KR20210127441A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus has a double tube structure that can pressurize a reaction space with high pressure higher than normal pressure and then reduce the pressure to low pressure lower than the normal pressure to increase a yield of a thin film of a substrate.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus in which substrate processing is performed by high pressure and low pressure.

A substrate processing apparatus may be understood as processing a semiconductor process for a substrate such as a wafer. As an example of the substrate processing apparatus, a reactor using a boat for heat treatment of a substrate may be used.

The reactor is configured such that a boat that charges wafers in units of a certain number (eg 180 sheets) is raised from the loading area for heat treatment, or the boat is lowered into the loading area to discharge the heat treated wafers. do.

The reactor is configured to have a tube that accommodates the lifted boat and forms a reaction space isolated from the outside. In general, the tube is formed of a quartz material with good heat transfer properties in order to efficiently proceed with the heat treatment process.

The above-described tube may be damaged when a large difference between the internal temperature and pressure from the external temperature and pressure occurs due to the characteristics of the material, and the damage to the tube reduces the reliability of the substrate processing apparatus itself, and the entire process Yield may also act as a cause of lowering.

Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus needs to be designed to employ a technology capable of securing product reliability and improving process yield.

In addition, the above-described substrate processing apparatus is used to form a thin film of a desired thickness on a substrate by supplying a source gas, a reaction gas, a carrier gas, and the like, and applying an appropriate temperature and pressure.

In addition, in the process of forming such a thin film, residues inside the thin film or on the surface of the thin film may act as a cause of lowering the yield.

Therefore, it is required to develop a technology for pre-treating, treating, and post-processing the above-mentioned residues, and development of a substrate processing apparatus for effectively applying the developed technology is also required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of minimizing various imperfections existing in a thin film before, during, or after forming a thin film on a substrate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that performs a high-pressure process in which the reaction space has a high pressure higher than normal pressure and a low-pressure process in which the reaction space has a low pressure lower than normal pressure in order to improve the yield of the thin film on the substrate. is in

In addition, another object of the present invention is to configure the reaction tube to include an inner tube in which a process is performed and an outer tube controlling the pressure outside the inner tube in order to control such a change in pressure, thereby reducing the reaction tube during process treatment. An object of the present invention is to provide a device that is easy to control according to a change in pressure.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to maintain the pressure between the outer tube and the inner tube higher than the reaction space of the inner tube during the processing period for substrate processing, thereby limiting the extent of damage to the inside of the outer tube even if the inner tube is damaged To provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of

Another object of the present invention is to secure the structural stability of the inner tube and the outer tube by forming the inner tube and the outer tube to have a dome-shaped ceiling, and to prevent the formation of a vortex or partial stagnation of the airflow inside the inner tube. To provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of

Another object of the present invention is to supply or exhaust gas to the inner tube and the outer tube by configuring the inner manifold and the outer manifold corresponding to the inner tube and the outer tube, and to secure the convenience of design and assembly. To provide a substrate processing apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing a leak from occurring between an inner manifold and a cap flange when a high pressure is formed in a reaction space during a substrate processing process.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of sensing the temperature of the entire reaction space using a vertical cylindrical inner tube having a dome-shaped ceiling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that implements independent gas supply and exhaust for a reaction space of an inner tube and a space between an inner tube and an outer tube.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an outer tube having a vertical cylindrical shape having a first dome-shaped ceiling, forming a protective space therein, and having a first inlet formed therein; It is composed of a vertical cylinder having a second dome-shaped ceiling, a reaction space is formed therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a part is accommodated in the outer tube, and a portion in which the second inlet is formed is downward of the outer tube. protruding inner tube; A first inner space connected to the protective space is formed at a lower portion of the outer tube and a second inner space connected to the reaction space is formed under the inner tube, and the protective space and the first inner space are formed between the outer tube and the first inner space. a manifold assembly for supporting the outer tube and the inner tube by being spaced apart from each other; and a cap flange coupled to a lower portion of the manifold assembly and sealing the second inner space.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an outer tube having a vertical cylindrical shape having a first dome-shaped ceiling, forming a protective space therein, and having a first inlet formed therein; It is composed of a vertical cylinder having a second dome-shaped ceiling, a reaction space is formed therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a part is accommodated in the outer tube, and a portion in which the second inlet is formed is downward of the outer tube. protruding inner tube; a manifold assembly supporting the outer tube and the inner tube to be spaced apart; and a cap flange sealing a lower portion of the manifold assembly, wherein the manifold assembly includes: an outer manifold supporting a lower end of the outer tube and forming a first inner space connected to the protection space; and an inner manifold coupled to a lower portion of the outer manifold to support a lower end of the inner tube and form a second inner space connected to the reaction space.

The manifold assembly of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes an outer manifold forming a first inner space, and an inner manifold coupled to a lower portion of the outer manifold to form a second inner space. A manifold assembly, wherein the outer manifold includes a first sidewall defining the first interior space, a first upper flange extending outwardly around an upper portion of the first sidewall, and an outer side around a lower portion of the first sidewall and a first lower flange coupled to the inner manifold and formed with a plurality of first fastening portions capable of fastening the coupling members along the periphery, wherein the inner manifold has a second inner space forming the second inner space. a side wall, a second upper flange extending outwardly around the upper portion of the second sidewall and coupled to the outer manifold and formed with a plurality of second fastening portions along the periphery for fastening the coupling member along the circumference, and a lower portion of the second sidewall and a second lower flange extending outward around the periphery, and a manifold assembly of the substrate processing apparatus to which the first lower flange and the second upper flange are coupled by the coupling member.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an outer tube having a vertical cylindrical shape having a first dome-shaped ceiling, forming a protective space therein, and having a first inlet formed therein; It is composed of a vertical cylinder having a second dome-shaped ceiling, a reaction space is formed therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a part is accommodated in the outer tube, and a portion in which the second inlet is formed is downward of the outer tube. protruding inner tube; a manifold assembly supporting the upper outer tube and the lower inner tube by being spaced apart; a cap flange sealing the lower portion of the manifold assembly; a plurality of clamping modules configured at distributed positions on the side surfaces of the cap flange; and a pumping unit for performing pumping of the reaction space through the manifold assembly, wherein an upper surface of the cap flange and a lower surface of the manifold assembly are in close contact with each other at a first spacing by elevating the cap flange. and when the reaction space is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure by pumping, the upper surface of the cap flange and the lower surface of the manifold assembly are in close contact with a second spacing that is smaller than the first spacing, and the plurality of clamping modules are It characterized in that it is configured to clamp the lower portion of the manifold assembly and the cap flange in close contact with a second spacing.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an outer tube having a vertical cylindrical shape having a first dome-shaped ceiling, forming a protective space therein, and having a first inlet formed therein; It is composed of a vertical cylinder having a second dome-shaped ceiling, a reaction space is formed therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a part is accommodated in the outer tube, and a portion in which the second inlet is formed protrudes below the outer tube old inner tube; an outer manifold supporting a lower portion of the outer tube and forming a first inner space connected to the protective space; and an inner manifold supporting a lower portion of the inner tube and forming a second inner space connected to the reaction space; a cap flange sealing the lower portion of the inner manifold; A thermocouple protection tube installed vertically in the reaction space of the inner tube, the lower part is drawn out through the inner manifold, and a thermocouple protection tube in which a plurality of thermocouples are inserted into the detection unit for sensing temperature at different positions in the reaction space; and The reaction space is divided into a ceiling area formed by the second dome-shaped ceiling and a reaction area below the ceiling area, and the thermocouple protection tube is curved along the ceiling area, or an extension tube of the upper part bent inside the ceiling area and wherein the detection unit of at least one thermocouple is located in the extension tube.

