KR101141069B1 - Batch type atomic layer depositing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates in a batch, and more particularly, to process a plurality of substrates in a batch to complete an atomic layer deposition process for each substrate to be processed while having excellent throughput. The present invention relates to a batch atomic layer deposition apparatus which can be performed in a simple manner, the horizontal batch atomic layer deposition apparatus of the present invention comprises: a chamber capable of forming a vacuum therein; A first reactive gas layer forming unit installed in the chamber and forming a first reactive gas layer; A purge gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a purge gas layer in parallel with the first reactive gas layer; A second reactive gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a second reactive gas layer in parallel with the purge gas layer; And substrate moving means for moving the substrate to sequentially pass through the first reactive gas layer, the purge gas layer, and the second reactive gas layer.

Description

Batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus {BATCH TYPE ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates in a batch, and more particularly, to process a plurality of substrates in a batch to complete an atomic layer deposition process for each substrate to be processed while having excellent throughput. It relates to a batch atomic layer deposition apparatus that can be performed easily.

In general, a semiconductor device, a flat panel display device, and the like go through various manufacturing processes, and among them, a process of depositing a thin film required on a substrate such as a wafer or glass is inevitably performed. In such a thin film deposition process, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and the like are mainly used.

First, the sputtering method injects an inert gas such as argon into the vacuum chamber while a high voltage is applied to the target to generate argon ions in the plasma state. At this time, argon ions are sputtered on the surface of the target, and atoms of the target are separated from the surface of the target and deposited on the substrate.

The sputtering method can form a high purity thin film having excellent adhesion with the substrate. However, in the case of depositing a highly integrated thin film having a process difference by the sputtering method, it is very difficult to secure uniformity over the entire thin film. There is a limit to the application.

Next, chemical vapor deposition is the most widely used deposition technique, and is a method of depositing a thin film having a required thickness on a substrate using a reaction gas and decomposition gas. For example, chemical vapor deposition first deposits a variety of gases into a reaction chamber and deposits a thin film of the required thickness on a substrate by chemically reacting gases induced by high energy such as heat, light or plasma.

In addition, the chemical vapor deposition method increases the deposition rate by controlling the reaction conditions through the ratio and amount of plasma or gases applied by the reaction energy.

However, in chemical vapor deposition, the reactions are fast, and thus, it is very difficult to control thermodynamic stability of atoms and deteriorate physical and chemical electrical properties of the thin film.

Finally, atomic layer deposition is a method for depositing atomic layer unit thin films by supplying source gas (reaction gas) and purge gas alternately. The thin film formed thereby has a high aspect ratio, is uniform even at low pressure, and has electrical and physical characteristics. great.

In recent years, chemical vapor deposition is difficult to apply to a structure having a very large aspect ratio due to the limitation of step coverage. Therefore, in order to overcome the limitation of the step coverage, an atomic layer deposition method using a surface reaction is used. Is being applied.

As an apparatus for performing the atomic layer deposition method, there are a batch type apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates in a batch, and a sheet type apparatus that processes a process by loading substrates one by one in a chamber.

However, the conventional single wafer type device processes the substrates one by one, which causes a low throughput of the device. On the other hand, the batch type device has a problem that the deposition efficiency is lowered and the film quality is lowered because the batch process is performed in a state in which a plurality of substrates are stacked in one chamber.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of an atomic layer deposition apparatus having excellent throughput and excellent film quality and high deposition efficiency.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a horizontal batch atomic layer deposition apparatus having a batch structure and excellent throughput, independent atomic layer deposition is performed for each substrate to be processed, excellent deposition efficiency and film quality.

Horizontally arranged atomic layer deposition apparatus of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, the chamber capable of forming a vacuum therein; A first reactive gas layer forming unit installed in the chamber and forming a first reactive gas layer; A purge gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a purge gas layer in parallel with the first reactive gas layer; A second reactive gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a second reactive gas layer in parallel with the purge gas layer; And substrate moving means for moving the substrate to sequentially pass through the first reactive gas layer, the purge gas layer, and the second reactive gas layer.

The first reaction gas layer forming unit in the present invention, the first reaction gas injector for injecting the first reaction gas at a high pressure in the other direction from one side inside the chamber; And a first gas discharge unit configured to suction and discharge gas from the other side of the first reaction gas injection unit.

