KR20230101649A - Substrate processing apparatus with exhausting unit and substrate processing method with same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an exhaust unit capable of reducing the RPM recovery time of a vacuum pump accompanying a long-term high-pressure process, a substrate processing apparatus including the same, and a substrate processing method using the same, wherein the RPM of the vacuum pump is constant by the long-term high-pressure process A technology that can immediately perform subsequent processes even after a long-term high-pressure process by performing a vacuum pump RPM recovery process through an exhaust process by a sub-vacuum pump for a process chamber that has dropped below a value or whose remaining process time is less than a certain time. Initiate.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus including an exhaust unit and substrate processing method using the same

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus including an exhaust unit and a substrate processing method using the same.

In general, processes for manufacturing a semiconductor device include a deposition process for forming a film on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a substrate), a chemical/mechanical polishing process for planarizing the film, and a photoresist pattern for forming a photoresist pattern on the film. A photolithography process, an etching process for forming a film into a pattern having electrical characteristics using a photoresist pattern, an ion implantation process for implanting specific ions into a predetermined region of the substrate, and a cleaning process for removing impurities on the substrate process, and an inspection process for inspecting the surface of the substrate on which the film or pattern is formed.

In general, the processing space of the chamber must maintain a constant process atmosphere. Due to this, the process atmosphere is exhausted by the exhaust unit so that the preset pressure is maintained. The exhaust unit not only maintains a process atmosphere at a constant pressure, but also exhausts process by-products generated during substrate processing.

Patent Document 1 includes a first APC valve, a turbo molecular pump (TMP), a first shutoff valve, a dry pump, a second shutoff valve, and a second APC valve, and controls the process atmosphere at low pressure and high pressure. In the case of control, a configuration in which process atmospheres are exhausted through different exhaust lines is proposed by applying different valves and different APC controllers alternately.

According to the configuration presented in Patent Document 1, when a long-term high-pressure process is performed, the closed state of the first shut-off valve provided between the turbo molecular pump (TMP) and the dry pump is maintained for a long period of time, and thus the turbo molecular pump is operated. Since exhausting through the exhaust cannot be performed, the turbo molecular pump (TMP) switches to a no-load state and the RPM of the turbo pump drops. Since the turbo pump is used not only for the high-pressure process but also for the low-pressure process and the exhaust process, when the RPM of the turbo pump drops, the low-pressure process and the exhaust process cannot be performed until the RPM of the turbo pump is restored. In particular, as the high-pressure process holding time is long, it may take a long time to recover the dropped RPM of the turbo pump.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0020808 (2021.02.24.)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and provides a substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method capable of reducing the RPM recovery time of a turbo molecular pump.

The object of the present invention is not limited to the above, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the following description.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first exhaust line and a second exhaust line, one end of which is connected to the processing space; a first pressure control valve provided on the first exhaust line and regulating a pressure inside the processing space; a first vacuum pump provided below the first pressure control valve and evacuating the processing space; a second pressure control valve provided on the second exhaust line and regulating a pressure inside the processing space; a second vacuum pump connected to the other ends of the first exhaust line and the second exhaust line and exhausting the processing space; and a sub vacuum pump selectively connected to the first vacuum pump to exhaust the processing space.

In one embodiment, the sub vacuum pump may be connected to the first exhaust line through a sub line, and a sub valve may be provided on the sub line.

In one embodiment, the sub vacuum pump may selectively exhaust the processing space in response to opening and closing of the sub valve.

In one embodiment, the first exhaust line includes a first valve provided between the first vacuum pump and the second vacuum pump, and the second exhaust line includes the second pressure control valve and the second vacuum pump. A second valve provided between the pumps may be included.

In one embodiment, when a low-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a low pressure is performed, the first pressure control valve and the first valve are opened and the second pressure control valve and the second valve are closed to enter the processing space. When performing a high-pressure process of controlling a pressure by the first pressure control valve, exhausting the processing space through the first exhaust line, and controlling the processing space to a high pressure, the first pressure control valve and the first pressure control valve Close valve 1 and open the second pressure control valve and the second valve to control the pressure in the processing space by the second pressure control valve, and exhaust the processing space through the second exhaust line. .

In one embodiment, when performing the high-pressure process, when the remaining process time reaches a preset limit value or the RPM of the first vacuum pump drops to a preset limit value, the sub valve is opened to open the sub line Through this, the processing space may be exhausted.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, one or more processing units having a processing space therein and processing a substrate in the processing space; and one or more exhaust units connected to the process unit one-to-one, wherein the exhaust unit includes: a first exhaust line and a second exhaust line, one end of which is connected to the processing space; a first pressure control valve provided on the first exhaust line and regulating a vacuum state inside the processing space; a second pressure control valve provided on the second exhaust line and regulating a vacuum state inside the processing space; a first vacuum pump provided below the first pressure control valve and evacuating the processing space to maintain a vacuum state in the processing space; and a second vacuum pump connected to the other ends of the first exhaust line and the second exhaust line and evacuating the processing space, wherein at least one sub-line having one end connected to the first exhaust line and the other end of the sub-line A substrate processing apparatus further including a sub vacuum pump connected to may be provided.

