KR102548570B1 - Substrate processing apparatus and method of driving door assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. An apparatus for processing a substrate includes a chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate and having an entrance through which a substrate enters and exits, a gas supply unit for supplying process gas to the processing space, a plasma unit for generating plasma from the process gas, and the above process gas. A door assembly that opens and closes a carry-in port, wherein the door assembly includes a door that opens and closes the carry-in port and a door driver that moves the door between an open position and a closed position, wherein the door has one side of which air flows in A passage is formed and may include a housing having an inner space, a valve that opens or closes the passage, and a valve actuator that moves the valve between an open position and a closed position.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and door assembly driving method {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING DOOR ASSEMBLY}

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using plasma.

In general, various processes of processing a substrate using plasma are used in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. Plasma refers to an ionized gaseous state composed of ions, radicals, and electrons. Plasma is generated by very high temperatures, strong electric fields or RF Electromagnetic Fields. Etching, deposition, and cleaning processes are used as these processes.

1 is a view showing a state in which a door is opened on one side wall of a typical process chamber. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 1 . Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the chamber 9000 has a loading port through which substrates are carried in or taken out. In addition, in order to isolate the chamber 9000 from the external environment, a door assembly 9200 that opens or closes the carry-in port is provided. The pressure inside the chamber and the pressure outside the chamber are provided differently. Accordingly, when the door assembly moves to open and close the carry-in port, airflow from the outside of the chamber is introduced into the chamber through a space between the door assembly and the carry-in port. The air flow outside the chamber includes various particles. As a result, particles are introduced into the chamber. Particles introduced into the chamber affect the environment inside the chamber and cause defects in the substrate processing process.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a door assembly driving method capable of minimizing a difference between an internal pressure of a chamber and an external pressure of the chamber before opening the door of the chamber.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a door assembly driving method capable of minimizing the inflow of particles into a chamber.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings. will be.

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. An apparatus for processing a substrate includes a chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate and having an entrance through which a substrate enters and exits, a gas supply unit for supplying process gas to the processing space, a plasma unit for generating plasma from the process gas, and the above process gas. A door assembly that opens and closes a carry-in port, wherein the door assembly includes a door that opens and closes the carry-in port and a door driver that moves the door between an open position and a closed position, wherein the door has one side of which air flows in A passage is formed and may include a housing having an inner space, a valve that opens or closes the passage, and a valve actuator that moves the valve between an open position and a closed position.

According to an embodiment, the apparatus further includes a controller controlling the door driver and the valve driver, and the controller controls the valve driver to move the valve to an open position when a substrate is unloaded from the processing space. and then control the door actuator to move the door to an open position.

According to one embodiment, a perforated member having a perforated hole through which the airflow flows may be provided in the inner space.

According to one embodiment, the perforated member may include a filter.

According to one embodiment, the perforated member is disposed on the other side facing the one side of the door, and may include a plate having a plurality of perforated holes.

According to one embodiment, the perforated member is disposed on one side and the other side facing the door, and may include a plate having a plurality of perforations and a filter disposed between the passage and the plate.

According to one embodiment, the perforated hole may be provided with a smaller area than the passage.

In addition, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. An apparatus for processing substrates includes a chamber having an entrance through which substrates enter and exit, and a door assembly that opens and closes the entrance, and the door assembly is located outside the chamber and includes a door that opens and closes the entrance and the door. A door driver for moving between an open position and a closed position, wherein the door has a passage through which air flow flows into one side of the door, a housing having an internal space, a valve for opening or closing the passage, and a valve that opens or closes the passage and moves the valve to an open position or It may include a valve actuator to move it between closed positions.

According to an embodiment, the apparatus further includes a controller controlling the door driver and the valve driver, and the controller controls the valve driver to move the valve to an open position when a substrate is unloaded from the chamber. , After the valve moves to the open position, the door actuator may be controlled to move the door to the open position.

According to one embodiment, the inner space may include a perforated member having a perforated hole through which the airflow flows.

According to one embodiment, the perforated member may include a filter.

According to one embodiment, the perforated member is disposed on one side and the other side facing the door, and may include a plate having a plurality of perforations and a filter disposed between the passage and the plate.

According to one embodiment, the perforated hole may be provided with a smaller area than the passage.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of driving a door assembly in an apparatus for processing a substrate. The method of driving the door assembly may include a valve opening step of moving the valve to an open position and opening the passage, and a door opening step of moving the door to an open position after the valve opening step.

According to one embodiment, the substrate processing device may be a device for processing a substrate under vacuum pressure.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, before opening the door of the chamber, it is possible to minimize the difference between the internal pressure of the chamber and the external pressure of the chamber.

In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to minimize the inflow of particles into the chamber.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing a state in which a door is opened on one side wall of a typical process chamber.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 1 .
3 is a diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an embodiment of a process chamber performing a plasma treatment process among process chambers of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a door assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of airflow when the valve of FIG. 5 is moved to an open position.
7 and 8 are views schematically showing a door assembly according to another embodiment of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a door assembly according to another embodiment of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of air flow when the valve of FIG. 9 is moved to an open position.
11 is a flowchart of a method for driving a door assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the plasma treatment step of FIG. 11 .
FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing the valve opening step of FIG. 11 .
FIG. 14 is a view schematically showing the door opening step of FIG. 11 .
FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing the step of unloading the substrate of FIG. 11 .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited due to the examples described below. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shapes of components in the drawings are exaggerated to emphasize a clearer explanation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 15 .