The thermocouple protection tube of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes an upper extension tube; a vertical pipe formed vertically in succession to the extension pipe; and a lower pipe formed by being bent from the vertical pipe to be continuous to the vertical pipe and to be easily withdrawn to the outside; and a plurality of thermocouples, wherein at least one of the plurality of thermocouples is present in the extension tube.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an outer tube having a vertical cylindrical shape having a first dome-shaped ceiling, forming a protective space therein, and having a first inlet formed therein; It is composed of a vertical cylinder having a second dome-shaped ceiling, a reaction space is formed therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a part is accommodated in the outer tube, and a portion in which the second inlet is formed protrudes below the outer tube old inner tube; An outer gas supply port that supports a lower portion of the outer tube and forms a first inner space connected to the protective space, an outer gas supply port for supplying a process gas to the protective space around a side wall, and an outer for exhausting the process gas introduced into the protective space an outer manifold including a gas exhaust port; A second inner space that supports a lower portion of the inner tube and is connected to the reaction space is formed, an inner gas supply port for supplying a process gas to the reaction space around a sidewall and an inner for exhausting the process gas introduced into the reaction space an inner manifold including a gas exhaust port and a pumping port for maintaining an internal pressure of the reaction space at a low pressure lower than normal pressure; And it is connected to the gas utility that exhausts the reaction space and the protective space so as to perform a pressure transformation process including a high-pressure process higher than normal pressure and a low-pressure process lower than normal pressure with respect to the plurality of substrates introduced into the reaction space. do.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that the properties of the thin film can be improved by pressurizing the reaction space to an appropriate atmosphere and then reducing the pressure before, during, or after forming the thin film.

Further, according to the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus has a double tube structure with an inner tube and an outer tube. Therefore, the inner tube can be prevented from being directly exposed to the external environment by the outer tube, thereby preventing the inner tube from being damaged by the environmental difference between the external environment and the reaction space inside the inner tube.

In addition, according to the present invention, the pressure of the protective space of the outer tube is maintained equal to or higher than the reaction space of the inner tube during the process period for processing the substrate. Therefore, when the inner tube is damaged for an unspecified reason, it is possible to prevent particles from diffusing to the outside of the outer tube due to the high pressure of the protective space of the outer tube.

Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, damage by the inner tube can be prevented, and the range of damage caused by the inner tube is limited to the inside of the outer tube, thereby securing the reliability of the substrate processing apparatus and improving the process yield. there is an effect

In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, an inner tube and an outer tube are formed to have a dome-shaped ceiling. Therefore, by the dome-shaped ceiling, the pressure is evenly distributed in the upper portions of the inner tube and the outer tube, so structural stability is secured, and it is possible to prevent a vortex from being formed or the airflow from being partially stagnated inside the inner tube. Accordingly, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention has the effect of securing product reliability and improving process efficiency and process yield.

Moreover, the substrate processing apparatus of this invention comprises an inner manifold and an outer manifold under each lower part of an inner tube and an outer tube. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to independently supply and exhaust gas to and from the inner tube and the outer tube, and since the gas supply and exhaust structures are concentrated in the lower portions of the inner tube and the outer tube, the convenience of design and assembly is improved. can be secured.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may clamp the inner manifold and the cap flange after reducing the spacing between the inner manifold and the cap flange by reducing the pressure of the reaction space.

Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention has an effect of preventing a leak from occurring between the inner manifold and the cap flange due to the high pressure during the processing period for substrate processing.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may form a reaction space using a vertical cylindrical inner tube having a dome-shaped ceiling, and perform temperature sensing at a plurality of temperature sensing positions in the reaction space including a lower portion of the dome-shaped ceiling. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is advantageous in that it is possible to sense the temperature of the entire reaction space by the inner tube having a dome-shaped ceiling and uniformly control the heating of the entire reaction space for substrate processing.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention has independent gas supply and exhaust for the reaction space and the protective space so as to maintain the pressure of the protective space of the outer tube equal to or higher than the reaction space of the inner tube during the processing period for substrate processing. There are possible advantages.

1 is a cross-sectional view in a first position of an embodiment according to a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention;
2 is a cross-sectional view in a second position of an embodiment according to a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention;
3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a manifold assembly;
4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an assembly state of the manifold assembly corresponding to FIG. 3 ;
5 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating clamping of a manifold assembly and a cap flange by a clamping module;
6 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which clamping of the clamping module in FIG. 5 is released;
7 is a perspective view of a thermocouple protection tube in which a thermocouple is installed;
8 is a schematic diagram for illustrating a gas utility.
9 is a waveform diagram illustrating an operation by a gas utility.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms used in the present specification and claims are not limited to a conventional or dictionary meaning, and should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical matters of the present invention.

The configuration shown in the embodiments and drawings described in this specification is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not represent all of the technical spirit of the present invention, so various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of the present application are provided. there may be

The present invention exemplifies a substrate processing apparatus that performs a process for processing a substrate.

A process for processing a substrate by a substrate processing apparatus may be a process for forming a film on a substrate such as a wafer, annealing, or the like.

Before forming the thin film, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may perform a high-pressure process in which the reaction space has a high pressure higher than normal pressure and a low-pressure process in which the reaction space has a low pressure lower than normal pressure, and more preferably, a high-pressure process is performed. After that, a low pressure process may be performed.

In this case, it can be understood that the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention pre-treats the substrate through the above-described transformation process before forming the thin film, and the thin film is incomplete due to impurities or other causes in the interfacial lattice of the substrate by the pre-treatment. sex can be removed.

For example, when the surface of the substrate is contaminated by chlorine (Cl), chlorine (Cl) forms a weak bond with the silicon atoms of the substrate. At this time, when hydrogen (H ₂ ) is used to ensure that the reaction space has an appropriate temperature and an appropriate high pressure above atmospheric pressure, hydrogen, which is a light atom, can penetrate to a certain depth from the surface of the silicon lattice structure as well as the surface of the sidewall. Therefore, hydrogen at high pressure is separated from the silicon surface by promoting a reduction reaction with chlorine impurities. The separated impurities are discharged out of the reactor or chamber in the process of being reduced to a low pressure.

In addition, in a high-pressure state, thermal vibration of silicon crystal atoms increases, impurities forming a weak bond with silicon surface atoms are removed by the increased thermal vibration, and recrystallization or migration of the semiconductor surface is promoted. Thus, an annealing effect can be obtained. This recrystallization makes the molecular bonds between the elements constituting the thin film stronger, and even if impurities still remain, they react with the semiconductor surface and prevent adhesion.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may perform a high-pressure process in which the reaction space has a high pressure higher than normal pressure and a low-pressure process in which the reaction space has a low pressure lower than normal pressure, and more preferably, a high-pressure process during the formation of the thin film. After the process, a low pressure process may be performed.

In this case, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention uses an appropriate gas during the formation of the thin film so that the reaction space has a high pressure equal to or higher than normal pressure, and thereafter, the pressure of the reaction space is set to have a low pressure lower than that of the normal pressure, so that the characteristics of the thin film having a partial thickness can be improved

Illustratively, in the case of a TiN thin film, when a part of the thin film is formed, the source gas is exhausted to stop the film formation, and in this state, hydrogen (H ₂ ) is injected into the reaction space so that the reaction space has a high pressure. During high pressure, not only the density of hydrogen molecules increases, but also the movement of molecular hydrogen gases becomes faster. Therefore, the reaction with the residual Cl element in which the hydrogen molecules form a relatively weak bond or the Cl element in a relatively hard bond is further activated, and is reduced to HCl gas, which is advantageous for exhaust. In addition, in a high-pressure reducing atmosphere, recrystallization of elements constituting the thin film is promoted, and the quality of the thin film is improved. This recrystallization makes the molecular bonds between the elements constituting the thin film stronger. The element selected for high pressure is a gaseous gas that binds to impurities in the thin film and helps to discharge impurities.

In the following order, if the reaction space is made to have a low pressure in the manner of forced exhaust, the remaining impurities such as Cl are exhausted as HCl gas. Through this high-pressure process-low-pressure process, that is, a transformation process, the weak bonds formed by various undesirable residues in the TiN thin film with the thin film elements are broken. Thus, the broken residues are removed more effectively than before, and imperfections of the crystal structure forming the thin film and other organic substances are also more effectively removed and annealed.

Next, a raw material gas is introduced into the reaction space to form the remaining thickness of the TiN thin film.

In addition, after forming the thin film, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may be configured such that the reaction space has a high pressure higher than the normal pressure, and then the reaction space has a low pressure lower than the normal pressure.