In one embodiment, a sub-valve is provided on each of the sub-lines, and the sub-vacuum pump can selectively exhaust the processing space according to opening/closing of the sub-valve.

In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a valve controller controlling opening and closing of each of the sub-valves.

In one embodiment, the valve controller is connected to a process unit in which the remaining process time reaches a predetermined limit value or the RPM of the first vacuum pump drops below a predetermined limit value while a high pressure process is performed among the process units. The sub-valve can be opened.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a gas supply step of supplying a processing gas to the processing space; a low-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a low pressure while exhausting the processing space through a first vacuum pump and a second vacuum pump; and a high-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a high pressure while exhausting the processing space through the second vacuum pump. The high-pressure process may optionally include a recovery step of restoring the RPM of the first vacuum pump.

In one embodiment, the high-pressure process may further include measuring an RPM of the first vacuum pump and checking a remaining process time.

In one embodiment, in the high-pressure process, when the measured RPM of the first vacuum pump drops below a preset limit value or when the confirmed remaining process time reaches a preset limit value, the recovery step can be done

In one embodiment, in the recovery step, the processing space may be exhausted through a sub vacuum pump connected to the first vacuum pump until RPM of the first vacuum pump is restored to a set value.

According to the present invention, the RPM recovery process of the turbo molecular pump accompanying the long-term high-pressure process can be performed during the high-pressure process by performing the exhaust process by selectively connecting the turbo molecular pump connected to the processing space to the sub-dry pump during the high-pressure process. can Accordingly, it is possible to improve the unit per equipment hour (UPEH) of the facility by enabling subsequent processes to be performed without recovery time even after a long-term high-pressure process.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a process unit to which the present invention is applied.
2 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a process unit to which the present invention is applied.
3 is a view for explaining an exhaust unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating an operation example of the exhaust unit of FIG. 3 .
6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which an exhaust unit according to the present invention is applied to a plurality of process units.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted, and parts with similar functions and actions will be omitted. The same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings.

Since at least some of the terms used in the specification are defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, they may vary according to user, operator intention, custom, and the like. Therefore, the term should be interpreted based on the contents throughout the specification.

Also, in this specification, the singular form also includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the phrase. In the specification, when it is said to include a certain component, this means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated. And, when a part is said to be connected (or combined) with another part, this is not only directly connected (or combined), but also indirectly connected (or combined) through another part. include

On the other hand, in the drawing, the size or shape of the component, the thickness of the line, etc. may be expressed somewhat exaggerated for convenience of understanding.

Embodiments of the invention are described with reference to schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, variations from the shape of the illustration, eg, variations in manufacturing method and/or tolerances, are fully expected. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are not to be described as being limited to specific shapes of regions illustrated as diagrams, but to include variations in shape, and elements described in the figures are purely schematic and their shapes are elements. It is not intended to describe the exact shape of them, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on" or "on" another element or layer, it is not only directly on the other element or layer, but also when another layer or other element is intervening therebetween. All inclusive. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly on” or “directly on”, it indicates that another element or layer is not intervened.

The spatially relative terms "below", "beneath", "lower", "above", "upper", etc. It can be used to easily describe the correlation between elements or components and other elements or components. Spatially relative terms should be understood as encompassing different orientations of elements in use or operation in addition to the orientations shown in the figures. For example, when flipping elements shown in the figures, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements may be placed “above” the other elements. Thus, the exemplary term “below” may include directions of both below and above. Elements may also be oriented in other orientations, and thus spatially relative terms may be interpreted according to orientation.

Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements, components and/or sections, it is needless to say that these elements, components and/or sections are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component or section from another element, component or section. Accordingly, it goes without saying that the first element, first element, or first section referred to below may also be a second element, second element, or second section within the spirit of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components regardless of reference numerals are given the same reference numerals, Description will be omitted.

A substrate processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied may include one or more process units. In this specification, a process unit to which the present invention is applied is described as an example of a plasma processing apparatus, but the present invention can be applied to a process unit involving low-pressure control and high-pressure control of a processing space as well as a plasma processing apparatus.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a process unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the process unit 100 includes a chamber 110, a substrate support unit 120, a plasma generating unit 130, a shower head unit 140, and a first gas supply unit 150. , a second gas supply unit 160, a wall liner unit 170, a baffle unit 180, an upper module 190, and an exhaust unit 200.

The process unit 100 is a system that processes a substrate W (eg, a wafer) by using an etching process (eg, a dry etching process) in a vacuum environment. The process unit 100 may process the substrate W using, for example, a plasma process.

The chamber 110 provides a processing space in which a plasma process is performed. An exhaust hole 111 may be formed in the lower portion of the chamber 110 .

The exhaust hole 111 may be connected to the exhaust unit 200 . The exhaust hole 111 may discharge reaction by-products generated during the plasma process and gas remaining inside the chamber 110 to the outside of the chamber 110 through the exhaust unit 200 . The internal space of the chamber 110 may be reduced to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust unit 200 .

The chamber 110 may have an opening 114 formed in its sidewall. The opening 114 may function as a passage through which the substrate W enters and exits the chamber 110 . The opening 114 may be configured to be opened and closed by the door assembly 115 .