3 is a diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a front end module (Equipment Front End Module, EFEM) 20 and a processing module 30 . The front end module 20 and the processing module 30 are arranged in one direction.

The front end module 20 has a load port (Load port, 200) and a transfer frame (220). The load port 200 is disposed in front of the front end module 20 in the first direction 2 . The load port 200 has a plurality of support parts 202 . Each support part 202 is arranged in a row in the second direction 4, and a carrier C (eg, a cassette, FOUP, etc.) is settled. In the carrier C, a substrate W to be subjected to a process and a substrate W after processing are accommodated. The transfer frame 220 is disposed between the load port 200 and the processing module 30 . The transfer frame 220 includes a first transfer robot 222 disposed therein and transferring the substrate W between the load port 200 and the processing module 30 . The first transfer robot 222 moves along the transfer rail 224 provided in the second direction (4) to transfer the substrate (W) between the carrier (C) and the processing module (30).

The processing module 30 includes a load lock chamber 300 , a transfer chamber 400 , and a process chamber 500 . In one embodiment of the present invention, a chamber having a processing space for processing substrates and having an entrance through which substrates enter and exit includes a load lock chamber 300 , a transfer chamber 400 , and a process chamber 500 .

The load lock chamber 300 is disposed adjacent to the transport frame 220 . For example, the load lock chamber 300 may be disposed between the transfer chamber 400 and the front end module 20 . The load lock chamber 300 serves as a waiting space before a substrate W to be processed is transferred to the process chamber 500 or before a substrate W after processing is transferred to the front module 20. to provide.

The transfer chamber 400 is disposed adjacent to the load lock chamber 300 . When viewed from the top, the transfer chamber 400 has a polygonal body. For example, the transfer chamber 400 may have a pentagonal body when viewed from the top. A load lock chamber 300 and a plurality of process chambers 500 are disposed outside the body along the circumference of the body. A passage (not shown) through which the substrate W enters and exits is formed on each sidewall of the body, and the passage connects the transfer chamber 400 and the load lock chamber 300 or the process chambers 500 . Each passage is provided with a door (not shown) that opens and closes the passage to seal the inside. A second transfer robot 420 that transfers the substrate W between the load lock chamber 300 and the process chamber 500 is disposed in the inner space of the transfer chamber 400 . The second transfer robot 420 transfers an unprocessed substrate W waiting in the load lock chamber 300 to the process chamber 500 or transfers a substrate W after processing has been completed to the load lock chamber 300. do. In addition, the substrates W are transferred between the process chambers 500 in order to sequentially provide the substrates W to the plurality of process chambers 500 . For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , when the transfer chamber 400 has a pentagonal body, load lock chambers 300 are disposed on sidewalls adjacent to the front end module 20, respectively, and process chambers 500 are disposed on the remaining sidewalls. are placed consecutively. The shape of the transfer chamber 400 is not limited thereto, and may be modified and provided in various shapes according to required process modules.

The process chamber 500 is disposed along the circumference of the transfer chamber 400 . A plurality of process chambers 500 may be provided. In each process chamber 500, processing of the substrate W is performed. The process chamber 500 receives the substrate W from the second transfer robot 420 and processes the substrate W, and provides the substrate W upon completion of the process to the second transfer robot 420 . Processes performed in each process chamber 500 may be different from each other.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a process chamber in which a plasma treatment process is performed among process chambers of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1 . Referring to FIG. 4 , a process chamber 500 performs a predetermined process on a substrate W using plasma. For example, the thin film on the substrate W may be etched or ashed. The thin film may be various types of films such as a polysilicon film, an oxide film, and a silicon nitride film. Optionally, the thin film may be a natural oxide film or a chemically generated oxide film.

The process chamber 500 includes a processing chamber 520 , a plasma generation chamber 540 , a diffusion chamber 560 , and an exhaust chamber 580 .

The processing chamber 520 provides a processing space 5200 in which a substrate W is placed and processing of the substrate W is performed. Plasma is generated by discharging a process gas in a plasma generating chamber 540 to be described later, and is supplied to the processing space 5200 of the processing chamber 520 . Process gases remaining in the processing chamber 520 and/or reaction by-products generated in the process of processing the substrate W are discharged to the outside through an exhaust chamber 580 to be described later. Due to this, the pressure in the processing chamber 520 can be maintained at the set pressure. The processing chamber 520 may include a housing 5220 , a support unit 5240 , and an exhaust baffle 5260 .

The housing 5220 may have a processing space 5200 in which a substrate processing process is performed. The housing 5220 may have an open top. An outer wall of the housing 5220 may be provided as a conductor. For example, the outer wall of the housing 5220 may be made of a metal material including aluminum. An exhaust hole 5222 is formed on the bottom surface of the housing 5220 . Process gases and/or by-products in the processing space 5200 may be exhausted to the outside of the processing space 5200 through the exhaust hole 5222 . The exhaust hole 5222 may be connected to components included in an exhaust chamber 580 to be described later.

A carrying inlet 5201 may be formed on a sidewall of the housing 5220 . The carry-in port 5201 may function as a space in which the substrate W is carried in or taken out. The substrate W is carried into the housing 5220 through the carrying inlet 5201. Optionally, the substrate W is carried out of the housing 5220 through the carrying inlet 5201 . The entrance 5201 may be opened and closed by the door assembly 600 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a door assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 . Referring to FIG. 5 , the door assembly 600 may open or close the entrance 5201 . The door assembly 600 may include a door 620 and a door actuator 640 .

The door 620 may open or close the entrance 5201 . The door 620 may be moved between an open position and a closed position by a door driver 640 to be described later. The door 620 may include a housing 622 , a valve 624 , a valve actuator 626 , and a perforated member 630 .