In this case, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may improve the characteristics of the thin film through the above-described transformation process after forming the thin film.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may be implemented as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to have a structure capable of performing the above-described transformation process including the high-pressure process and the low-pressure process.

1 and 2 illustrate a reactor as an example of a substrate processing apparatus. The reactor of FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as a substrate processing apparatus for convenience of description. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus in a first position to show the internal thermocouple protection tube 100 , and corresponds to cut 1-1 of FIG. 3 . And, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus in a second position for showing the gas supply pipe 69 therein, and corresponds to a portion 2-2 cut in FIG. 3 .

The substrate processing apparatus is divided into an upper portion in which the heater 10 is configured and a lower portion in which the boat 80 is loaded, based on the partition wall CA.

The heater 10 is configured above the partition wall CA and has a heating space 12 therein. The outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 are accommodated in the heating space 12 . The heating space 12 has an inlet at the lower portion, and may be formed to have a cylindrical shape with a closed ceiling corresponding to the shapes of the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 accommodated therein.

The partition wall CA is configured to have a through area corresponding to the entrance of the heating space 12 .

A heater base 14 having a predetermined thickness is interposed on the upper surface of the partition wall CA to support the heater 10 on the heater base.

The heater 10 may be exemplified as including a plurality of heating blocks (not shown) divided by height units, and the heating temperature may be independently controlled for each heating block.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes an outer tube 20 and an inner tube 30 .

The outer tube 20 is configured in a vertical cylindrical shape having a first domed ceiling, a protective space 22 is formed therein, and a first inlet is formed in the lower portion. And, the outer tube 20 has a ring-shaped outer flange 28 extending outward from the first inlet.

The protective space 22 is a spaced space formed between the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 . The protective space 22 is a space in which the pressure is controlled, and when the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 has a pressure equal to or higher than normal pressure, the pressure of the protective space has a higher pressure than the reaction space 32 to a certain degree. When the reaction space 32 has a low pressure less than the atmospheric pressure, the pressure of the protective space maintains the normal pressure. Therefore, the protection space 22 may be understood as a spaced space or a pressure control space, and serves to prevent the spread of contamination by particles when the inner tube 30 is damaged.

The inner tube 30 is configured in a vertical cylindrical shape having a second dome-shaped ceiling, and forms a reaction space 32 therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a portion of which is accommodated in the outer tube 20, and the second 2 The portion in which the inlet is formed may be configured to protrude below the outer tube. And, the inner tube 30 has a ring-shaped inner flange 38 extending outward from the second inlet.

Here, the outer flange 28 of the outer tube 20 and the inner flange 38 of the inner tube 30 may have the same outer diameter.

In addition, the outer tube 20 may be formed of a metal material, and the inner tube 30 may be formed of a non-metal material. Alternatively, both the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 may be formed of a non-metal material. SUS may be exemplified as an example of a metallic material, and quartz may be exemplified as an example of a non-metallic material.

The outer tube 20 may be configured to accommodate a portion of the inner tube 30 therein while having an inner wall having a uniform spacing from the outer wall of the inner tube 30 . Accordingly, the outer tube 20 is configured to have an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the side wall of the inner tube 30 . That is, the first inlet of the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 is formed to have a larger inner diameter than the second inlet of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 .

The first domed ceiling of the outer tube 20 and the second dome-shaped ceiling of the inner tube 30 may be configured in various shapes by the manufacturer so that the space created by being spaced apart from each other is maintained. For example, the domed ceilings of the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 may be formed in a hemispherical shape having the same curvature.

According to the above configuration, when the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 are coupled, the protective space 22 may be formed between the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 .

As described above, the embodiment of the present invention has a double tube structure by the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 .

Therefore, the inner tube 30 can be prevented from being damaged by the environmental difference between the external environment and the internal reaction space 32 .

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 are formed to each have a domed ceiling. The dome-shaped structure can effectively distribute internal pressure and external pressure. Therefore, the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 can secure safety against pressure by the dome-shaped ceiling. And, the dome-shaped ceiling facilitates the flow of airflow. Therefore, the inner tube 30 may have the advantage that a vortex is formed in the upper part of the reaction space or the airflow flow is prevented from being partially stagnated.

As described above, the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 may have a high pressure and a low pressure before, during, and after the thin film deposition on the substrate as described above. The protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 maintains a uniformly higher pressure than the reaction space 32 when the reaction space 32 has a high pressure higher than or equal to atmospheric pressure during the above-described pressure transformation process. This will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

In the configuration of the inner tube 30 and the outer tube 20 to have the above-described pressure difference, when the inner tube 30 is damaged for an unspecified reason, by-products during the process, processing gas and particles in the reaction space, etc. It is to prevent diffusion to the outside of (20) by the high pressure of the protective space (22) of the outer tube (20).

On the other hand, the present invention includes a manifold assembly, which forms a first internal space 59 connected to the protective space 22 in the lower part of the outer tube 20 and is located in the lower part of the inner tube 30 . A second internal space connected to the reaction space 32 is formed. In addition, the manifold assembly supports the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 with the protective space 22 and the first inner space 59 interposed therebetween.

To this end, the manifold assembly includes an outer manifold 50 and an inner manifold 60 . The outer manifold 50 supports the lower end of the outer tube 20 and forms a first inner space 59 connected to the protective space 22 . The inner manifold 60 is coupled to the lower portion of the outer manifold 50 to support the lower end of the inner tube 30 and form a second internal space connected to the reaction space 32 .

As described above, the protective space 22 and the first internal space 59 form an independent space connected to each other, and the reaction space 32 and the second internal space also form an independent space connected to each other.

Since the diameter of the inner tube 30 is smaller than the diameter of the outer tube 20 , the diameter of the second sidewall of the inner manifold 60 may also be smaller than the diameter of the first sidewall of the outer manifold 50 . The inner space 59 may be formed naturally. The first inner space forms a protective space when the inner tube 30 is installed inside the outer tube 20 and provides an appropriate space between the two tubes.

And, the lower portion of the manifold assembly is sealed by the cap flange (70).

From the above bar, the structure of the manifold assembly will be described with further reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .

The manifold assembly includes a ring-shaped cover 40 , an outer manifold 50 , and an inner manifold 60 .

The ring-shaped cover 40 covers the outer flange 28 of the outer tube 20 from the top, and is configured to be coupled to the outer manifold 50 . Therefore, the outer flange 28 is interposed between the coupled ring-shaped cover 40 and the outer manifold 50 .

More specifically, the ring-shaped cover 40 may be formed with a plurality of fastening portions capable of fastening the coupling member to the side portion, and the outer manifold 50 is coupled to the side portion of the first upper flange 51 to be described later. A plurality of possible fastening portions may be formed. The ring-shaped cover 40 and the outer manifold 50 may be coupled by the coupling member coupling the opposite fastening parts of the ring-shaped cover 40 and the outer manifold 50 . Here, the coupling member may be understood as a screw (or nut), and the plurality of fastening units may be understood as a screw hole (or bolt hole).

More specifically, the ring-shaped cover 40 is formed in a ring shape having a horizontal portion 44 facing the upper surface of the outer flange 28 of the outer tube 20 and a first vertical portion 42 formed on the edge portion. and the outer tube 20 is inserted into the ring-shaped through-hole of the ring-shaped cover 40 . The first vertical portion 42 of the ring-shaped cover 40 is formed at a position outside the outer flange 28, and the first vertical portion ( 42) may be formed to vertically penetrate.

The outer manifold 50 may include a first sidewall 55 , a first upper flange 51 , and a first lower flange 53 .

The first side wall 55 is configured to form a first cylindrical interior space 59 , and the first upper flange 51 extends outwardly around the upper portion of the first side wall 55 , and is formed of the outer tube 20 . The lower end is configured to support the outer flange 28, and the first lower flange 53 extends outwardly around the lower portion of the first side wall 55 and is coupled to the inner manifold 60 of the coupling member along the circumference. It is configured to form a plurality of first fastening parts capable of fastening.