The door assembly 115 may include an outer door 115a and a door driver 115b. The outer door 115a is provided on the outer wall of the chamber 110 . The outer door 115a may be moved in a vertical direction (ie, in the third direction 30) through the door driver 115b. The door actuator 115b may operate using a motor, hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, or the like.

The substrate support unit 120 is installed in the inner lower region of the chamber 110 . The substrate support unit 120 may support the substrate W using electrostatic force. However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto. The substrate support unit 120 may support the substrate W in various ways such as mechanical clamping or vacuum.

The substrate support unit 120 is an electro-static chuck (ESC) including a base component 121 and a chucking component 122 when supporting the substrate W by using electrostatic force. can be implemented as

The base member 121 supports the chucking member. The base member 121 may be made of, for example, an aluminum component and provided as an aluminum base plate.

The chucking member 122 supports the substrate W to be placed thereon using electrostatic force. The chucking member 122 may be made of a ceramic component and provided as a ceramic plate or a ceramic puck, and is coupled to the base member 121 to be fixed on the base member 121 It can be.

A bonding layer 213 may be formed between the base member 121 and the chucking member 122 formed thereon.

The ring assembly 123 may be disposed on an edge area of the substrate support unit 120 . The ring assembly 123 may be provided in a ring shape and configured to support the edge area of the substrate (W). The ring assembly 123 may control the electric field so that the plasma density is uniformly distributed over the entire area of the substrate W. As a result, plasma is uniformly formed over the entire area of the substrate (W), so that each area of the substrate (W) can be uniformly etched.

The ring assembly 123 may include a focus ring 123a and an insulating ring 123b.

The focus ring 123a is formed inside the insulating ring 123b and surrounds the chucking member 122 . The focus ring 123a may be made of silicon and may focus plasma onto the substrate W.

The insulating ring 123b is formed outside the focus ring 123a and is provided to surround the focus ring 123a. The insulating ring 123b may be made of a quartz material.

Meanwhile, the ring assembly 123 may further include an edge ring (not shown) formed in close contact with the edge of the focus ring 123a. The edge ring may be formed to prevent the side surface of the chucking member 122 from being damaged by plasma.

The first gas supply unit 150 may supply heat transfer gas to the lower surface of the substrate W. The heat transfer gas serves as a medium to help heat exchange between the substrate W and the electrostatic chuck. The entire temperature of the substrate W may be made uniform by the heat transfer gas. The heat transfer gas contains an inert gas. For example, the heat transfer gas may include helium (He) gas. The first gas supply unit 150 may include a first gas supply source 151 and a first gas supply line 152 .

The first gas supply source 151 may supply He gas as the first gas. The first gas from the first gas supply source 151 may be supplied to the lower surface of the substrate W through the first gas supply line 152 .

The heating member 124 and the cooling member 125 are provided to maintain the process temperature of the substrate W when an etching process is progressing inside the chamber 110 . The heating member 124 may be provided as a heating wire for this purpose, and the cooling member 125 may be provided as a cooling line through which a refrigerant flows.

The heating member 124 and the cooling member 125 may be installed inside the electrostatic chuck to maintain the substrate W at a process temperature. For example, the heating member 124 may be installed inside the chucking member 122 and the cooling member 125 may be installed inside the base member 121 .

Meanwhile, the cooling member 125 may receive a refrigerant using a chiller 126 . The cooling device 126 may be installed outside the chamber 110 .

The plasma generating unit 130 generates plasma from gas remaining in the discharge space. Here, the discharge space means a space located above the electrostatic chuck among the internal spaces of the chamber 110 .

The plasma generating unit 130 may generate plasma in a discharge space inside the chamber 110 using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. In this case, the plasma generating unit 130 may use an antenna unit 193 installed on the upper module 190 as an upper electrode and an electrostatic chuck as a lower electrode.

However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto. The plasma generating unit 130 may also generate plasma in a discharge space inside the chamber 110 using a Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP) source. In this case, the plasma generating unit 130 may use the shower head unit 140 as an upper electrode and an electrostatic chuck as a lower electrode, as shown in FIG. 2 . 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a process unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

It will be described with reference to FIG. 1 again.

The plasma generating unit 130 may include an upper electrode, a lower electrode, an upper power source 131 and a lower power source 133 .

The upper power source 131 applies power to the upper electrode, that is, the antenna unit 193. Such an upper power source 131 may be provided to control the characteristics of plasma. The top power source 131 may be provided to adjust ion bombardment energy, for example.

Although a single upper power source 131 is shown in FIG. 1 , it is also possible to include a plurality of upper power sources 131 in this embodiment. When a plurality of upper power sources 131 are provided, the process unit 100 may further include a first matching network (not shown) electrically connected to the plurality of upper power sources.

The first matching network may match frequency powers of different sizes input from each upper power source and apply the matching frequency powers to the antenna unit 193 .

Meanwhile, a first impedance matching circuit (not shown) may be provided on the first transmission line 132 connecting the upper power source 131 and the antenna unit 193 for the purpose of impedance matching.