The housing 622 may be provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. When viewed from the front, the housing 622 may have a larger area than the carrying port 5201 . The housing 622 may cover the carry-in port 5201 when viewed from the front. Accordingly, when the door 620 is moved to a closed position by a door actuator 640 to be described later, the entrance 5201 may be closed by the door 620 .

The housing 622 has an interior space. A filter 634 to be described later may be provided in the inner space of the housing 622 . A passage 621 through which air flow is introduced is formed on one side of the housing 622 . A passage 621 through which air current outside the process chamber 500 flows is formed on one side of the housing 622 facing the other side of the housing 622 adjacent to the processing space 5200 . A plate 632 to be described later may be provided on the other side of the housing 622 .

The valve 624 may be located outside the door 620 . A valve 624 may be located on one side of the housing 622 . The valve 624 may be located on an outer surface of the housing 622 in which the passage 621 is formed. When viewed from the front, the area of the valve 624 may be provided larger than that of the passage 621 . Valve 624 may open or close passage 621 . The valve 624 can be moved between an open position and a closed position by a valve actuator 626 described below. The valve 624 opens the passage 621 so that airflow outside the process chamber 500 can flow into the inner space of the housing 622 . By closing the passage 621 , the valve 624 may block an air flow outside the process chamber 500 from being introduced into the inner space of the housing 622 .

The valve actuator 626 may be installed outside the housing 622 . For example, the valve actuator 626 may be installed on an outer surface of the housing 622 . Valve actuator 626 can move valve 624 to an open position where passage 621 is opened. Valve actuator 626 can move valve 624 to a closed position where passage 621 is closed. The valve actuator 626 may move the valve 624 in a vertical direction relative to the side of the housing 622 .

For example, the valve actuator 626 may vertically move the valve 624 in a downward direction when moving the valve 624 to an open position. For example, the valve actuator 626 may vertically move the valve 624 in an upward direction when moving the valve 624 to a closed position. The valve actuator 626 may be modified and provided with various known devices capable of providing a driving force.

The perforated member 630 may be provided within the housing 622 . The perforated member 630 may be provided in the inner space of the housing 622 . A perforation is formed in the perforation member 630 . The perforation formed in the perforation member 630 may be provided as a space in which an air current outside the process chamber 500 flows through the passage 621 when the valve 624 is opened. The area of the perforation formed in the perforation member 630 may be smaller than the area of the passage 621 . The perforated member 630 may include a plate 632 and a filter 634 .

The plate 632 may be disposed on the other side of the door 620 facing one side of the door 620 where the passage 621 is formed. The plate 632 may be disposed on the other side of the housing 622 facing one side of the housing 622 where the passage 621 is formed. A plurality of perforations are formed in the plate 632 . The area of the plurality of perforations may be smaller than the area of the passage 621 . A plurality of perforated holes may be formed by vertically penetrating the plate 632 . For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided with the same diameter as each other. Alternatively, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided with different diameters. A through direction of the plurality of perforations may be formed in a direction parallel to a direction in which air current outside the process chamber 500 flows. For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the passage 621 and a penetration direction within the plate 632 . The plate 632 may be integrally formed with the housing 622 . However, it is not limited thereto, and the plate 632 may be separated from the housing 622 and disposed on the other side of the housing 622 .

The filter 634 may be disposed in an inner space of the housing 622 . The filter 634 may be disposed between one side of the housing 622 and the other side of the housing 622 on the inner space. For example, the filter 634 may be disposed between the passage 621 and the plate 632 on the inner space. When viewed from the side, the filter 634 may have a longitudinal direction perpendicular to a through direction of a plurality of perforated holes provided in the plate 632 .

The door driver 640 may move the door 620 to an open position in which the entrance 5201 is opened. The door actuator 640 may move the door 620 to a closed position where the entrance 5201 is closed. The door actuator 640 may move the door 620 vertically or horizontally with respect to the sidewall of the housing 5220 .

For example, when the door actuator 640 moves the door 620 to an open position, the door 620 moves horizontally in a direction away from the sidewall of the housing 5220, and then moves the door 620 downward. can be moved vertically. For example, when the door actuator 640 moves the door 620 to the closed position, the door 620 is vertically moved in an upward direction, and then the door 620 is brought closer to the sidewall of the housing 5220. The door 620 may be horizontally moved in the losing direction.

The door driver 640 may include a motor 642 and a connecting member 644 connecting the motor 642 and the door 620 . When the connecting member 644 is moved vertically or horizontally by driving the motor 642 , the door 620 may move vertically or horizontally with respect to the sidewall of the housing 5220 . The motor 642 may be provided with a variety of well-known devices that provide driving force.

In the above example, horizontal or vertical movement of the door actuator 640 has been described as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the door actuator 640 may perform horizontal movement, vertical movement, or/and inclined movement with respect to the ground. For example, the door actuator 640 may be driven so that the door 620 moves substantially 'Z'.

The controller 700 may control the valve actuator 626 and the door actuator 640 . The controller 700 may control the valve actuator 626 to move the valve actuator 626 to an open position and a closed position. The controller 700 may control the door actuator 640 to move the door actuator 640 to an open position and a closed position.