Among them, the first upper flange 51 may be formed with a plurality of fastening portions capable of fastening the coupling member to the edge portion. On the edge of the first upper flange 51, screw holes (or bolt holes), which are fastening parts corresponding to the positions where the fastening parts of the ring-shaped cover 40 are formed, may be formed to penetrate vertically while being disposed along the edge. .

By means of the above configuration, the ring-shaped cover 40 and the first upper flange 51 of the outer manifold 50 are coupled by screwing (or bolt) facing screw holes (or bolt holes) with a screw (or bolt) as a coupling member. can be combined.

In addition, the outer manifold 50 may further include fastening parts 56 extending laterally from a plurality of positions of the first upper flange 51 and having vertical through-holes.

As described above, the fastening portions 56 may be coupled to the upper structure of the upper portion of the ring-shaped cover 40 by bolts 58 passing through the through holes. Here, the upper structure may be at least one of the partition wall CA, the heater base 14 and the heater 10, and the coupling of the bolts 58 and the through-holes connects the fastening parts 56 with the upper structure. As exemplified as a binding material for the above, the above-described binding material may be variously modified according to the intention of the manufacturer.

Due to the structure of the outer manifold 50 , the ring-shaped cover 40 and the outer manifold 50 may be coupled with the outer flange 28 of the outer tube 20 interposed therebetween. In addition, the outer manifold 50 is coupled to at least one of the upper structure located above the ring-shaped cover 40 , that is, the partition wall CA, the heater base 14 , and the heater 10 using the coupling parts 56 . can be

In addition, the first lower flange 53 of the outer manifold 50 is coupled to the second upper flange 61 of the inner manifold 60 with the inner flange 38 of the inner tube 30 interposed therebetween. do. The binding method between them will be described later. The inner manifold 60 may include a second side wall 65 , a second upper flange 61 , and a second lower flange 63 .

The second side wall 65 is configured to form a second cylindrical inner space, and the second upper flange 61 extends outwardly around the upper portion of the second side wall 65 and is coupled to the outer manifold 50 . A plurality of second fastening portions capable of fastening the coupling member are formed along the circumference, and the second lower flange 63 extends outwardly around the lower portion of the second side wall 65 and is closed by the cap flange 70 . configured to be

Preferably, the inner diameter of the first sidewall 55 of the outer manifold 50 is larger than the inner diameter of the second sidewall 65 of the inner manifold 60 .

The second upper flange 61 of the inner manifold 60 is configured to support the lower end of the inner tube 30 , that is, the inner flange 38 , and is coupled with the first lower flange 53 of the outer manifold 50 . .

That is, the first lower flange 53 of the outer manifold 50 and the second upper flange 61 of the inner manifold 60 are first fastening portions corresponding to each other by a coupling member such as a screw (or bolt). And it may be coupled by the coupling of the second fastening part. Here, the first fastening part and the second fastening part may be exemplified by screw holes (or bolt holes).

At this time, the first lower flange 53 of the outer manifold 50 and the second upper flange 61 of the inner manifold 60 are coupled with the inner flange 38 of the inner tube 30 interposed therebetween.

In addition, the edge of the second upper flange 61 of the inner manifold 60 may further include a second vertical portion 67 to form the second fastening portion. The second vertical portion 67 of the inner manifold 60 may be formed in a region corresponding to the edge of the first lower flange 53 of the outer manifold 50 at a position out of the inner flange 38, The screw holes (or bolt holes), which are the second fastening parts, may be formed to penetrate vertically while being disposed along the edge.

Therefore, the second vertical portion 67 of the first lower flange 53 and the second upper flange 61 may be coupled by a coupling member such as a screw (or bolt), and as a result, the outer manifold 50 . The wine manifold 60 may be coupled with the inner flange 38 interposed therebetween.

Meanwhile, an outer gas exhaust port 54 and an outer gas supply port 52 are formed on the first sidewall 55 of the outer manifold 50 configured as described above.

In addition, an inner gas supply port 62 , an inner gas exhaust port 64 , and a pumping port 66 for supplying a process gas are formed on the second sidewall 65 of the inner fold 60 configured as described above. The process gas may be composed of a gas containing one or more elements such as hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), hydrogen (H2), deuterium (D2), oxygen (O2), water vapor (H2O), ammonia (NH3), and the like may be used.

In addition, a thermocouple fastener to which the thermocouple protection tube 100 to which a thermocouple measuring the temperature of the reaction space is installed is fastened may be further formed on the second sidewall 65 of the inner manifold 60 . A thermocouple protection tube insertion end 104 for inserting the thermocouple protection tube 100 may be configured in the thermocouple fastener.

In addition, sealing parts are configured in the embodiment of the present invention, and the sealing parts are between the bottom surface of the outer flange 28 and the top surface of the first upper flange 51 , the bottom surface of the first lower flange 53 and the inner flange 38 . ) and between the lower surface of the inner flange 38 and the upper surface of the second upper flange 61 , respectively. The sealing parts may be exemplarily configured as an O-ring (OR), and an O-ring ( OR) is preferably formed by inserting a part of an O-ring groove (not shown) for configuration.

In addition, a cap flange 70 that elevates and lowers is formed at a lower portion of the second lower flange 63 of the inner manifold 60 .

According to the above configuration, the outer manifold 50 supports the lower portion of the outer tube 20 and forms a first inner space 59 connected to the protective space 22, and the inner manifold 60 is the inner A second inner space is formed that supports the lower portion of the tube 30 and is connected to the reaction space 32 . The first internal space 59 may be understood as a space surrounded by the first sidewall 55 of the outer manifold 50 , and the second internal space is located on the second sidewall 65 of the inner manifold 60 . It can be understood as a space surrounded by

The second inner space is sealed by bringing the upper surface of the raised cap flange 70 into close contact with the second lower flange 63 of the inner manifold 60 . Here, the second internal space is connected to the upper reaction space 32 to form one space. Therefore, it will be understood that the cap flange 70 seals the reaction space 32 inside the inner tube 30 and the second inner space of the inner manifold 60 together by being in close contact with the second lower flange 63 . can

And, the outer manifold 50 is configured between the outer flange 28 of the outer tube 20 and the inner flange 38 of the inner tube 30, the protective space 22 and the first inner space 59 is spaced apart between the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 with the

In the embodiment of the present invention, the inner manifold 60 and the outer manifold 50 are configured under each of the inner tube 30 and the outer tube 20 as described above. Therefore, it is possible to separate the inner tube 30 and the outer tube 20 , and to supply and exhaust gas independently therebetween, and the gas supply and exhaust structure is concentrated in the lower part of the inner tube and the outer tube, so that the substrate processing apparatus Convenience of design and assembly can be secured.

Meanwhile, the configuration of the cap flange 70 , the base plate 200 , the elevating plate 210 , and the clamp module 300 configured under the inner manifold 60 will be described with further reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 . .

The cap flange 70 may have a disk shape to cover the lower portion of the inner manifold 60 .

The cap flange 70 is elevated or lowered in association with the elevating or lowering of the elevating plate 210 .

When the cap flange 70 is raised and lowered, the upper side of the cap flange 70 is in close contact with the lower surface of the inner manifold 60 to have a first spacing, and covers the lower portion of the inner manifold 60 . The cap flange 70 may cover the lower portion of the inner manifold 60 to isolate the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 connected to the inside of the inner manifold 60 from the outside.

A rotation plate 90 on which the boat 80 is seated may be configured on the upper portion of the cap flange 70 .

The rotation plate 90 is coupled to the lower portion of the boat 80 seated on the upper portion and is configured to receive rotational force from the lower driving unit 400 . The rotation plate 90 may be configured to rotate the upper boat 80 by the rotational force of the driving unit 400 . When the boat 80 is rotated during the process period, a gas for reaction may be uniformly supplied to the substrates occupied by the boat 80 , and as a result, the yield may be improved.

A base plate 200 , an elevating plate 210 , a clamp module 300 , and a driving unit 400 are configured under the cap flange 70 .

First, the base plate 200 is fixed to the lower portion of the cap flange 70 by bolting, and the base plate 200 is fixed while maintaining a distance parallel to the lower portion of the cap flange 70 .