The first impedance matching circuit may act as a lossless passive circuit to effectively (ie, maximally) transfer electrical energy from the upper power source 131 to the antenna unit 193 .

The lower power source 133 applies power to the lower electrode, that is, the electrostatic chuck. The lower power source 133 may serve as a plasma source for generating plasma or may serve to control characteristics of plasma together with the upper power source 131 .

Although a single lower power supply 133 is shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of lower power sources 133 may be provided in this embodiment as in the case of the upper power supply 131 . When a plurality of lower power sources 133 are provided, a second matching network (not shown) electrically connected to the plurality of lower power sources may be further included.

The second matching network may match frequency powers of different magnitudes input from each lower power source and apply the matched frequency powers to the electrostatic chuck.

Meanwhile, a second impedance matching circuit (not shown) may be provided on the second transmission line 134 connecting the lower power source 133 and the electrostatic chuck for the purpose of impedance matching.

Like the first impedance matching circuit, the second impedance matching circuit can act as a lossless passive circuit to effectively (ie, maximally) transfer electrical energy from the lower power source 133 to the electrostatic chuck.

The shower head unit 140 may be vertically opposed to the electrostatic chuck inside the chamber 110 . The shower head unit 140 may include a plurality of gas feeding holes 141 to inject gas into the chamber 110 and may have a larger diameter than the electrostatic chuck. there is.

Meanwhile, the shower head unit 140 may be made of a silicon component, or may be made of a metal component.

The second gas supply unit 160 supplies process gas (second gas) into the chamber 110 through the shower head unit 140 . The second gas supply unit 160 may include a second gas supply source 161 and a second gas supply line 162 .

The second gas supply source 161 supplies an etching gas used to process the substrate W as a process gas. The second gas supply source 161 may supply a gas containing a fluorine component (eg, a gas such as SF6 or CF4) as an etching gas.

A single second gas supply source 161 may be provided to supply etching gas to the shower head unit 140 . However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto. A plurality of second gas supply sources 161 may be provided to supply process gas to the shower head unit 140 .

The second gas supply line 162 connects the second gas supply source 161 and the shower head unit 140 . The second gas supply line 162 transfers the process gas supplied through the second gas supply source 161 to the shower head unit 140 so that the etching gas can flow into the chamber 110 .

Meanwhile, when the shower head unit 140 is divided into a center zone, a middle zone, and an edge zone, the second gas supply unit 160 is the shower head unit 140 A gas distributor (not shown) and a gas distribution line (not shown) may be further included in order to supply process gas to each region.

The gas distributor distributes the process gas supplied from the second gas supply source 161 to each area of the shower head unit 140 . This gas distributor may be connected to the second gas supply source 161 through the second gas supply line 161 .

The gas distribution line connects the gas distributor and each area of the shower head unit 140 . Through the gas distribution line, process gas distributed by the gas distributor may be transferred to each area of the shower head unit 140 .

Meanwhile, the second gas supply unit 160 may further include a third gas supply source (not shown) for supplying deposition gas.

The third gas supply source is supplied to the shower head unit 140 to protect the side surface of the substrate W pattern and enable anisotropic etching. The second gas supply source may supply a gas such as C4F8 or C2F4 as a deposition gas.

The wall liner unit 170 protects the inner surface of the chamber 110 from arc discharge generated during process gas excitation and impurities generated during a substrate processing process. The wall liner unit 170 may be provided inside the chamber 110 in a cylindrical shape with upper and lower portions open. Optionally, the wall liner unit 170 may not be provided.

The wall liner unit 170 may be provided adjacent to the inner wall of the chamber 110 . The wall liner unit 170 may have a support ring 171 thereon. The support ring 171 protrudes from the top of the wall liner unit 170 in an outward direction (ie, in the first direction 10) and is placed on the top of the chamber 110 to support the wall liner unit 170. there is.

The baffle unit 180 serves to exhaust plasma process by-products, unreacted gases, and the like. The baffle unit 180 may be installed between the inner wall of the chamber 110 and the electrostatic chuck. The baffle unit 180 may be provided in an annular ring shape and may include a plurality of through holes penetrating in a vertical direction (ie, in the third direction 30 ). The baffle unit 180 may control the flow of process gas according to the number and shape of through holes.

The upper module 190 is installed to cover the open top of the chamber 110 . This upper module 190 may include a window member 191, an antenna member 192 and an antenna unit 193.

The window member 191 is formed to cover the top of the chamber 110 to seal the internal space of the chamber 110 . The window member 191 may be provided in a plate (eg, disk) shape, and may be formed of an insulating material (eg, alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ )).

The window member 191 may include a dielectric window. The window member 191 may have a through hole through which the second gas supply line 162 is inserted, and a surface thereof to suppress generation of particles when a plasma process is performed inside the chamber 110. A coating film may be formed on.

The antenna member 192 is installed above the window member 191, and a space of a predetermined size may be provided so that the antenna unit 193 can be disposed therein.

The antenna member 192 may be formed in a cylindrical shape with an open bottom and may have a diameter corresponding to that of the chamber 110 . The antenna member 192 may be detachably attached to the window member 191 .