The purge gas layer forming unit may include: a purge gas injector configured to inject a purge gas at a high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other side; And a second gas discharge part configured to suck and discharge gas from the other side of the purge gas injection part.

The second reactive gas layer forming unit may include a second reactive gas injector for injecting the second reactive gas at a high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other side; And a third gas discharge unit configured to suck and discharge gas from the other side of the second reactive gas injection unit.

On the other hand, the purge gas layer forming unit is preferably further formed outside the first reaction gas layer forming unit and outside of the second reaction gas layer forming unit, because it can prevent the first and second reaction gases from spreading to the outside.

It is preferable that the substrate moving means moves the substrate continuously or breaks the substrate at intervals so that the substrate stops for a predetermined time in each gas layer, so that the atomic layer deposition process can be performed accurately while the reaction gas is continuously sprayed. .

And another batch atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention, the chamber capable of forming a vacuum therein; A substrate placing table disposed inside the chamber, the substrate placing table in which a plurality of substrates are horizontally spaced at regular intervals; A first reactive gas layer forming unit installed in the chamber and forming a first reactive gas layer; A purge gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a purge gas layer in parallel with the first reactive gas layer; A second reactive gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a second reactive gas layer in parallel with the purge gas layer; And a gas layer forming unit moving unit for relatively moving the first reactive gas layer forming unit, the purge gas layer forming unit, and the second reactive gas layer forming unit with respect to the substrate in a spaced apart state.

In the present invention, the gas layer forming unit moving means moves each gas layer forming unit continuously or breaks the substrate so that the substrate stays in each gas layer for a predetermined time period. It is preferable to proceed.

According to the present invention, the throughput is excellent because the batch processing of a plurality of substrates in a batch.

In addition, since the atomic layer deposition method is independently performed for each of the plurality of stacked substrates, the deposition efficiency is excellent and the film quality is excellent.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a batch atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a partially enlarged view illustrating a structure of a first reactive gas injection unit and a first gas discharge unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a batch atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail specific embodiments of the present invention.

≪ Example 1 >

As shown in FIG. 1, the batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a chamber 10, a substrate moving unit 20, a first reaction gas layer forming unit 30, a purge gas layer forming unit 40, The second reaction gas layer forming unit 50 is configured.

First, the chamber 10 has a predetermined space therein, and has a structure capable of maintaining the internal space in a vacuum state. Therefore, the chamber 10 is provided with a high vacuum pump (not shown) capable of discharging the gas inside the chamber, and a venting device (not shown in the drawing) capable of injecting gas into the chamber 10 may also be provided. Can be. In addition, a temperature control means (not shown) may be further provided to control the temperature inside the chamber 10.

Next, the substrate moving means 20 includes a susceptor 22 on which the substrate S is mounted, and a driving means 24 for driving the susceptor 22. The susceptor 22 may further include a substrate rotating means (not shown) for rotating the mounted substrate. The substrate rotating means rotates the substrate at a constant speed during the process so that a uniform thin film is formed on the substrate. Of course, the substrate rotating means may not be provided.

In addition, the susceptor 22 may further be provided with heating means (not shown in the drawing) capable of heating the inserted substrate. Temperature is a very important factor in the atomic layer deposition process, and the heating means can be used to precisely control the temperature of the substrate during the process. Of course, by controlling the temperature inside the chamber, the temperature of the substrate may be indirectly controlled.

The driving means 24 is a component that moves the susceptor 22 to pass through the first and second reaction gas layers and the purge gas layer. The driving means 24 may move the susceptor 22 by breaking it at regular intervals. Here, moving by period does not move the susceptor 22 continuously at a constant speed, but stops the susceptor 22 at a specific position, stops it for a certain period, and then moves it again after the period. It refers to a form of movement. At this time, the time the susceptor stays at a specific position can be adjusted in various ways for optimal process conditions.

When the substrate is horizontally moved by cycles, the atomic layer deposition process may be independently performed while the substrate being moved moves the first reaction gas layer 36, the purging gas layer 46, and the second reaction gas layer 56 at regular intervals. It is.

In the conventional atomic layer deposition apparatus, the reaction gas is supplied for a predetermined time and then the purging gas is supplied. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the substrate is held for a predetermined time in a space where the reaction gas is continuously supplied. The atomic layer deposition process is performed by moving to the space where the purging gas is supplied.