The base plate 200 is for installing a plurality of clamp modules 300 to be described later. The plurality of clamp modules 300 are distributedly installed at a plurality of positions of the base plate 200 .

In addition, a pumping unit ( 740 in FIG. 8 ) is configured to practice the present invention, and the pumping unit 740 pumps the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 . The pumping unit 740 pumps the reaction space 32 so as to have a pressure less than atmospheric pressure. For a more detailed description, refer to FIG. 8 .

The pumping unit 740 reduces the pressure in the reaction space 32 to less than atmospheric pressure, as described below with reference to FIG. 8, or performs slow pumping so that the reduced pressure can be maintained, and then the main pumping is performed successively. can

With the above-described configuration, in the embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the cap flange 70 and the lower surface of the second lower flange 63, which is the lower surface of the inner manifold 60, are formed by elevating the cap flange 70. They are closely adhered to each other at an interval of 1 (Tg in FIG. 6).

Referring to FIG. 6 , when the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 are in close contact with the first spacing Tg, the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 are spaced apart by the first spacing Tg. ) has a thickness Th greater than the height Tc of the clamping channels 312 of the clamps 310 of the plurality of clamping modules 300 . Therefore, it is difficult for the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 to be clamped in the clamping channel 312 at this time.

In the embodiment of the present invention, pumping is performed by the pumping unit 740 in order to reduce the distance between the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 .

When the pressure in the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 becomes less than atmospheric pressure by the pumping of the pumping unit 740, the upper surface of the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 of the inner manifold 60 The bottom surface of the is in close contact with the second spacing smaller than the first spacing Tg. In this case, the pumping of the pumping unit 740 may be understood as sequentially performing slow pumping and main pumping.

The cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 in close contact with the second spaced apart have a thickness that can be clamped to the clamping channel 312 of the clamp 310 of the plurality of clamping modules 300 as shown in FIG. 5 .

Therefore, the plurality of clamping modules 300 clamp the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 of the inner manifold 60 that are closely spaced apart from each other as shown in FIG. 5 .

It can be understood that the first separation interval Tg and the second separation interval have a difference as the O-ring (OR), which is a sealing portion interposed between the lower surface of the manifold assembly 60 and the upper surface of the cap flange 70, is contracted by decompression. . For the description of the embodiment, the second spacing may be exemplified as contact between the lower surface of the manifold assembly 60 and the upper surface of the cap flange 70 without a gap as the O-ring OR contracts.

For reference, when the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 has a low pressure less than the normal pressure as described above, the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 may maintain the normal pressure.

Each clamping module 300 for operation as described above is provided with a clamp 310 having a clamping channel 312 facing the side of the cap flange 70, and by driving the clamp 310, the second It is configured to clamp the cap flange 70 and the lower portion (the second lower flange 63 ) of the inner manifold 60 that are closely spaced apart in the clamping channel 312 .

More specifically, the clamping module 300 includes a clamp 310 , a clamp bracket 320 , and an actuator 330 .

The clamp 310 is formed with a clamping channel 312 facing the side of the cap flange 70 as described above. The clamping channel 312 may be configured as a clip type.

In addition, the clamping bracket 320 vertically supports the clamp 310 and may be configured in a plate shape.

Then, the actuator 330 is fixed to the bottom surface of the base plate 200 and is connected to the clamp bracket 320 through the rod 332 . The actuator 330 moves the clamp bracket 320 and the clamp 310 forward or backward by driving the rod 332 .

Therefore, the clamp 310 moves between a locking position for clamping (corresponding to FIG. 5 ) and a releasing position for releasing the clamping (corresponding to FIG. 6 ) by driving the actuator 330 .

The elevating plate 210 is configured in the lower portion of the base plate 200, and the elevating plate 210 is configured to maintain a spaced apart distance from the base plate 200 by the elastic force of the elastic part.

Here, the elastic part may be exemplified by the spring 212 interposed between the base plate 200 and the elevating plate 210 , and the spring 212 is the cap flange 70 of the lower surface of the inner manifold 60 . When lifted to abut against the , the upper surface of the cap flange 70 and the lower surface of the inner manifold 60 provide an elastic force for adhering to have the first spacing Tg.

The elevating plate 210 is movably coupled while being spaced apart from the base plate 200 using a plurality of pins 214 inserted into the spring 212 , and between the elevating plate 210 and the base plate 200 . The separation is maintained by the elasticity of the spring 212 .

The elevating plate 210 may be elevated by being coupled to an elevating module (not shown) that provides elevating force by driving a motor.

The elevating plate 210 is raised or lowered like the upper base plate 200 , the cap flange 70 , the rotation plate 90 and the boat 80 . The spring 212 can buffer vibrations generated when the elevating plate 210 elevates, and when the elevating plate 210 elevates, the cap flange 70 moves to the desired position in the inner manifold 60. It can provide elasticity for close contact with the bottom of the.

By being configured as described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the lower portions of the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 are clamped by the clamps 310 to maintain a close contact with the second spaced apart.

Therefore, the edges of the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 do not spread beyond the second separation interval due to high pressure even when a high-pressure process for substrate processing is performed in the reaction space 32 after that, and is in an airtight state due to close contact. can keep

In the embodiment of the present invention, the reduced pressure can be used even when the clamping of the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 clamped by the clamp 310 is released after the high pressure process period for substrate processing ends. .

That is, in one of the embodiments of the present invention, after a high-pressure process period for substrate processing, the pressure in the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30, which is in a high-pressure state, is first lowered to atmospheric pressure by exhausting, and then to atmospheric pressure by pumping. The cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 are brought into close contact with the second spaced apart distance from each other so as to be lowered.

In the embodiment of the present invention, after the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 are brought into close contact with the second interval, the clamp modules 300 drive the clamps 310 from the locked position to the unlocked position. 70) and the inner manifold 60 may be released from clamping.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 is narrowed by making the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 have a low pressure, and then the inner manifold 60 and the cap flange ( 70) can be clamped or unclamped.

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a leak from occurring between the inner manifold 60 and the cap flange 70 due to high pressure during the processing period for substrate processing.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, the reaction space 32 is formed using a vertical cylindrical inner tube 30 having a dome-shaped ceiling. In this case, the reaction space 32 may be divided into a ceiling area formed by a dome-shaped ceiling and a reaction area under the ceiling area where the boat 80 is located for the process.

The embodiment of the present invention may include the thermocouple protection tube 100 capable of sensing the temperature of the entire reaction space 32 including the upper ceiling area as well as the reaction area where the boat 80 is located.

1 and 3, the thermocouple protection tube insertion end 104 for inserting the thermocouple protection tube 100 into the inner tube 60 of the embodiment of the present invention is configured. The thermocouple protection tube insertion end 104 is configured to penetrate the second sidewall 65 of the inner manifold 60 and is configured to guide the installation of a lower tube 103 to be described later of the thermocouple protection tube 100 therein.

That is, the thermocouple protection tube 100 is vertically installed in the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 and is configured such that the lower portion thereof is drawn out through the inner manifold 60 .

More specifically, the thermocouple protection tube 100 includes an upper extension tube 101; a vertical pipe (102) formed vertically in succession to the extension pipe; and a lower pipe 103 that is continuous to the vertical pipe but is bent from the vertical pipe to facilitate withdrawal to the outside, wherein the extension pipe 101, the vertical pipe 102 and the lower pipe 103 are made of a quartz material, It is integrally formed and forms a tube sealed with respect to the reaction space (32).

The extension tube 101 is located in the upper ceiling area of the reaction space 32 , and the vertical tube 102 is located in the reaction area where the boat 80 is located in the reaction space 32 , and the lower inner manifold 60 . and the lower pipe 103 is located in the second inner space of the inner manifold 60 .

Among them, the lower pipe 103 is drawn out through the insertion end 104 of the thermocouple protection pipe of the second side wall 65 of the inner manifold 60, and at the end of the drawn lower pipe 103, An inlet for inserting a plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5 is formed.

In addition, the plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5 are inserted into the thermocouple protection tube 100 through the inlet of the lower tube 103 , and are each configured to have a detection unit for sensing a temperature at different positions in the reaction space 32 . In this case, the detection unit may be understood as a sensor generating a current according to the sensed temperature, and may be understood as being formed at the extended end of each thermocouple TC1 to TC5. In an embodiment of the present invention, a thermocouple is exemplified as having five thermocouples as shown in FIG. 7 .