The controller 700 may control the valve actuator 626 to move the valve 624 to an open position when the substrate W is unloaded from the processing space 5200 . For example, the controller 700 operates a valve actuator to vertically move the valve 624 downward after plasma processing of the substrate W is completed and before transporting the substrate W from the processing space 5200 . (626) can be controlled. The controller 700 operates as a valve driver so that the valve 624 opens a portion of the passage 621 after the plasma treatment of the substrate W is completed and before the substrate W is taken out of the processing space 5200. (626) can be controlled. The controller 700 may control the valve actuator 626 so that the valve 624 fully opens the passage 621 after the valve 624 is partially opened and a set time is elapsed. in other words. The controller 700 controls the valve driver 626 to increase the opening rate of the passage 621 from the time when the plasma treatment of the substrate W is completed to the time when the valve 624 fully opens the passage 621. can do.

The controller 700 may control the door actuator 640 to move the door 620 to an open position after the valve 624 completely opens the passage 621 . The controller 700 may control the door actuator 640 to horizontally move the door 620 away from the entrance 5201 after the valve 624 completely opens the passage 621 . When the horizontal movement of the door 620 is completed, the controller 700 may control the door actuator 640 to vertically move the door 620 downward. When the movement of the door 620 in the downward direction is completed, the substrate W may be transported through the loading port 5201 .

When an entrance of a chamber isolated from an external environment is opened, external particles may be introduced into the processing space due to a difference in environmental conditions between the inside and outside of the chamber. In particular, since the chamber in which the plasma process is performed maintains vacuum pressure, airflow outside the chamber that does not maintain vacuum pressure may flow into the chamber at a high flow rate. This phenomenon is the same even if the door opening the entrance of the chamber is opened at a low speed. Even when the chamber is opened at a low speed, due to the difference between the external pressure and the internal pressure of the chamber, the external air flow is rapidly introduced into the space formed between the door and the inlet, and the inside of the processing space is contaminated with particles.

According to one embodiment of the present invention described above, by first opening the valve 624 formed in the door 620 before opening the intake 5201 formed in the process chamber 500, the intake 5201 is Before opening, a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the process chamber 500 may be minimized. Thus, the inflow of external airflow including particles into the process chamber 500 may be minimized. Due to this, it is possible to minimize defects in the substrate processing process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of airflow when the valve of FIG. 5 is moved to an open position. Referring to FIG. 6 , the perforated member 630 is disposed in the inner space of the door 620, thereby minimizing the flow of external airflow and particles included therein into the processing space 5200 according to the opening of the valve 624. can do. Specifically, particles included in the external airflow are primarily filtered by the filter 634 to prevent particles from being introduced into the processing space 5200 . Furthermore, the flow rate of the external air flow introduced through the passage 621 may be reduced by the filter 634 . Particles included in the external air flow may be secondarily filtered by the plate 632 . In addition, as the external airflow decelerated by the filter 634 collides with a portion of the plate 632 in which perforations are not formed, the flow rate of the external airflow may be further reduced.

Referring back to FIG. 4 , the support unit 5240 supports the substrate W in the processing space 5200 . The support unit 5240 may include a support plate 5242 and a support shaft 5244 .

The support plate 5242 may support the substrate W in the processing space 5200 . The support plate 5242 may be supported by a support shaft 5244. The support plate 5242 is connected to an external power source and may generate static electricity by the applied power. The electrostatic force of the generated static electricity may fix the substrate W to the support unit 5240 .

The support shaft 5244 can move the object. For example, the support shaft 5244 may move the substrate W in a vertical direction. For example, the support shaft 5244 is coupled to the support plate 5242 and moves the substrate W by moving the support plate 5242 up and down.

The exhaust baffle 5260 uniformly exhausts the plasma for each area in the processing space 5200 . When viewed from the top, the exhaust baffle 5260 has an annular ring shape. An exhaust baffle 5260 is located between the inner wall of the housing 5220 and the support unit 5240 within the processing space 5200 . A plurality of exhaust holes 5262 are formed in the exhaust baffle 5260 . Exhaust holes 5262 are provided to face up and down. Exhaust holes 5262 are provided as holes extending from the top to the bottom of the exhaust baffle 5260 . The exhaust holes 5262 are arranged spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the exhaust baffle 5260 .

The plasma generation chamber 540 may generate plasma by discharging a process gas supplied from a gas supply unit 5440 to be described later, and supply the generated plasma to the processing space 5200 .

The plasma generating chamber 540 may be located above the processing chamber 520 . The plasma generation chamber 540 may be located above the housing 5220 and the diffusion chamber 560 to be described later. The processing chamber 520, the diffusion chamber 560, and the plasma generating chamber 540 are sequentially positioned from the ground along a third direction 6 perpendicular to both the first direction 2 and the second direction 4 can do.

The plasma generation chamber 540 may include a plasma chamber 5420, a gas supply unit 5440, and a power application unit 5460.

The plasma chamber 5420 may have an open top and bottom surfaces. The plasma chamber 5420 may have a cylindrical shape with open top and bottom surfaces. The plasma chamber 5420 may have a cylindrical shape with open top and bottom surfaces. An opening having a diameter D1 may be formed at upper and lower ends of the plasma chamber 5420 . The plasma chamber 5420 may have a plasma generating space 5422 . The plasma chamber 5420 may be made of a material including aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

An upper surface of the plasma chamber 5420 may be sealed by a gas supply port 5424 . The gas supply port 5424 may be connected to a gas supply unit 5440 to be described later. Process gas may be supplied to the plasma generating space 5422 through the gas supply port 5424 . The process gas supplied to the plasma generating space 5422 may be uniformly distributed to the processing space 5200 via a distribution plate 5640 described later.

The gas supply unit 5440 may supply a process gas. The gas supply unit 5440 may be connected to the gas supply port 5424 . The process gas supplied by the gas supply unit 5440 may include fluorine and/or hydrogen.