Next, the first reactive gas layer forming unit 30 is a component that is provided inside the chamber 10 and forms the first reactive gas layer 36. In the present embodiment, as described above, an atomic layer deposition process is performed while the reactive gas layer is formed and the substrate passes through the reactive gas layer, so that the first reactive gas layer forming unit 30 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the substrate. The first reaction gas layer 36 is formed.

To this end, the first reactive gas layer forming unit 30 includes a first reactive gas injection unit 32 and a first gas discharge unit 34 as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first reaction gas injector 32 is a component that injects the first reaction gas at a high pressure from one side in the chamber 10 to the other side. The first reaction gas injector 32 receives the first reaction gas from the first reaction gas canister 70a provided outside the chamber 10 and injects the gas at a high pressure. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first gas discharge part 34 is a component that sucks and discharges gas from the other side of the first reaction gas injection part 32. The first gas discharge part 34 sucks and discharges the first reaction gas, but may also suck and discharge other gases such as by-products generated in the atomic layer deposition process on the substrate.

The first reaction gas layer 36 is formed between the first reaction gas injection unit 32 and the first gas discharge unit 34. The atomic layer deposition process is performed while the substrate S reaches and stays in the first reaction gas layer 36.

Next, the purge gas layer forming unit 40 is installed in the chamber 10 and is a component that forms the purge gas layer 46 in parallel with the first reactive gas layer 36. The purge gas layer 46 is formed in parallel with the first reactive gas layer 36. The purge gas layer 46 serves to block the first reactive gas layer 36 and the second reactive gas layer 56. The purge gas layer forming unit 40 also includes a purge gas injection unit 42 and a second gas discharge unit 44 similarly to the first reactive gas layer forming unit 30. In this case, the purge gas injector 42 may be disposed in the same direction as the first reaction gas injector 32, but may be disposed in the direction of the first gas discharge unit 34 to correspond to the first reactant gas injector 32. The purge gas may be injected in the opposite direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the purge gas layer forming unit 46 is not only between the first reactive gas layer forming unit 30 and the second reactive gas layer forming unit 50, but also the first reactive gas layer forming unit 30. The outer side and the second side of the reactive gas layer forming unit 50 may be further installed. Thus, the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are diffused into the chamber by the purge gas layer formed by the purge gas layer forming unit disposed outside the first reaction gas layer forming unit 30 and the second reaction gas layer forming unit 50. Can be prevented.

In addition, the purge gas layer forming unit 40 may be formed by stacking two or more for a more sufficient blocking effect.

Next, the second reactive gas layer forming unit 50 is a component that forms the second reactive gas layer 56 in parallel with the purge gas layer 46. The second reactive gas layer forming unit 50 forms a second reactive gas layer in parallel with the purge gas layer. As a result, the first reaction gas layer 36, the purge gas layer 46, and the second reaction gas layer 56 are sequentially formed in parallel with each other. The atomic layer deposition process is performed while the substrate S passes through each of the gas layers formed by the substrate transfer means 20.

The second reactive gas layer forming unit 50 also includes a second reactive gas injection unit 52 and a third gas discharge unit 54, which are the first reactive gas injection unit 32 and the first reaction unit described above. Since it is substantially the same as the gas discharge part 34, it will not be repeated.

In addition, in addition to the first and second reactive gas layer forming units 30 and 50, another reactive gas layer forming unit may be additionally installed in the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment. In addition, two or more first and second reactive gas layer forming units 30 and 50 may be installed.

≪ Example 2 >

Hereinafter, a batch atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment may include a chamber 110, a substrate placing table 120, a first reactive gas layer forming unit 130, a purge gas layer forming unit 140, The second reactive gas layer forming unit 150 and the gas layer forming unit moving unit 160 are configured. Here, the chamber 110, the first and second reactive gas layer forming units 130 and 150, and the purge gas layer forming unit 140 are substantially the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and thus will not be described here again.

However, the gas supply unit 182 connecting the gas layer forming unit and the gas supply unit 180, and the exhaust connection unit 172 connecting the exhaust pump 170 and the gas discharge unit may be formed by the gas layer forming unit moving means. The length is elastically configured to be movable.

On the other hand, the batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with a substrate placing table 120 in which a plurality of substrates (S) are horizontally spaced apart. The substrate S is placed on the substrate placing table 120 so as to be spaced apart by an interval between the gas layer forming units. The substrate holder 120 may have a structure that can move in the vertical direction for the convenience of loading and unloading the substrate.