In an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the detection unit of at least one thermocouple is located in the extension tube 101 .

That is, with respect to the thermocouple protection tube 100 , at least one thermocouple detection unit may be located in the ceiling region, and the remaining thermocouple detection units may be located in the process region.

The positions of the detection units of the plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5, that is, the plurality of temperature sensing positions, may be illustrated as SP1 to SP5 in FIG. 7 . Among them, the temperature sensing position SP1 corresponds to the ceiling area, and the remaining temperature sensing positions SP2 to SP5 are located in the process area.

An embodiment of the present invention sets the temperature sensing positions SP1 to SP5 at different heights. The setting of the temperature sensing position may be understood as designing a position where each detection unit of the plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5 is to be formed.

As the temperature sensing positions SP1 to SP5 are set as described above, the plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5 are installed in the inner tube of the thermocouple protection tube 100 and the detection units are located at different temperature sensing positions. Exemplarily, the detection unit of the thermocouple TC1 is located at the temperature sensing position SP1, the detection unit of the thermocouple TC2 is located at the temperature sensing position SP2, the detection unit of the thermocouple TC3 is located at the temperature sensing position SP3, and the temperature sensing position The detection unit of the thermocouple TC4 may be located at SP4, and the detection unit of the thermocouple TC5 may be located at the temperature sensing position SP5.

Each of the thermocouples TC1 to TC5 may perform temperature sensing by the detector and may output a current corresponding to the sensed temperature through a pair of terminals. As described above, each of the plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5 has a pair of terminals for outputting a current corresponding to the sensed temperature, and the terminals of the plurality of thermocouples TC1 to TC5 are external to the inner manifold 60 . It is configured to be drawn out through the end of the lower pipe 103 extending to the

As described above, the upper end of the extension tube 101 of the thermocouple protection tube 100 and the temperature sensing position SP1 of the thermocouple TC1 are preferably formed to be located at a height above the middle of the ceiling area. Illustratively, the upper end of the extension tube 101 may be formed to be positioned below the uppermost portion of the dome-shaped ceiling.

In addition, the extension tube 101 of the upper portion of the thermocouple protection tube 100 may extend to the ceiling area and may be formed to have an inwardly curved shape.

Illustratively, the extension tube 101 may be formed to have an inwardly refracted shape of the ceiling region to have an inclination angle.

In addition, the shape of the thermocouple protection tube 100 may be determined so as not to obstruct the air flow of the gas in the reaction space 32 or form a vortex.

To this end, the extension tube 101 forming the upper portion of the thermocouple protection tube 100 may be formed to have a curved shape inwardly of the ceiling region.

More specifically, the extension tube 101 has the same curvature as the dome-shaped ceiling of the inner tube 30, maintains a uniform spacing from the dome-shaped ceiling, and may have an extended shape while being bent toward the top of the dome-shaped ceiling.

In addition, the vertical tube 102 of the thermocouple protection tube 100 is vertically fixed to maintain a uniform spacing from the inner wall of the inner tube 30 .

The extension tube 101 , the vertical tube 102 , and the lower tube 103 of the thermocouple protection tube 100 may be configured to have the same inner and outer diameters. On the other hand, when the number of thermocouples inserted therein is large, it may be configured to have a larger inner diameter and a larger outer diameter toward the bottom.

An embodiment of the present invention includes a heater 10 for heating the reaction space 32 for substrate processing in a high-temperature environment.

The heater 10 heats the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 in the heating space 12 .

The reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 must be heated to have a uniform temperature distribution as a whole.

Therefore, the heater 10 also needs to be configured to independently control heating for each position.

To this end, the heater 10 may be manufactured to include a plurality of heating blocks (not shown) corresponding to each temperature sensing position. At this time, it is preferable that the heating temperature of each heating block is independently controlled.

And, the above-described temperature sensing positions SP1 to SP5 correspond to each heating block, and one of the temperature sensing positions SP1 to SP5, that is, the temperature sensing position SP1, may be set to correspond to the heating block for heating the ceiling area. have. In addition, the remaining temperature sensing positions SP2 to SP5 may be set to correspond one-to-one to the remaining heating blocks for heating the process area in which the boat 80 is disposed.

As described above, the thermocouples TC1 to TC5 for temperature sensing include detection units for each of the temperature sensing positions SP1 to SP5, and sense the temperature at each position of the ceiling region and the process region.

Each heating block may have a heating temperature independently controlled in response to a sensing signal of a thermocouple at a corresponding temperature sensing position.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention can perform temperature sensing and temperature control for the ceiling area formed by using the vertical cylindrical inner tube 30 having a dome-shaped ceiling.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention can perform temperature sensing and heating control for the entire reaction space 32 , and as a result, it is possible to maintain a uniform temperature for the entire reaction space 32 for substrate processing.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, the reaction space 32 has a high pressure higher than the normal pressure for at least one before, during, and after the deposition of the thin film, and then a series of processes having a low pressure lower than the normal pressure. is configured to carry out

To this end, the embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a gas utility that performs pressurization and exhaust for the protective space 22 and performs pressurization, pressure reduction and exhaust for the reaction space 32 .

The gas utility proceeds with a process in which the reaction space 32 has a high pressure higher than the normal pressure and then has a low pressure lower than the normal pressure, and when the reaction space 32 is above the atmospheric pressure, the first internal pressure of the protective space 22 is the reaction space (32) is maintained higher than the second internal pressure by a uniform difference. In addition, the gas utility checks for leaks before the processing period for substrate processing or to clamp the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 as shown in FIG. 6 so that the reaction space 32 has a low pressure less than normal pressure. can

In addition, the gas utility may allow the reaction space 32 to have a low pressure less than normal pressure in order to release the clamping state of the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 after the high-pressure process is performed.

An embodiment of the present invention having the above-described gas utility is described with reference to FIG. 8 , wherein the second internal pressure PI of the reaction space 32 and the first internal pressure PO of the protective space 22 by the gas utility are The change can be understood with reference to FIG. 9 .

In FIG. 8 , the heater 10 , the outer tube 20 , and the inner tube 30 may be understood with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 2 , and thus a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

First, the gas utility includes a first supply pipe 602 for supplying an inert gas to the protection space 22 , a second supply pipe 622 for supplying a process gas to the reaction space 32 , and exhaust of the protection space 22 . An outer exhaust line 702 for , an inner exhaust line 722 for exhausting the reaction space 32 , and a vacuum pumping line 742 for pumping the reaction space 32 are provided. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, an inert gas such as nitrogen is referred to as a first gas, and a process gas is referred to as a second gas. The second gas is hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), etc. configured to supply a gas containing one or more of the same element. The second gas may be used in the form of hydrogen (H2), deuterium (D2), oxygen (O2), water vapor (H2O), ammonia (NH3), or the like.

The first supply pipe 602 is connected to the outer gas supply port 52 for supplying the first gas of the outer manifold 50 , and the outer exhaust line 702 exhausts the first gas of the outer manifold 50 . is connected to the outer gas exhaust port 54, the second supply pipe 622 is connected to the inner gas supply port 62 for supplying the second gas of the inner manifold 60, and the inner exhaust line 722 is the inner It is connected to the inner gas supply port 64 for exhausting the second gas of the manifold 60 , and the vacuum pumping line 742 is connected to the pumping port 66 for forming a low pressure of the inner manifold 60 . .

That is, the first supply pipe 602 and the outer exhaust line 702 are connected to the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 through the outer manifold 50, and the second supply pipe 622, the inner exhaust line ( 722 and the vacuum pumping line 742 are connected to the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 through the inner manifold 60 . In the embodiment of the present invention, for convenience of explanation, the first gas is supplied from the first supply pipe 602 to the outer tube 20 or the outer tube 20 is exhausted by the first exhaust pipe 702, 2 The second gas is supplied from the supply pipe 622 to the inner tube 30 or the inner tube 30 is exhausted by the inner exhaust line 722 , and the inner tube 30 is supplied by the vacuum pumping line 742 . of pumping may be performed.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first high-pressure control unit 700 for controlling the first internal pressure of the protective space 22 through the outer exhaust line 702, the reaction space 32 through the inner exhaust line 722 2 and a second high-pressure control unit 720 for controlling the internal pressure.