The power application unit 5460 applies high frequency power to the plasma generating space 5422 . The power application unit 5460 may be a plasma source that generates plasma by exciting a process gas in the plasma generation space 5422 . The power application unit 5460 may include an antenna 5462 and a power source 5464 .

Antenna 5462 may be an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) antenna. The antenna 5462 may be provided in a coil shape. The antenna 5462 may wind the plasma chamber 5420 multiple times from the outside of the plasma chamber 5420 . The antenna 5462 may spiral around the plasma chamber 5420 multiple times from the outside of the plasma chamber 5420 .

The antenna 5462 may be wound around the plasma chamber 5420 in a region corresponding to the plasma generation space 5422 . One end of the antenna 5462 may be provided at a height corresponding to an upper region of the plasma chamber 5420 when viewed from a front end surface of the plasma chamber 5420 . The other end of the antenna 5462 may be provided at a height corresponding to a lower region of the plasma chamber 5420 when viewed from the front end of the plasma chamber 5420 .

A power source 5464 can apply power to the antenna 5462 . The power source 5464 may apply a high-frequency alternating current to the antenna 5462 . The high-frequency alternating current applied to the antenna 5462 may form an induced electric field in the plasma generating space 5422 . The process gas supplied into the plasma generation space 5422 may be converted into a plasma state by obtaining energy required for ionization from the induced electric field.

A power source 5464 may be coupled to one end of the antenna 5462. The power source 5464 may be connected to one end of an antenna 5462 provided at a height corresponding to the upper region of the plasma chamber 5420 . Also, the other end of the antenna 5462 may be grounded. The other end of the antenna 5462 provided at a height corresponding to the lower region of the plasma chamber 5420 may be grounded. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and one end of the antenna 5462 may be grounded and the power source 5464 may be connected to the other end of the antenna 5462.

The diffusion chamber 560 may diffuse the plasma generated in the plasma generating chamber 540 into the processing space 5200 . The diffusion chamber 560 may include a diffusion chamber 5620 and a baffle 5640 .

The diffusion chamber 5620 provides a plasma diffusion space 5622 in which plasma generated in the plasma chamber 5420 is diffused. The diffusion chamber 5620 may have an overall inverted funnel shape. The diffusion chamber 5620 may have an open top and bottom shape. Plasma generated in the plasma generation chamber 540 may diffuse while passing through the plasma diffusion space 5622 . Plasma introduced into the plasma diffusion space 5622 may be uniformly distributed to the processing space 5200 via a baffle 5640 described below.

The diffusion chamber 5620 may be located below the plasma chamber 5420 . A diffusion chamber 5620 may be located between the housing 5220 and the plasma chamber 5420 . The housing 5220, the diffusion chamber 5620, and the plasma chamber 5420 may be sequentially positioned from the ground along the third direction 6. An inner circumferential surface of the diffusion chamber 5620 may be provided with an insulator. For example, an inner circumferential surface of the diffusion chamber 5620 may be made of a material including quartz.

The baffle 5640 uniformly supplies plasma flowing into the processing space 5200 to the substrate W. A plurality of baffle holes 5642 may be formed in the baffle 5640 . The plurality of baffle holes 5642 may be provided as through holes extending from the upper surface to the lower surface of the baffle 5640 . A plurality of baffle holes 5642 may be uniformly formed in each area of the baffle 5640 . The baffle 5640 is positioned on top of the support unit 5240 to face the support unit 5240. The baffle 5640 may be positioned between the support unit 5240 and the plasma generating chamber 540 . Plasma generated in the plasma generating chamber 540 may pass through a plurality of baffle holes 5642 formed in the baffle 5640 .

The exhaust chamber 580 may exhaust process gases and impurities inside the processing chamber 520 to the outside. The exhaust chamber 580 may exhaust impurities generated during processing of the substrate W to the outside of the process chamber 500 . The exhaust chamber 580 may exhaust the process gas supplied into the processing space 5200 to the outside. The exhaust chamber 580 may include an exhaust line 5820 and a pressure reducing member 5840 . The exhaust line 5820 may be connected to an exhaust hole 5222 formed on a bottom surface of the housing 5220 . The exhaust line 5820 may be connected to a pressure reducing member 5840 that provides pressure.

The pressure reducing member 5840 may provide pressure to the treatment space 5200 . The pressure reducing member 5840 may discharge plasma and impurities remaining in the processing space 5200 to the outside of the housing 5220 . Also, the pressure reducing member 5840 may provide pressure to maintain the pressure in the processing space 5200 at a preset pressure. The pressure reducing member 5840 may be a pump. However, it is not limited thereto, and the decompression member 5840 may be provided as a known device that provides decompression.

In one embodiment of the present invention described above, it has been described that the door assembly 600 is provided in the process chamber 500 and the door assembly 600 is driven. However, it is not limited thereto, and the door assembly 600 may be provided to the load lock chamber 300 and the transfer chamber 400 to be driven similarly.

7 and 8 are views schematically showing a door assembly according to another embodiment of FIG. 4 . Except for the case of additional description among the descriptions of the substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention described below, it is similar to the description of the substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, and duplication of contents is prevented. In order to do so, descriptions of similar configurations are omitted below.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a door 620 may open or close the entrance 5201 . The door 620 can be moved between an open position and a closed position by the door actuator 640 . The door 620 may include a housing 622 , a valve 624 , a valve actuator 626 , and a perforated member 630 .