The antenna unit 193 functions as an upper electrode and is equipped with a coil provided to form a closed loop. The antenna unit 193 generates a magnetic field and an electric field inside the chamber 110 based on the power supplied from the upper power source 131, so that the energy introduced into the chamber 110 through the shower head unit 140 It functions to excite gas into plasma.

The antenna unit 193 may be equipped with a planar spiral coil. However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto. The structure or size of the coil may be variously changed by those skilled in the art.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the exhaust unit 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2 .

The exhaust unit 200 includes a first pressure control valve 201, a first exhaust line 202, a second pressure control valve 203, a second exhaust line 204, a turbo molecular pump (TMP), 210), a dry pump 220, and a sub dry pump 230.

The first exhaust line 202 has one end connected to the exhaust hole 111 of the chamber 110 and the other end connected to the dry pump 220 . A first pressure control valve 201 , a turbo molecular pump 210 , and a first valve 222 may be sequentially disposed on the first exhaust line 202 . Hereinafter, a path in which the first pressure control valve 201, the turbo molecular pump 210, the first valve 222, and the dry pump 220 are disposed on the first exhaust line 202 is referred to as a 'first exhaust path'. It is said.

The first pressure control valve 201 may be provided as an Adaptive Pressure Control (APC) valve. The first pressure control valve 201 communicates with the first exhaust line 202 and can control the pressure in the chamber 110 by adjusting the opening of the first exhaust line 202 by controlling the opening of the valve body. there is.

The turbo molecular pump 210 is a vacuum pump that exhausts gas or the like in the chamber 110 at high speed. The turbo molecular pump 210 is provided below the first pressure control valve 201 and is an example of a first vacuum pump. The first vacuum pump may be at least one of a turbo molecular pump, a mechanical booster pump, and a cryopuimp.

The first valve 222 may be disposed between the turbo molecular pump 210 and the dry pump 220 on the first exhaust line 202 . The first valve 222 is an example of a valve capable of fully opening or fully closing the first exhaust line 202 . The first valve 222 may be an example of an on-off valve. The first valve 222 may be a foreline valve.

The second exhaust line 204 has one end connected to the exhaust hole 111 of the chamber 110 and the other end connected to the dry pump 220 . A second pressure control valve 203 , a second valve 224 , and a dry pump 220 may be sequentially disposed on the second exhaust line 204 . Hereinafter, a path in which the second pressure control valve 203, the second valve 224, and the dry pump 220 are disposed on the second exhaust line 204 is referred to as a 'second exhaust path'.

A cross-sectional area of the second exhaust line 204 may be smaller than that of the first exhaust line 202 . The second exhaust line 204 may be branched from the first exhaust line 202 without being directly connected to the exhaust hole 111 of the chamber 110 .

The second pressure control valve 203 may serve as a throttle valve. The second pressure control valve 203 communicates with the second exhaust line 204 and can control the pressure in the chamber 110 by adjusting the opening of the second exhaust line 204 by controlling the opening of the valve body. there is.

The second valve 224 may be disposed between the second pressure control valve 203 and the dry pump 220 on the second exhaust line 204 . The second valve 224 is an example of a valve capable of fully opening or fully closing the second exhaust line 204 . The second valve 224 may be an example of an on-off valve. The second valve 224 may be a roughing valve.

The dry pump 220 may be connected to the other end of the first exhaust line 202 and connected to the other end of the second exhaust line 204 . The dry pump 220 is a vacuum pump that exhausts gas or the like in the chamber 110 . The dry pump 220 is an example of the second vacuum pump. The second vacuum pump may be a dry pump, a mechanical booster pump, or the like.

The sub dry pump 230 is connected to the first exhaust line 202 through a sub line 231 . The sub line 231 may be connected to the first exhaust line 202 between the turbo molecular pump 210 and the first valve 222 . The sub dry pump 230 is a vacuum pump that exhausts gas or the like from the chamber 110 . The sub dry pump 230 is an example of a sub vacuum pump. The sub vacuum pump may be a dry pump, a mechanical booster pump, or the like.

A sub valve 232 is provided on the sub line 231 . The sub valve 232 may be disposed between the first exhaust line 202 and the sub dry pump 230 . The sub valve 232 is an example of a valve capable of fully opening or fully closing the sub line 231 . The sub-valve 232 may be an example of an on-off valve.

The sub dry pump 230 may selectively exhaust the processing space in response to the opening and closing of the sub valve 232 . When the sub valve 232 is opened, the sub dry pump 230 may exhaust gas in the chamber 110 . Opening and closing of the sub valve 232 may be controlled by a control unit.

Hereinafter, a route in which the first pressure control valve 201 on the first exhaust line 202, the turbo molecular pump 210, the sub valve 232 of the sub line 231, and the sub dry pump 230 are disposed is described. It is called the 'third exhaust path'.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 , detailed operations of the above-described exhaust unit 200 during the low-pressure process and the high-pressure process will be described respectively. 4 shows the exhaust unit 200 during a low-pressure process, and FIG. 5 shows the exhaust unit 200 during a high-pressure process.