When it is desired that the pressure in the reaction space 32 be equal to or higher than normal pressure, the first high pressure control unit 700 and the second high pressure control unit 720 determine that the first internal pressure of the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 is equal to or greater than that of the inner tube. The exhaust amount of each of the outer exhaust line 702 and the inner exhaust line 722 is adjusted to be higher than the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of 30 by a uniform difference.

And, when it is desired that the pressure in the reaction space 32 be lower than the atmospheric pressure, the first high-pressure control unit 700 and the second high-pressure control unit 720 maintain the first internal pressure at normal pressure and the first internal pressure to have a low pressure. The exhaust amount of each of the outer exhaust line 702 and the inner exhaust line 722 is adjusted.

And, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first gas supply unit 600 for supplying the first gas to the protection space 22 through the first supply pipe 602 and the reaction space 32 through the second supply pipe 622 A second gas supply unit 620 for supplying a second gas is provided.

The first gas supply unit 600 includes a first supply valve V1 connected to the first supply pipe 602, and the first supply valve V1 is configured to supply the first gas at various pressures for exhaust or pressurization. 1 The amount of gas supplied can be controlled.

The second gas supply unit 620 includes a second supply valve V4 connected to the second supply pipe 622, and the second supply valve V4 controls the supply amount of the second gas to supply the second gas at various pressures. can be controlled

When it is desired that the pressure of the reaction space 32 be equal to or higher than the normal pressure, the first internal pressure of the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 is the first gas supply unit 600 and the second gas supply unit 620 are the inner tube. The supply amount of each of the first gas and the second gas is adjusted to be higher by a uniform difference than the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of 30 .

In addition, the embodiment of the present invention includes a pumping unit 740 for pumping the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 through the vacuum pumping line 742 .

In the above configuration, the first high-pressure control unit 700 is configured in parallel with the first high-pressure exhaust valve V2 and the first high-pressure control valve OCV installed on the outer exhaust line 702 and the outer exhaust line 702 . configured to include a first relief valve REV1 configured to a first safety line 706 . The outer exhaust line 702 and the first high-pressure control unit 700 may be included as some components of the outer exhaust unit 791 .

Here, the first high-pressure exhaust valve V2 is opened to exhaust the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 , and the first high-pressure control valve OCV controls the amount of exhaust through the outer exhaust line 702 . and the first relief valve REV1 is mechanically opened for exhaust when a preset high pressure or higher is detected.

In addition, the second high-pressure control unit 720 includes a second high-pressure exhaust valve V3 and a second high-pressure control valve ICV installed on the inner exhaust line 722 in parallel with the inner exhaust line 722 . configured to safety line 726 and configured to include a second relief valve REV2 . The inner exhaust line 722 and the second high-pressure control unit 720 may be included as some components of the inner exhaust unit 792 .

Here, the second high-pressure exhaust valve V3 is opened to exhaust the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 , and the second high-pressure control valve ICV controls the amount of exhaust through the inner exhaust line 722 . and the second relief valve REV2 is mechanically opened for exhaust when a preset high pressure or higher is detected.

Preferably, the first relief valve REV1 and the second relief valve REV2 are configured to be opened for exhaust for the same high pressure or higher.

In the above configuration, when the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is higher than the normal pressure, the first high pressure control valve OCV and the second high pressure control valve ICV are connected to the outer tube 20 ), the outer exhaust line 702 and the inner exhaust line 722 so that the first internal pressure of the protective space 22 is maintained high with a certain difference compared to the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 . ) to adjust the amount of each exhaust.

In this case, the second high pressure control valve ICV controls the amount of exhaust through the inner exhaust line 722 based on a preset set value, and the first high pressure control valve OCV controls the pressure of the inner exhaust line 722 based on the pressure of the inner exhaust line 722 . It is configured to control the amount of exhaust through the outer exhaust line 702 so that the pressure of the outer exhaust line 702 can be controlled.

In addition, the pumping unit 740 is configured to include a low pressure shut-off valve V5 , a main pumping valve V7 , a slow pumping valve V6 , and a vacuum pump 750 .

The low pressure shut-off valve V5 is installed on the vacuum pumping line 742 and is opened to form a low pressure in the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 . The main pumping valve V7 is installed on the main pumping line 744 connected to the vacuum pumping line 742 and controls the amount of pumping through the vacuum pumping line 742 . The slow pumping valve V6 is installed on the slow pumping line 746 parallel to the main pumping valve V7 and controls the amount of pumping through the slow pumping line 746 .

By the configuration of the pumping unit 740 described above, the pressure in the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 can be reduced by pumping through the slow pumping valve V6, and through the main pumping valve V7. It can then be depressurized again by pumping. The low pressure shut-off valve V5 maintains an open state while pumping is performed by the slow pumping valve V6 and the main pumping valve V7.

At this time, the slow pumping valve V6 can control the pumping amount until the pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 reaches, for example, 10 Torr, and the main pumping valve V7 is the inner tube ( 30), the pumping amount can be controlled until the reaction space 32 reaches a low pressure of 10 Torr or less.

In addition, the pumping applied to the vacuum pumping line 742 , the main pumping line 744 , and the slow pumping line 746 may depend on the pumping force of the vacuum pump 750 .

In addition, the first high pressure control valve (OCV), the second high pressure control valve (ICV), and the vacuum pump 750 may be connected to the scrubber 800 through the scrubber line 802 , and the scrubber 800 is the first high pressure configured to perform evacuation for the control valve (OCV), the second high pressure control valve (ICV) and the vacuum pump (750). The scrubber 800 may be included in the external exhaust device 793 .

The gas utility configured as described above can perform a pretreatment process in which the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 has a low pressure lower than the normal pressure, and also has a period of pressurizing the second internal pressure. Next, the process having a low pressure lower than the normal pressure may be performed again.

At this time, the gas utility operates the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 even when the second internal pressure PI of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is lower than the normal pressure or maintains the lowered state. The first internal pressure PO is adjusted to maintain the normal pressure, which is well illustrated in periods T1 to T2, T7 to T8 and T13 to T14 of FIG. 9 . To this end, the first high-pressure control unit 700 and the second high-pressure control unit 720 control the exhaust amount of each of the outer exhaust line and the inner exhaust line.

And, in the gas utility, when the second internal pressure PI of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is higher than the normal pressure, the first internal pressure PO of the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 is The second internal pressure P1 is adjusted to be maintained high with a certain difference, which is well illustrated in the periods T4 to T5 and T10 to T11 in FIG. 9 . In addition, periods T3, T9, and T15 illustrated in FIG. 9 exemplify a period in which the second internal pressure PI of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is restored to the normal pressure.

A method of controlling the pressure of the reaction space 32 and the protection space 22 for each period will be described with reference to FIG. 9 .

The period T1 and period T2 for the pretreatment are periods for preparing a leak check and pressurization process. For reference, the meaning of the term 'pressurization' used throughout the specification of the present invention refers to a case in which the pressure is increased larger than the previous step, and the term 'depressurization' is used in the opposite sense. Also, the meanings of the terms 'high pressure' and 'low pressure' refer to a pressure higher than the normal pressure and a pressure lower than the normal pressure, respectively, even if not otherwise described.

In the period T1 and period T2 , the second gas supply of the second gas supply unit 620 to the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 and the exhaust of the second high pressure control unit 720 are not performed. At this time, in order to maintain the atmospheric pressure with respect to the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 , the first gas supply of the first gas supply unit 600 and the exhaust of the first high pressure control unit 700 are performed. Then, in the period T1, the pumping unit 740 opens the low pressure shut-off valve V5, then closes the main pumping valve V7 and opens the slow pumping valve V6. That is, the slow pumping of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is performed. In the period T2, the pumping unit 740 keeps the low pressure shut-off valve V5 open, opens the main pumping valve V7, and closes the slow pumping valve V6. That is, the main pumping of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is performed.