The housing 622 may be provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. When viewed from the front, the housing 622 may have a larger area than the carrying port 5201 . The housing 622 may cover the carry-in port 5201 when viewed from the front. Accordingly, when the door 620 is moved to a closed position by a door actuator 640 to be described later, the entrance 5201 may be closed by the door 620 . The housing 622 has an interior space. A filter 634 to be described later may be provided in the inner space of the housing 622 . A passage 621 through which air flow is introduced is formed on one side of the housing 622 . A passage 621 through which air current outside the process chamber 500 flows is formed at one side of the housing 622 facing the other side of the housing 622 adjacent to the processing space 5200 .

The valve 624 may be located outside the door 620 . A valve 624 may be located on one side of the housing 622 . The valve 624 may be located on an outer surface of the housing 622 in which the passage 621 is formed. When viewed from the front, the area of the valve 624 may be provided larger than that of the passage 621 . Valve 624 may open or close passage 621 . Valve 624 can be moved between an open position and a closed position by valve actuator 626 . The valve 624 opens the passage 621 so that airflow outside the process chamber 500 can flow into the inner space of the housing 622 . By closing the passage 621 , the valve 624 may block an air flow outside the process chamber 500 from being introduced into the inner space of the housing 622 .

The valve actuator 626 may be installed outside the housing 622 . For example, the valve actuator 626 may be installed on an outer surface of the housing 622 . Valve actuator 626 can move valve 624 to an open position where passage 621 is opened. Valve actuator 626 can move valve 624 to a closed position where passage 621 is closed. The valve actuator 626 may move the valve 624 in a vertical direction relative to the side of the housing 622 .

For example, the valve actuator 626 may vertically move the valve 624 in a downward direction when moving the valve 624 to an open position. For example, the valve actuator 626 may vertically move the valve 624 in an upward direction when moving the valve 624 to a closed position. The valve actuator 626 may be modified and provided with various known devices capable of providing a driving force.

The perforated member 630 may be provided within the housing 622 . The perforated member 630 may be provided in the inner space of the housing 622 . A perforation is formed in the perforation member 630 . The perforation formed in the perforation member 630 may be provided as a space in which an air current outside the process chamber 500 flows through the passage 621 when the valve 624 is opened. The area of the perforation formed in the perforation member 630 may be smaller than the area of the passage 621 . The perforated member 630 may include a filter 634 .

The filter 634 may be disposed in an inner space of the housing 622 . The filter 634 may be disposed between one side of the housing 622 and the other side of the housing 622 on the inner space. For example, the filter 634 may be disposed between the passage 621 and the plate 632 on the inner space. Accordingly, the flow of air outside the process chamber 500 according to the opening of the valve 624 and particles included therein may be removed by the filter 634 and introduced into the processing space 5200 may be minimized. Also, when the valve 624 is opened, the flow rate of the external air flow flowing into the process chamber 500 may be reduced. Accordingly, rapid pressure fluctuations in the process chamber 500 may be minimized.

Referring to FIG. 8 , a door 620 may open or close the entrance 5201 . The door 620 can be moved between an open position and a closed position by the door actuator 640 . The door 620 may include a housing 622 , a valve 624 , a valve actuator 626 , and a perforated member 630 .

The housing 622 may be provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. When viewed from the front, the housing 622 may have a larger area than the carrying port 5201 . The housing 622 may cover the carry-in port 5201 when viewed from the front. Accordingly, when the door 620 is moved to a closed position by a door actuator 640 to be described later, the entrance 5201 may be closed by the door 620 . The housing 622 has an interior space. A passage 621 through which air flow is introduced is formed on one side of the housing 622 . A passage 621 through which air current outside the process chamber 500 flows is formed at one side of the housing 622 facing the other side of the housing 622 adjacent to the processing space 5200 . A plate 632 to be described later may be provided on the other side of the housing 622 .

The valve 624 may be located outside the door 620 . A valve 624 may be located on one side of the housing 622 . The valve 624 may be located on an outer surface of the housing 622 in which the passage 621 is formed. When viewed from the front, the area of the valve 624 may be provided larger than that of the passage 621 . Valve 624 may open or close passage 621 . Valve 624 can be moved between an open position and a closed position by valve actuator 626 . The valve 624 opens the passage 621 so that airflow outside the process chamber 500 can flow into the inner space of the housing 622 . By closing the passage 621 , the valve 624 may block an air flow outside the process chamber 500 from being introduced into the inner space of the housing 622 .

The valve actuator 626 may be installed outside the housing 622 . For example, the valve actuator 626 may be installed on an outer surface of the housing 622 . Valve actuator 626 can move valve 624 to an open position where passage 621 is opened. Valve actuator 626 can move valve 624 to a closed position where passage 621 is closed. The valve actuator 626 may move the valve 624 in a vertical direction relative to the side of the housing 622 .

For example, the valve actuator 626 may vertically move the valve 624 in a downward direction when moving the valve 624 to an open position. For example, the valve actuator 626 may vertically move the valve 624 in an upward direction when moving the valve 624 to a closed position. The valve actuator 626 may be modified and provided with various known devices capable of providing a driving force.

The perforated member 630 may be provided within the housing 622 . The perforated member 630 may be provided in the inner space of the housing 622 . A perforation is formed in the perforation member 630 . The perforation formed in the perforation member 630 may be provided as a space in which an air current outside the process chamber 500 flows through the passage 621 when the valve 624 is opened. The area of the perforation formed in the perforation member 630 may be smaller than the area of the passage 621 . The perforated member 630 may include a plate 632 .