In this state, the gas layer forming unit moving unit 160 simultaneously maintains the first reactive gas layer forming unit 130, the purge gas layer forming unit 140, and the second reactive gas layer forming unit 150 at intervals. The relative movement with respect to the substrate or the substrate mounting table 120. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the gas layer forming unit is fixed, and the substrate moves in each gas layer forming unit, while the atomic layer deposition process proceeds. In this embodiment, the substrate is fixed. The process is going on.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the gas layer forming unit moving unit 160 is preferably coupled to one end of the gas injection unit side and one end of the gas discharge unit side to simultaneously drive both ends.

In this case, the gas layer forming unit moving unit 160 may continuously move each gas layer forming unit or cut and move each cycle so that the substrate stays in each gas layer for a predetermined time.

<Example 1>
10 chamber 20 substrate transfer means
30: first reaction gas layer forming unit 40: purge gas layer forming unit
50: second reaction gas layer forming unit
<Example 2>
110: chamber 120: substrate placing table
130: first reaction gas layer forming unit 140: purge gas layer forming unit
150: second reaction gas layer forming unit 160: gas layer forming unit moving means

Claims (12)

A chamber capable of forming a vacuum therein;
A first reactive gas layer forming unit installed in the chamber and forming a first reactive gas layer;
A purge gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a purge gas layer to be stacked in parallel with the first reactive gas layer;
A second reactive gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a second reactive gas layer to be stacked in parallel with the purge gas layer;
And substrate moving means for moving the substrate to sequentially pass through the first reactive gas layer, the purge gas layer, and the second reactive gas layer, which are stacked in parallel. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reactive gas layer forming unit,
A first reaction gas injector for injecting the first reaction gas at a high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other direction;
And a first gas outlet for sucking and discharging gas from the other side of the first reactive gas injection unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the purge gas layer forming unit,
A purge gas injector for injecting purge gas at high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other direction;
And a second gas discharge part configured to suck and discharge gas from the other side of the purge gas injection part. The method of claim 1, wherein the second reactive gas layer forming unit,
A second reaction gas injector for injecting a second reaction gas at a high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other direction;
And a third gas outlet configured to suction and discharge gas from the other side of the second reactive gas injection unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the purge gas layer forming unit,
The batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reactive gas layer forming unit is further formed outside the second reactive gas layer forming unit. The method of claim 1,
The substrate moving means is a horizontally arranged atomic layer deposition apparatus, characterized in that for moving the substrate continuously or by cutting the cycle by stopping the substrate in each gas layer for a predetermined time. A chamber capable of forming a vacuum therein;
A substrate placing table disposed inside the chamber, the substrate placing table in which a plurality of substrates are horizontally spaced at regular intervals;
A first reactive gas layer forming unit installed in the chamber and forming a first reactive gas layer;
A purge gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a purge gas layer to be stacked in parallel with the first reactive gas layer;
A second reactive gas layer forming unit installed inside the chamber and forming a second reactive gas layer to be stacked in parallel with the purge gas layer;
Batch type atomic layer deposition comprising; gas layer forming unit moving means for moving relative to the substrate in a state in which the first reactive gas layer forming unit, the purge gas layer forming unit and the second reactive gas layer forming unit are spaced apart in parallel. Device. According to claim 7, wherein the gas layer forming unit moving means,
Horizontally arranged atomic layer deposition apparatus, characterized in that for moving each gas layer forming portion continuously or by cutting the cycle so that the substrate stays in each gas layer for a certain time. The method of claim 7, wherein the first reactive gas layer forming unit,
A first reaction gas injector for injecting the first reaction gas at a high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other direction;
And a first gas outlet for sucking and discharging gas from the other side of the first reactive gas injection unit. The method of claim 7, wherein the purge gas layer forming unit,
A purge gas injector for injecting purge gas at high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other direction;
And a second gas discharge part configured to suck and discharge gas from the other side of the purge gas injection part. The method of claim 7, wherein the second reactive gas layer forming unit,
A second reaction gas injector for injecting a second reaction gas at a high pressure from one side of the chamber to the other direction;
And a third gas outlet configured to suction and discharge gas from the other side of the second reactive gas injection unit. The method of claim 7, wherein the purge gas layer forming unit,
The batch type atomic layer deposition apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reactive gas layer forming unit is further formed outside the second reactive gas layer forming unit.

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