The second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is reduced below the normal pressure by the slow pumping in the period T1, and the reduced state is maintained by the main pumping in the period T2.

When the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is sealed by the cap flange 70 and the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 has a low pressure during periods T1 and T2, the inner tube It can be checked whether a leak occurs in the reaction space 32 of (30).

And, the clamp module 300 in the state of FIG. 6 is shown by close contact between the cap flange 70 and the second lower flange 63 of the inner manifold 60 due to the low pressure in the reaction space 32 in the period T2. Clamping can be performed as in 5.

After performing the pre-treatment as described above, the gas utility may perform the process as in period T3 to period T7 of FIG. 9 . 9 exemplifies that the process is repeated twice, and since the processes of the period T3 to T7 are performed in the same manner in the period T9 to T13, a redundant description will be omitted. If the low pressure needs to be maintained even while the process is being repeated twice in succession, it may be carried out as shown in the T8 period.

The pumping of the pumping unit 740 to the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is stopped during the period T3 to T6.

In the period T3 , the first gas supply of the first gas supply unit 600 and the exhaust of the first high pressure control unit 700 are performed in order to maintain the normal pressure of the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 . In addition, the second gas supply unit 620 supplies the second gas to increase the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 to normal pressure, and the second high pressure control unit 720 performs exhaust. don't do In this case, the second gas supplied to the inner tube 30 may use hydrogen.

In the period T4, the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 and the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 have a first internal pressure and a second internal pressure higher than normal pressure, respectively, and the first internal pressure maintains a constant differential high pressure than the second internal pressure.

In the period T4 , in order for the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 to have a high pressure equal to or higher than normal pressure, the first gas supply of the first gas supply unit 600 and the exhaust of the first high pressure control unit 700 are performed, and the outer In order to pressurize the protective space 22 of the tube 20 , the first gas supply unit 600 supplies the first gas in excess of the exhaust amount. And, in order for the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 to have a high pressure equal to or higher than normal pressure, the second gas supply of the second gas supply unit 620 and the exhaust of the second high pressure control unit 720 are performed, and the inner tube ( In order to pressurize the reaction space 32 of 30 , the second gas supply unit 620 supplies the second gas in excess of the exhaust amount. In this case, the second gas supplied to the inner tube 30 may use hydrogen.

Thereafter, the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 and the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 maintain a high pressure with a constant difference between the first internal pressure and the second internal pressure. In order to maintain this high pressure difference, the first gas supply of the first gas supply unit 600 and the exhaust of the first high pressure control unit 700 are maintained, and the second gas supply and the second high pressure of the second gas supply unit 620 are maintained. Exhaust of the control unit 720 is maintained. At this time, the first gas supply and exhaust to the protective space 22 and the first gas supply and exhaust to the reaction space 32 are respectively controlled to maintain a high pressure.

Thereafter, in a period T5 , the exhaust of the first high-pressure control unit 700 to the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 and the second high-pressure control unit 720 to the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 are performed. Exhaust proceeds until the outer tube 20 and the inner tube 30 reach atmospheric pressure, respectively. In this case, the supply of the first gas of the first gas supply unit 600 and the supply of the second gas of the second gas supply unit 620 may be maintained in a small amount for purge or may be blocked.

Then, in a period T6 , the first gas supply of the first gas supply unit 600 and the exhaust of the first high pressure control unit 700 are performed to maintain the normal pressure with respect to the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 . . In addition, in order to maintain the atmospheric pressure in the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 , the second gas supply of the second gas supply unit 620 and the exhaust of the second high pressure control unit 720 are performed. At this time, the second gas supplied to the inner tube 30 may use nitrogen to dilute hydrogen.

After that, the period T7 maintains the normal pressure with respect to the protective space 22 of the outer tube 20 as in the period T1, slow pumping of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 is performed, and during the period T8 The low pressure is maintained. Since the period T7 operates in the same manner as the period T1, a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

In an embodiment of the present invention, pressurization and depressurization may be included in the period T3 to period T7 or period T9 to period T13 of FIG. 9 , that is, the transformation process may be performed.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the properties of the thin film can be improved by allowing the reaction space to have a high pressure and then to have a low pressure again before, during, or after the thin film is formed.

And, the embodiment of the present invention can make the second internal pressure of the reaction space 32 of the inner tube 30 have a low pressure lower than the normal pressure as in the period T14 for post-treatment after completing the above process, Post-treatment can be performed in a low pressure state.

In the post-processing period described above, the embodiment of the present invention may perform a leak check and release of clamping between the cap flange 70 and the inner manifold 60 .

According to the above-described embodiment, the present invention may implement a substrate processing apparatus that performs a pressure-reducing process after pressurizing in order to improve the properties of the thin film.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the inner tube and to prevent leakage, which may occur in the above-described transformation process, to secure the reliability of the substrate processing apparatus, and to improve process efficiency and process yield A variety of effects can be expected.

Claims (15)

an outer tube configured in a vertical cylindrical shape having a first dome-shaped ceiling, forming a protective space therein, and having a first inlet formed therein;
It is composed of a vertical cylinder having a second dome-shaped ceiling, a reaction space is formed therein, and a second inlet is formed at the lower portion, a part is accommodated in the outer tube, and a portion in which the second inlet is formed protrudes below the outer tube. old inner tube;
an outer manifold supporting a lower portion of the outer tube and forming a first inner space connected to the protective space; and
an inner manifold supporting a lower portion of the inner tube and forming a second inner space connected to the reaction space;
a cap flange sealing the lower portion of the inner manifold;
a thermocouple protection tube installed vertically in the reaction space of the inner tube, the lower part of which is drawn out through the inner manifold, and a thermocouple protection tube having a plurality of detection units configured to sense temperatures at different positions in the reaction space into which a plurality of thermocouples are inserted; and
The reaction space is divided into a ceiling area formed by the second dome-shaped ceiling and a reaction area under the ceiling area,
The thermocouple protection tube extends to the ceiling area and includes an extension tube at an upper portion bent,
The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection unit of at least one thermocouple is located in the extension tube. According to claim 1,
The extension tube is bent inwardly of the ceiling region. According to claim 1,
The extension tube is a substrate processing apparatus having a shape that is curved along the ceiling area. 4. The method of claim 3,
The extension tube has the same curvature as that of the second domed ceiling. 4. The method of claim 3,
The extension tube is formed to maintain a uniform distance from the second dome-shaped ceiling. According to claim 1,
The upper end of the extension tube is formed to be positioned at a height above the middle of the ceiling area. According to claim 1,
The upper end of the extension tube is formed to be positioned below the uppermost portion of the second dome-shaped ceiling. According to claim 1, wherein the thermocouple protection tube,
the extension tube at the top;
a vertical pipe under the extension pipe; and
a lower pipe formed by being bent from the vertical pipe and drawn out through the side wall of the inner manifold; and
The extension tube, the vertical tube, and the lower tube are integrally formed with the substrate processing apparatus. According to claim 1,
The thermocouple protection tube is formed of a quartz material, and the substrate processing apparatus forms a tube sealed with respect to the reaction space. upper extension tube;
a vertical pipe formed vertically in succession to the extension pipe;
a lower pipe continuous to the vertical pipe but bent so as to be easily withdrawn to the outside; and
A thermocouple protection tube of a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of thermocouples, wherein at least one of the plurality of thermocouples is present in the extension tube. 11. The method of claim 10,
The extension tube is bent in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lower tube is connected with respect to the vertical tube to have an inclination angle. 11. The method of claim 10,
The thermocouple protection tube of the substrate processing apparatus is bent in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lower tube is connected with respect to the vertical tube so that the extension tube has a curve. 13. The method of claim 12,
The extension tube is a thermocouple protection tube of a substrate processing apparatus that maintains a uniform curvature. 11. The method of claim 10,
The extension tube, the vertical tube, and the lower tube are integrally formed with a thermocouple protection tube of a substrate processing apparatus. 15. The method of claim 14,
The extension tube, the vertical tube, and the lower tube are formed of a quartz material thermocouple protection tube of the substrate processing apparatus.

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