JPH0982594A - Depressurizing method for chamber in semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a depressurizing method wherein time it takes to reach a target pressure value is reduced and particles can be easily discharged from chambers. SOLUTION: To reduce the pressure in a process module PM1 from atmospheric pressure to 1000Pa, both an exhaust-side valve PV and a supply-side value V are opened, and while a vacuum pump VP is being operated, N2 gas is supplied from a gas controller 14. The process module PM1 is purged using N2 gas, and further is depressurized by means of the vacuum pump VP. In the process module PM1, a N2 gas flow going from the ceiling to the bottom is formed. As a result, oxygen and moisture in the process module PM1 due to atmospheric pressure is discharged by the N2 gas flow. Particles are also discharged. The flow rate of the N2 gas is controlled to 20 or so. The internal pressure is detected using a pressure sensor, and when the detected pressure reaches a target value, the valves V and PV are closed to stop purging. Then the operation of the vacuum pump VP is stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an indoor depressurizing method in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to an indoor depressurizing method in a chamber for processing semiconductor wafers or substrates such as a reaction chamber, a transfer chamber, a cassette chamber and a cooling chamber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional single-wafer type diffusion equipment, CVD equipment, P
A semiconductor manufacturing device such as a VD device was configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, this device is configured as a cluster tool type, and includes a cassette module (cassette chamber) CM and a transfer module (transport chamber) T.
M and process modules (reaction chamber / treatment chamber) PM were connected in series through the gate valve GV of the partition walls.
In the apparatus of this structure, the volume of the chamber can be reduced, so that the amount of required gas and the like can be reduced and the burden on the incidental equipment can be reduced. Moreover, gas replacement for a small volume can be performed quickly, which contributes to higher process functionality.

By the way, in the reaction chamber PM and the like of such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, when decompressing these chambers from atmospheric pressure to, for example, 1000 Pa, conventionally, decompression is performed only by a vacuum pump provided in an exhaust pipe. It was That is, the gate valve GV is closed to isolate the reaction chamber PM from other chambers, the piping valve PV is opened, and the vacuum pump is driven to reduce the pressure.

[0004]

In this case, it took a considerable time to reach 1000 Pa due to the effects of oxygen and water in each module (CM, TM, PM) after the atmospheric pressure was restored. For example, while the goal was 10 minutes, it actually took 15 minutes. Further, it is difficult to discharge the particles remaining in the corners of each module (chamber) by decompressing only with the vacuum pump.

Therefore, the present invention provides a method for decompressing a room in which the time required to reach the target decompression value is shortened.
That is the purpose. Another object of the present invention is to provide an indoor depressurizing method in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that facilitates discharge of particles from a chamber.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for depressurizing a chamber for processing a substrate to be processed such as a reaction chamber, a transfer chamber and a cassette chamber in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. This is an indoor depressurizing method in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that depressurizes the chamber while supplying an inert gas to the chamber.

In the indoor pressure reducing method according to the present invention,
The pressure in the chamber is reduced while supplying an inert gas such as N2 gas or Ar gas into the chamber. For example, the inside of the chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure. As a result, the particles and the like in the chamber are eliminated by the flow of the inert gas, and the pressure is quickly reduced to the target value.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to which an indoor depressurizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In this cluster type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, process modules (process chambers, reaction chambers) PM1 and PM2 are provided around transfer modules (transfer chambers, transfer chambers) TM.
And cassette modules (cassette chamber, cassette chamber) CM1 and CM2 are connected in series. The process modules PM1 and PM2 and the cassette modules CM1 and CM2 are configured to be able to communicate with the transfer module TM via gate valves GV1, GV2, GV3, and GV4, which are provided on partition walls between them. The transfer module TM has a robot R for transferring a substrate or a semiconductor wafer to be processed.
Is housed.

The transfer module TM, the process modules PM1 and PM2, and the cassette modules CM1 and CM2 are provided with an exhaust port 11 and a gas introduction port 12, respectively. Each exhaust port 11 is formed in the bottom wall of each module, and is connected to the vacuum pump VP via a valve PV provided in the middle of the exhaust pipe. Each gas inlet 12 is formed in the ceiling of each module and is connected to the gas controller 14 via a valve V provided in the pipe. The gas controller 14 is connected to an inert gas supply source (not shown). As the inert gas, for example, nitrogen gas, helium gas, argon gas, etc. are used, but various inert gases can be selected and used according to the process treatment conditions of the semiconductor wafer and the like.

Further, these modules TM, PM1,
PM2, CM1, and CM2 are provided with pressure sensors for detecting their internal pressures, and based on the detection results of these pressure sensors, the valve opening / closing control means (not shown) controls each exhaust side valve PV.
Also, the opening and closing of each supply side valve V is controlled. The installation position of each gas introduction port 12 is not limited to the ceiling of each module, and may be formed and installed on a side wall or the like.

Therefore, when decompressing each chamber (module) in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the above configuration, for example, the process module PM1 is heated to 1000 P from atmospheric pressure.
The pressure is reduced to a as follows. First, the exhaust side valve PV and the supply side valve V are opened, the vacuum pump VP is driven, and N2 gas is supplied from the gas controller 14. That is, the pressure in the process module PM1 is reduced by the vacuum pump VP while purging with N2 gas. Therefore, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1, an N2 gas flow flowing from the ceiling side to the bottom wall is generated in the process module PM1. As a result, the oxygen and moisture in the process module PM1 that have returned to atmospheric pressure can be discharged by this N2 gas flow in the first stage. In this case, for example, the flow rate of N2 gas is about 20.

When the target value is reached, this is detected by the pressure sensor, after which the valve V is closed and the purging with N2 gas is stopped. In addition, the valve PV is closed and the vacuum pump VP
Stop driving. The time required to reach the target value of the pressure reduction at this time can be shortened to, for example, about 3 minutes in the standard module.

When reducing the pressure of each module, the gate valve GV between the modules is closed. When decompressing each module at the same time, each valve P
V and V can be opened simultaneously.

[0014]

According to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the time required to reach the target pressure in the decompression of each chamber.
Also, particles can be discharged from each chamber. Therefore, the number of cleanings and maintenances of each chamber can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional case. Furthermore, as a result of being able to reduce particles as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, its reliability is enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a conventional single wafer type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

PM1, PM2 ... Process module (reaction chamber), TM ... Transfer module (transfer chamber), CM1, CM2 ... Cassette module (cassette chamber), VP ... Vacuum pump, 11 ... Exhaust port , 12 ... Gas inlet, 14 ... Gas controller,

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method of decompressing a chamber for processing a substrate to be processed such as a reaction chamber, a transfer chamber, a cassette chamber in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein the chamber is supplied with an inert gas. An indoor decompression method in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for decompressing.