The plate 632 may be disposed on the other side of the door 620 facing one side of the door 620 where the passage 621 is formed. The plate 632 may be disposed on the other side of the housing 622 facing one side of the housing 622 where the passage 621 is formed. A plurality of perforations are formed in the plate 632 . The area of the plurality of perforations may be smaller than the area of the passage 621 . A plurality of perforated holes may be formed by vertically penetrating the plate 632 . For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided with the same diameter as each other. Alternatively, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided with different diameters. A through direction of the plurality of perforations may be formed in a direction parallel to a direction in which air current outside the process chamber 500 flows. For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the passage 621 and a penetration direction within the plate 632 . The plate 632 may be integrally formed with the housing 622 . However, it is not limited thereto, and the plate 632 may be separated from the housing 622 and disposed on the other side of the housing 622 .

Since the plurality of perforations are formed in the plate 632, airflow outside the process chamber 500 and particles included in the process chamber 500 according to the opening of the valve 624 collide with the portion of the plate 632 where the perforations are not formed. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the flow of external air and particles included therein directly into the process chamber 500 due to the opening of the valve 624 . Also, when the valve 624 is opened, the flow rate of the external air flow flowing into the process chamber 500 may be reduced. Accordingly, rapid pressure fluctuations in the process chamber 500 may be minimized.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a door assembly according to another embodiment of FIG. 4 . FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of air flow when the valve of FIG. 9 is moved to an open position. A door assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention described below is provided similarly to the door assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention described in FIGS. 5 and 6 except for a plate. Accordingly, descriptions of similar configurations are omitted in order to exclude overlapping descriptions.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 , the plate 632 may be disposed on the other side of the door 620 facing one side of the door 620 where the passage 621 is formed. The plate 632 may be disposed on the other side of the housing 622 facing one side of the housing 622 where the passage 621 is formed. The plate 632 may be integrally formed with the housing 622 . However, it is not limited thereto, and the plate 632 may be separated from the housing 622 and disposed on the other side of the housing 622 .

When looking at the door 620 from the front, the plate 632 may have a first area and a second area. The first region may include the center of the plate 632 . When the door 620 is viewed from the front in a state in which the valve 624 is in the closed position, the first area may be an area overlapping the passage 621 . The second area may be an area surrounding the first area.

A plurality of perforations are formed in the plate 632 . The area of the plurality of perforations may be smaller than the area of the passage 621 . A plurality of perforated holes may be formed by vertically penetrating the plate 632 . For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided with the same diameter as each other. Alternatively, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided with different diameters. A through direction of the plurality of perforations may be formed in a direction parallel to a direction in which air current outside the process chamber 500 flows. For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be provided in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the passage 621 and a penetration direction within the plate 632 . A plurality of perforated holes may be formed in the second area of the first area and the second area. For example, a plurality of perforated holes may be formed only in the second region.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, since the perforated member 630 is disposed in the inner space of the door 620, the external air flow and particles included therein according to the opening of the valve 624 flow into the processing space 5200. inflow can be minimized. Specifically, particles included in the external airflow are primarily filtered by the filter 634 to prevent particles from being introduced into the processing space 5200 . Furthermore, the flow rate of the external air flow introduced through the passage 621 may be reduced by the filter 634 .

Particles included in the external air flow may be secondarily filtered by the plate 632 . External airflow passes through the passage 621 and flows into the inner space of the housing 622 . Therefore, by not forming a perforation in the first area of the plate 632, the external airflow passing through the passage 621 collides with the first area where the perforation is not formed, thereby effectively reducing the flow rate of the external airflow. there is.

In the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the case where the valve 624 is moved to an open position and a closed position to open and close the passage 621 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited thereto, and the valve 624 may be provided as an aperture capable of adjusting an aperture ratio. When the valve 624 moves to the open position, the iris of the valve 624 can be completely opened. When the valve 624 moves to the closed position, the iris of the valve 624 can be completely closed. When the valve 624 is intended to control the amount of airflow introduced from the outside of the process chamber 500, the valve 624 may control the amount of airflow introduced from the outside by adjusting the opening rate of the aperture.

11 is a flowchart of a method for driving a door assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a plasma treatment step of FIG. 11 . FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing the valve opening step of FIG. 11 . FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating a door opening step of FIG. 11 . FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating the step of unloading the substrate of FIG. 11 . Hereinafter, a method for driving a door assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15 .

Referring to FIG. 11 , the door assembly driving method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plasma treatment step (S10), a valve opening step (S20), a door opening step (S30), a substrate unloading step (S40), and a substrate loading step. (S50), and valve closing and door closing steps (S60) may be sequentially performed.

Referring to FIG. 12 , in the plasma processing step ( S10 ), plasma processing is performed on the substrate W in the process chamber 500 . In the plasma treatment step (S10), each of the door 620 and the valve 624 is positioned in a closed position. Accordingly, in the plasma processing step ( S10 ), the vacuum pressure may be maintained with respect to the inside of the processing space 5200 .

Referring to FIG. 13 , in the valve opening step (S20), the valve 624 moves to an open position. In the valve opening step (S20), the valve 624 moves from the closed position to the open position. The valve 624 may move vertically downward by the valve actuator 626 . The valve 624 can slide downward by the valve actuator 626 . The valve 624 may move to an open position when the substrate W is unloaded from the processing space 5200 .