[low pressure process]

In the case of performing the low-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a low pressure, first, as shown in FIG. 5, the first pressure control valve 201 and the first valve 222 of the first exhaust line 202 are closed, and 2 The pressure control valve 203 and the second valve 224 can be opened. In this state, the dry pump 220 exhausts the gas in the chamber 110 through the second exhaust line 204 to depressurize the process space from atmospheric pressure to a medium vacuum state (pre-depressurization). Meanwhile, prior depressurization is not necessarily necessary in the low-pressure process, and, for example, when the treatment space is already in a medium vacuum state at the start of the low-pressure process, prior decompression may be omitted.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first pressure control valve 201 and the first valve 222 on the first exhaust line 202 are opened and the second pressure control valve on the second exhaust line 204 is opened. 203 and the second valve 224 are closed. In this state, the turbo molecular pump 210 together with the dry pump 220 exhausts the gas in the chamber 110 through the first exhaust line 202 (along the first exhaust path), leaving the processing space in a medium vacuum state. It can be reduced to a high vacuum state with a lower pressure. In this state, by controlling the degree of opening of the first pressure control valve 201, the inside of the chamber 10 can be controlled to a low pressure of 800 mTorr or less.

The low-pressure process may be performed when etching, coating, and the like are performed in the processing space. In the low-pressure process, the pressure in the processing space is controlled to 800 mTorr or less, more preferably in the range of 10 mTorr to 800 mTorr (1.33 Pa to 107 Pa).

[High pressure process]

Meanwhile, the high-pressure process may be performed when an ashing process, a cleaning process, or the like is performed in the processing space. When performing a high-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a high pressure, as shown in FIG. 5 , the first pressure control valve 201 and the first valve 222 of the first exhaust line 202 are closed, and 2 Open the pressure control valve 203 and the second valve 224. In this state, the dry pump 220 exhausts the gas in the chamber 110 through the second exhaust line 204 (along the second exhaust path). At this time, by controlling the opening of the second pressure control valve 203, the processing space can be controlled to a high pressure higher than 800 mTorr. In the high-pressure process, the pressure in the chamber 110 is controlled to 800 mTorr or more, more preferably in the range of 1 Torr to 100 Torr (133 Pa to 13300 Pa).

Meanwhile, when the high-pressure process is performed for a long time, the turbo molecular pump 210 is switched to a no-load state by closing the first valve 222 and the RPM of the turbo molecular pump 210 is lowered. When the RPM of the turbo molecular pump 210 drops, subsequent processes cannot be performed until the RPM dropped turbo molecular pump 210 is restored, resulting in a decrease in throughput.

[Recovery process]

In order to prevent the above-described problem, while performing the high pressure process, the sub valve 232 is opened so that the sub dry pump 230 passes through the sub line 231 (along the third exhaust path) into the chamber 110. The RPM of the turbo molecular pump 210 can be recovered by exhausting gas or the like. For example, when the remaining process time of the high-pressure process reaches a preset limit value or the RPM of the turbo molecular pump 210 drops below the preset limit value, the sub valve 232 is opened to perform a recovery process. can The recovery process may be performed until the RPM of the turbo molecular pump 210 has a value greater than or equal to the set value γ. The limit value of the remaining process time, the RPM limit value of the turbo molecular pump 210, and the set value γ may be input to the valve controller 240 in advance.

As the RPM recovery process for the turbo molecular pump 210 is performed before the high-pressure process is completed by the sub-dry pump 230, subsequent processes can be immediately performed even after the long-term high-pressure process is performed. Accordingly, it is possible to improve Unit per Equipment Hour (UPEH) of equipment by solving the problem of lowering conventional throughput.

Next, an embodiment in which a plurality of process units are provided will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . As a plurality of process units are provided, the configuration of the exhaust unit may be partially different from that of the exhaust unit 200 shown in FIG. 3 . For convenience of description, a description of the same configuration as that of the exhaust unit 200 shown in FIG. 3 will be omitted.

When a plurality of process units are provided, the first exhaust lines 202 connected to each process chamber in a one-to-one correspondence may be connected to one sub dry pump 230 . Each of the first exhaust lines 202 is connected to the sub dry pump 230 through each sub line 231, and sub valves 232 may be provided on each sub line 231, respectively. The sub dry pump 230 may selectively exhaust the processing space in response to the opening and closing of each sub valve 232 connected to each process unit. The sub dry pump 230 may exhaust the chamber 110 to which the opened sub valve 232 is connected. The number of opened sub-valves may be one or plural. In some cases, all sub-valves may be closed. For example, when a first sub-valve and a third sub-valve among a plurality of sub-valves are opened, the sub-dry pump 230 may exhaust gas in the first processing chamber and the third processing chamber.

When a plurality of process units are provided, a valve controller 240 may be provided to control the opening and closing of the sub-valves 232 provided in the same number as the number of process units. Among the process units in which the high-pressure process is performed, the valve controller 240 selects a process unit in which the remaining process time reaches a preset limit value or the RPM of the turbo molecular pump 210 drops below a preset limit value as a recovery target. and open the sub-valve connected to the recovery target process unit. As the sub-valve is opened, gas in the chamber of the corresponding process unit is exhausted by the sub-dry pump 230, so that the RPM recovery process for the turbo molecular pump can be performed.

