion of the plurality of through holes. Therefore, the diffusibility in the horizontal direction of the gas discharged from the gas discharge portion is improved. As a result, the gas is sufficiently diffused within the substrate surface, and the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing is improved.

The shower head 314 also has a gas discharge portion 314b, and the gas discharge portion 314b includes a plurality of through holes penetrating the shower plate and merging on the gas outlet side of the shower plate. As a result, the gas discharged from the gas discharge portion 314b collides at the junction of the plurality of through holes. Therefore, the diffusivity in the horizontal direction of the gas discharged from the gas discharge portion 314b is improved. As a result, the gas is sufficiently diffused within the substrate surface, and the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing is improved.

Thus, according to the third embodiment, the directivity of gas can be adjusted.

〔Evaluation results〕
Next, simulation was performed to evaluate the change in the directivity of the gas discharged from the gas discharge part when the shape of the gas discharge part formed in the gas supply pipe was changed. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing simulation results of directivity of gas discharged from a gas supply pipe.

The diagram on the left side of FIG. 12 shows the simulation result of gas directivity when the gas supply pipe 110 shown in FIG. 2 is used.

As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 12 , the gas supply pipe 110 includes a tubular member 111 and a gas discharge section 112 . Gas discharge portion 112 includes two through holes 112a and 112b that are spaced apart in the axial direction of tubular member 111 on the inner wall side of tubular member 111 and join on the outer wall side of tubular member 111 . In this case, the gas discharged from the gas discharge part 112 spreads in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 111 . From this result, using the gas discharge part 112 including two through-holes 112a and 112b separated in the axial direction of the tubular member 111 on the inner wall side of the tubular member 111 and joining on the outer wall side of the tubular member 111, horizontal It can be seen that the gas diffusibility is improved. As a result, the gas is sufficiently diffused within the substrate surface, and the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing is improved.

The diagrams on the right side of FIG. 12 show the simulation results of gas directivity when the gas supply pipe 120 shown in FIG. 3 is used.

As shown in the diagram on the right side of FIG. 12 , the gas supply pipe 120 includes a tubular member 121 and a gas discharge section 122 . Gas discharge portion 122 includes two through holes 122a and 122b that are spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of tubular member 121 on the inner wall side of tubular member 121 and join on the outer wall side of tubular member 121 . In this case, the gas discharged from the gas discharge part 122 spreads in the axial direction of the tubular member 121 . From this result, it can be seen that using the gas discharge part 122 including two through-holes 122a and 122b that are spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member 121 on the inner wall side of the tubular member 121 and join on the outer wall side of the tubular member 121 , the diffusivity of the gas in the vertical direction is improved. As a result, the gas is sufficiently diffused between the substrate surfaces, and the uniformity of the substrate processing is improved.

In the above embodiments, the gas supply pipe and the showerhead are examples of the gas supply structure, and the tubular member and the shower plate are examples of the gas supply member.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

1 Substrate Processing Apparatus 10 Processing Containers 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 Gas Supply Pipes 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161 Tubular Members 112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162 Gas Discharge Part 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, 152a, 162a Through holes 112b, 122b, 132b, 142b, 152b, 162b Through hole 2 Substrate processing apparatus 210 Processing container 214 Shower head 214a Shower plate 214b Gas ejection parts 214b1, 214b2 Through hole 3 Substrate processing apparatus 310 processing container 313 gas nozzle 314 shower head 314b gas discharge unit

Claims (7)

A gas supply structure for supplying gas into a processing container of a substrate processing apparatus,
a gas supply member;
a gas discharge portion formed in the gas supply member, the gas discharge portion including a plurality of through holes penetrating through the gas supply member;
has
the plurality of through-holes merge on the gas outlet side of the gas supply member;
The gas supply member includes a tubular member having a gas flow path formed therein,
A plurality of the gas ejection portions are formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member,
gas supply structure. The plurality of through-holes include two or more through-holes spaced apart in the axial direction on the inner wall side of the tubular member and joining on the outer wall side of the tubular member,
The gas supply structure according to claim 1 . The plurality of through-holes include two or more through-holes that are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction on the inner wall side of the tubular member and join on the outer wall side of the tubular member,
The gas supply structure according to claim 1 or 2 . The tubular member is provided in the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container,
The plurality of gas discharge units are provided on the center side of the processing container of the tubular member,
The gas supply structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The tubular member is provided in the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container,
The plurality of gas discharge units are provided on the wall surface side of the processing container of the tubular member,
The gas supply structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . a processing container that accommodates a plurality of substrates substantially horizontally at intervals in the vertical direction;
a gas supply pipe provided in the processing container along the longitudinal direction of the processing container;
with
The gas supply pipe is
a tubular member in which a gas flow path is formed;
a plurality of gas discharge portions formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member, the plurality of gas discharge portions including a plurality of through-holes passing through a wall of the tubular member;
has
the plurality of through-holes included in at least one of the plurality of gas discharge portions merge on the gas outlet side of the pipe wall;
Substrate processing equipment. a processing vessel;
a rotary table provided in the processing container on which a plurality of substrates are placed along the direction of rotation;
a gas supply pipe provided facing the rotary table in a partial area in the rotation direction of the rotary table;
with
The gas supply pipe is
a tubular member in which a gas flow path is formed;
a plurality of gas discharge portions formed at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular member, the plurality of gas discharge portions including a plurality of through-holes passing through a wall of the tubular member;
has
the plurality of through-holes included in at least one of the plurality of gas discharge portions merge on the gas outlet side of the pipe wall;
Substrate processing equipment.

Images