For example, after the plasma treatment of the substrate W is completed and before the substrate W is taken out of the processing space 5200, the valve 624 may move downward. For example, after the plasma treatment of the substrate W is completed and before the substrate W is taken out of the processing space 5200, the valve 624 moves a certain distance downward to form part of the passage 621. can be opened. When a set time elapses after the valve 624 opens a part of the passage 621, the valve 624 may move downward again to open the entire passage 621. That is, the valve 624 moves downward so that the opening rate of the passage 621 gradually increases from the point at which the plasma treatment of the substrate W is completed to the point at which the valve 624 fully opens the passage 621. can Accordingly, it is possible to minimize an abrupt flow of airflow outside the process chamber 500 into the processing space 5200 in a vacuum state. Also, in the valve opening step S20 , the valve 624 may be positioned at the fully open position until the external pressure of the process chamber 500 and the internal pressure of the process chamber 500 become equal. Therefore, even if the intake port 5201 is opened in the door opening step (S30) to be described later, it is possible to minimize the rapid flow of external airflow into the processing space 5200 due to the pressure difference.

Referring to FIG. 14 , in the door opening step (S30), the door 620 moves to an open position. In the door opening step (S30), after the valve 624 completely opens the passage 621 in the valve opening step (S20), the door 620 moves from the closed position to the open position. After the valve 624 fully opens the passage, the door 620 moves horizontally in a direction away from the carrying inlet 5201 . When the horizontal movement of the door 620 is completed, the door 620 vertically moves downward. Unlike this, after the horizontal movement of the door 620, the door 620 may further perform an inclined movement with respect to the ground. After the door 620 performs the inclined movement, the door 620 may move vertically in a downward direction. When the door 620 completes the downward vertical movement, the door opening step (S30) is completed.

Referring to FIG. 15 , in the step of unloading the substrate ( S40 ), the processed substrate W is unloaded from the process chamber 500 . In the substrate unloading step ( S40 ), the processed substrate W is transported from the process chamber 500 to the transfer chamber 400 by the second transfer robot 420 . In the substrate loading step ( S50 ), the substrate W is loaded into the process chamber 500 . In the substrate loading step ( S50 ), the substrate W is loaded from the transfer chamber 400 into the process chamber 500 by the second transfer robot 420 .

In the valve closing and door closing step (S60), the valve 624 moves to the closed position and the door 620 moves to the closed position. In step S60 of closing the valve and closing the door, after the substrate W is transported into the process chamber 500, the valve 624 and the door 620 are moved to a closed position. The process of moving the valve 624 and the door 620 to the closed position proceeds in the reverse order of the valve opening step (S20) and the door opening step (S30), respectively. After the valve closing and door closing steps (S60) are completed, the plasma treatment step (S10) is performed again.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure described above, a method in which the door assembly 600 is provided in the process chamber 500 and the door assembly 600 is driven in the process chamber 500 has been described. However, it is not limited thereto, and the door assembly 600 may be provided in various chambers such as the load lock chamber 300 and the transfer chamber 400 . For example, the door assembly 600 may be applied to all chambers having entrances through which substrates enter and exit.

The above detailed description is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the foregoing is intended to illustrate and describe preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications are possible within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, within the scope equivalent to the written disclosure and / or within the scope of skill or knowledge in the art. The foregoing embodiment describes the best state for implementing the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes required in specific application fields and uses of the present invention are also possible. Therefore, the above detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to cover other embodiments as well.

20: front end module
30: processing module
500: process chamber
600: door assembly
620: door
622: housing
624: valve
626: valve actuator
630: perforated member
632: plate
634: filter
640: door driver
700: controller

Claims (15)

In the apparatus for processing the substrate,
a chamber having a processing space for processing substrates and having an entrance through which substrates enter and exit;
a gas supply unit supplying a process gas to the processing space;
a plasma unit generating plasma from the process gas; and
Including a door assembly that opens and closes the carry-in,
The door assembly,
a door that opens and closes the carry-in; and
a door actuator that moves the door between an open position and a closed position;
the door.
A housing having a passage through which air flow flows into one side thereof and having an internal space;
a valve that opens or closes the passage;
a valve actuator that moves the valve between an open position and a closed position;
a plate disposed on the other side facing the one side of the door and having a plurality of perforated holes through which the airflow flows in the inner space; and
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a filter disposed between the passage and the plate. According to claim 1,
The device,
Further comprising a controller for controlling the door actuator and the valve actuator;
The controller,
and controlling the valve driver to move the valve to an open position when the substrate is unloaded from the processing space, and then controlling the door driver to move the door to an open position. delete delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The perforation is provided with a smaller area than the passage. In the apparatus for processing the substrate,
A chamber having an entrance through which substrates enter and exit; and
Including a door assembly that opens and closes the carry-in,
The door assembly,
a door positioned outside the chamber to open and close the carry-in; and
a door actuator that moves the door between an open position and a closed position;
the door.
A housing having a passage through which air flow flows into one side thereof and having an internal space;
a valve that opens or closes the passage;
a valve actuator that moves the valve between an open position and a closed position;
a plate disposed on the other side facing the one side of the door and having a plurality of perforated holes through which the airflow flows in the inner space; and
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a filter disposed between the passage and the plate. According to claim 8,
The device,
Further comprising a controller for controlling the door actuator and the valve actuator;
The controller,
Substrate processing of controlling the valve actuator to move the valve to an open position when the substrate is unloaded from the chamber, and controlling the door actuator to move the door to the open position after the valve moves to the open position. Device. delete delete delete According to claim 8,
The perforation is provided with a smaller area than the passage. In the method of driving the door assembly in the substrate processing apparatus of claim 8,
a valve opening step of opening the passage by moving the valve to an open position; and
and a door opening step of moving the door to an open position after the valve opening step. According to claim 14,
The substrate processing device is a device for processing a substrate in a vacuum pressure door assembly driving method.

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