The band controller 240 identifies a turbo molecular pump that requires recovery by monitoring turbo molecular pumps connected to a plurality of process units in a one-to-one correspondence manner, prioritizes them in the order in which subsequent processes are imminent and the degree of RPM drop is significant, and prioritizes them. It may be configured to perform a recovery process by sequentially opening sub-valves for corresponding turbo molecular pumps according to the rank.

7 shows an embodiment of a substrate processing method by the substrate processing apparatus described above. A substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gas supply step ( S2 ), a low pressure process, and a high pressure process. The low pressure process may include a low pressure control step (S4), and the high pressure process may include a high pressure control step (S5) and a recovery step (S6). The recovery step (S6) is optionally included in the high-pressure process, and the high-pressure process further includes measuring the RPM of the turbo molecular pump provided to the first vacuum pump (S53) and checking the remaining process time (S54). can do.

When this process starts, the substrate is carried into the process space and placed on the substrate support unit 120 (S1). A processing space into which substrates are loaded may be in a state in which a high vacuum atmosphere is formed. When the transport of the substrate into the processing space is completed, the processing space is sealed, and a process gas for substrate processing may be supplied into the sealed processing space (S2).

Subsequently, a process selector step S3 of selecting a process to be performed on the substrate according to the process recipe may be performed. In the process selection step ( S3 ), a low-pressure process or a high-pressure process may be selected as a process to be performed on the substrate. For example, a low-pressure process may be selected when the treatment to be performed on the substrate is an etching treatment, an application treatment, or the like. A high-pressure process may be selected when the treatment to be performed on the substrate is an ashing treatment, a cleaning treatment, or the like.

If the low-pressure process is selected, low-pressure control for the processing space is performed (S4). In the low pressure control step ( S4 ), the first pressure control valve 201 and the first valve 222 may be opened, and the second pressure control valve 203 and the second valve 224 may be closed. In this state, the turbo molecular pump (first vacuum pump, 210) together with the dry pump (second vacuum pump, 220) exhausts the processing space through the first exhaust line 202 (along the first exhaust path), By controlling the opening of the first pressure control valve 201, the processing space can be controlled to a low pressure of 800 mTorr or less. On the other hand, when the atmosphere of the processing space before starting the low pressure control is at atmospheric pressure or in a low vacuum state, the first pressure control valve 201 and the first valve 222 of the first exhaust line 202 are closed, The second pressure control valve 203 and the second valve 224 may be opened. In this state, the dry pump 220 exhausts gas in the chamber 110 through the second exhaust line 204 to reduce the processing space from atmospheric pressure to a medium vacuum state, and then performs a low pressure control (S4). can be carried out. When the formation of the low-pressure atmosphere in the processing space is completed by the low-pressure control step (S4), the substrate may be processed according to the recipe (S41).

When the substrate treatment (S41) in the low-pressure atmosphere is completed, a step (S42) of determining the presence or absence of the next process according to the recipe may be performed. If there is no subsequent process, the step of unloading the substrate W from the processing space (S7) may be performed and the processing may be terminated. The substrate W carried out from the processing space may be transported to another processing unit or transported out of the substrate processing apparatus. If there is a subsequent process, returning to the process selection step (S3), the subsequent process for the substrate W may be executed.

If the high-pressure process is selected, high-pressure control of the processing space may be performed (S5). In the high pressure control step ( S5 ), the first pressure control valve 201 and the first valve 222 may be closed, and the second pressure control valve 203 and the second valve 224 may be opened. In this state, the dry pump (second vacuum pump, 220) exhausts the gas in the chamber 110 through the second exhaust line 204 (along the second exhaust path), and the second pressure control valve 203 By controlling the degree of opening of the processing space, the high pressure can be controlled to a pressure higher than 800 mTorr. When the formation of the high-pressure atmosphere in the processing space is completed by the high-pressure control step (S5), the substrate may be processed according to the recipe (S51).

While the substrate treatment (S51) in a high-pressure atmosphere is being performed, a step (S52) of determining the presence or absence of a next process according to a recipe may be performed. If there is no subsequent process, the step of unloading the substrate W from the processing space (S7) may be performed and the processing may be terminated. The substrate W carried out from the processing space may be transported to another processing unit or transported out of the substrate processing apparatus.

If there is a subsequent process in the high-pressure process, the step of measuring the RPM of the turbo molecular pump (S53) may be performed. When the measured RPM of the turbo molecular pump is less than or equal to the preset limit value (min(α)), the corresponding turbo molecular pump is selected as a recovery target, and a recovery step (S6) may be performed.

When the measured RPM of the turbo molecular pump does not reach the predetermined limit value (min(α)), a step of checking the remaining process time (S54) may be performed. When the checked remaining process time reaches the predetermined limit value (min(β)), the corresponding turbo molecular pump is selected as a recovery target, and a recovery step (S6) may be performed.

The order of measuring the RPM of the turbo molecular pump (S53) and checking the remaining processing time (S54) may be interchanged.

The recovery step (S6) may include a sub-valve opening step (S61), a step of measuring the RPM of the turbo molecular pump with the sub-valve open (S62), and a sub-valve closing step (S63). The opening and closing of the sub-valve is controlled by the valve controller 240, and the valve controller 240 may open the sub-valves connected to the turbo molecular pump to be recovered according to priority.

As the sub-valve is opened, the processing space connected to the turbo-molecular pump to be recovered is exhausted through the sub-dry pump, and thus the RPM of the turbo-molecular pump is restored. The open state of the sub-valve may be performed until the RPM of the turbo molecular pump to be restored has a value greater than or equal to the set value γ. The set value γ may be input to the valve controller 240 in advance. When the RPM of the turbo molecular pump has a value greater than or equal to the set value γ, the valve controller 240 may close the sub-valve connected to the turbo molecular pump (S63).

When the recovery step S6 is ended by completing the sub-valve closing step S63, the process selection step S3 may be returned to perform a subsequent process on the substrate W.

Although the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited by the disclosed embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and may be variously modified by a person skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. In addition, the technical ideas described in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented independently, or two or more may be combined with each other.

201: first pressure control valve
202: first exhaust line
203: second pressure control valve
204: second exhaust line
210: first vacuum pump (turbo molecular pump)
220: second vacuum pump (dry pump)
222: first valve
224: second valve
230: sub vacuum pump (sub dry pump)
231: sub line
232: sub valve
240: valve controller

Claims (14)

a first exhaust line and a second exhaust line, one end of which is connected to the processing space;
a first pressure control valve provided on the first exhaust line and regulating a pressure inside the processing space;
a first vacuum pump provided below the first pressure control valve and evacuating the processing space;
a second pressure control valve provided on the second exhaust line and regulating a pressure inside the processing space;
a second vacuum pump connected to the other ends of the first exhaust line and the second exhaust line and exhausting the processing space;
and a sub vacuum pump selectively connected to the first vacuum pump to exhaust the processing space.
According to claim 1,
The sub vacuum pump is connected to the first exhaust line through a sub line;
An exhaust unit provided with a sub valve on the sub line.
According to claim 2,
The sub vacuum pump selectively exhausts the processing space in response to opening and closing of the sub valve.
According to claim 3,
the first exhaust line includes a first valve provided between the first vacuum pump and the second vacuum pump;
The second exhaust line includes a second valve provided between the second pressure control valve and the second vacuum pump.
According to claim 4,
In the case of performing a low-pressure process of controlling the processing space at a low pressure,
The first pressure control valve and the first valve are opened and the second pressure control valve and the second valve are closed to control the pressure in the processing space by the first pressure control valve, and through the first exhaust line. exhausting the processing space;
In the case of performing a high-pressure process of controlling the processing space at high pressure,
The first pressure control valve and the first valve are closed and the second pressure control valve and the second valve are opened to control the pressure in the processing space by the second pressure control valve, and through the second exhaust line. An exhaust unit for exhausting the processing space.
According to claim 5,
When performing the high-pressure process,
When the remaining process time reaches a preset limit value or the RPM of the first vacuum pump drops to a preset limit value,
An exhaust unit that opens the sub valve to exhaust the processing space through the sub line.
one or more processing units having a processing space therein and processing substrates within the processing space; and
Including one or more exhaust units connected one-to-one with the process unit,
The exhaust unit,
a first exhaust line and a second exhaust line, one end of which is connected to the processing space;
a first pressure control valve provided on the first exhaust line and regulating a vacuum state inside the processing space;
a second pressure control valve provided on the second exhaust line and regulating a vacuum state inside the processing space;
a first vacuum pump provided below the first pressure control valve and evacuating the processing space to maintain a vacuum state in the processing space; and
A second vacuum pump connected to the other ends of the first exhaust line and the second exhaust line and exhausting the processing space;
The substrate processing apparatus further includes at least one sub-line having one end connected to the first exhaust line and a sub-vacuum pump connected to the other end of the sub-line.
According to claim 7,
A sub valve is provided on each of the sub lines,
The sub vacuum pump selectively exhausts the processing space according to opening and closing of the sub valve.
According to claim 8,
A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a valve controller controlling opening and closing of each of the sub-valves.
According to claim 9,
The valve controller,
A substrate processing apparatus that opens a sub-valve connected to a process unit in which a high-pressure process is performed in the process unit, and the remaining process time reaches a preset limit value or the RPM of the first vacuum pump drops below the preset limit value.
a gas supply step of supplying a processing gas into the processing space;
a low-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a low pressure while exhausting the processing space through a first vacuum pump and a second vacuum pump; and
and a high-pressure process of controlling the processing space to a high pressure while exhausting the processing space through the second vacuum pump.
The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure process optionally includes a recovery step of restoring RPM of the first vacuum pump.
According to claim 11,
The high-pressure process,
measuring the RPM of the first vacuum pump; and
A substrate processing method further comprising the step of checking the remaining process time.
According to claim 12,
The high-pressure process,
When the measured RPM of the first vacuum pump drops below a preset limit value or when the confirmed remaining process time reaches a preset limit value,
A substrate processing method for performing the recovery step.
According to claim 13,
The recovery phase is
The substrate processing method of evacuating the processing space through a sub vacuum pump connected to the first vacuum pump until the RPM of the first vacuum pump is restored to a set value.

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