TWI708863B - Film forming device, film forming method and memory medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology with high productivity when, for example, a raw material gas and a reaction gas are alternately supplied to a semiconductor wafer, and the reaction products are sequentially stacked for film formation processing.

The rotating table in the processing container is equipped with self-rotating mounting tables at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The upper area of the rotating table is divided into four processing areas by separating parts arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the raw material gas is supplied to the processing areas arranged at one interval. In addition, a reaction gas is supplied to the treatment area and plasma is generated. The wafer is placed on each mounting table, and the rotating table is rotated intermittently as if the processing area is stopped in sequence, and when the wafer is in the processing area, the mounting table is rotated to perform the so-called simultaneous operation on each wafer. ALD treatment.

Description

Film forming device, film forming method and memory medium

The present invention relates to a technical field in which a first gas and a second gas as processing gases are alternately supplied to a substrate to perform a film forming process.

One of the methods of forming a thin film such as a silicon nitride film on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer"). It is known that a raw material gas of the thin film is combined with a reactive gas that reacts with the raw material gas. It is a so-called ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) method in which the reaction product is deposited on the surface of the wafer in order. As a film forming apparatus that uses this ALD method to perform a film forming process, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is an example of providing a rotating table in a vacuum container to arrange a plurality of wafers in the circumferential direction and revolve, and The structure is provided with a plurality of gas supply nozzles like the rotating table. In this device, the processing areas respectively supplied with the processing gas are provided with separation areas for supplying the separation gas between each other so that the processing gases do not mix with each other. In addition, a region where plasma is used to activate the reaction gas and a region where the plasma is used to modify the film are separately provided in the circumferential direction.

The above-mentioned film forming device is to place a plurality of substrates on a rotating table for processing. The so-called semi-batch method has the advantages of good in-plane uniformity and an increase in productivity. However, in the industry However, it is expected that the device of the above-mentioned general method can have more improved productivity.

Patent Document 2 describes a device in which four semiconductor targets are mounted and the upper area of the rotatable pedestal is divided into four by partition walls. Although it is described that "self-saturation reactions such as ALD are also effective" , But its application method is not clear and does not imply the present invention.

[Prior Technical Literature]

[Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: JP 2013-161874 A

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-247066

The present invention is the inventor in view of the above general situation, and its object is to provide a high-productivity technology when the first gas and the second gas are alternately supplied to the substrate for film formation processing.

The film forming apparatus of the present invention is a film forming apparatus in which a first gas and a second gas are alternately supplied to a substrate as a processing gas in a processing container that forms a vacuum atmosphere to form a thin film on the substrate. Equipped with: n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) first processing areas, which are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the processing container to supply the first gas to process the substrate; n second processing areas , Is arranged between the first processing area along the circumferential direction to supply the second gas to process the substrate; the separation part is used to separate the first processing area from the second processing area The placement part is configured to revolve along the circumferential direction, and is arranged in plural along the circumferential direction for placing the substrate; and the control part is configured to make the revolution stop The substrate will alternately position in the first processing area and the second processing area to make the placement part revolve intermittently; the placement part is configured so that when the rotation of the placement part is stopped, the same number of substrates will revolve Located in each of n first treatment areas and n second treatment areas.

The film forming method of another invention is a method of forming a thin film on the substrate by alternately supplying the first gas and the second gas as the processing gas to the substrate several times in a processing container forming a vacuum atmosphere ; Is along the circumferential direction of the processing container and the processing container is provided with n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) first processing regions at intervals, and the separation region is sandwiched in the first along the circumferential direction Between the processing areas, n second processing areas are provided; a placement portion is provided, and the placement portion is configured to revolve along the circumferential direction and is arranged in 2n×m along the circumferential direction ( m is an integer greater than 1), and are used to mount the substrates respectively; including the process of repeating a plurality of cycles, and the cycle includes the following processes: (1) the process of placing the substrate on each placing part; (2) ) In a state where the revolution of each placement portion is stopped to position the substrate in each of the n first processing areas and n second processing areas, the first gas is supplied to the first processing area and the second processing area respectively And the second gas process; next, the placement part is revolved so that the substrates placed in each of the first processing area and the second processing area are located in the adjacent processing areas; and after that, the process stops The step of supplying the first gas and the second gas to the first processing area and the second processing area in the state of the revolving state of the placing portion.

When the substrate is placed on the placement part arranged in the processing container, and the first gas and the second gas as the processing gas are alternately supplied to perform the film forming process, the substrate is placed along the circumferential direction of the processing container and interposed therebetween. The separation unit is provided with a first processing area and a second processing area, and the number of sets of the first processing area and the second processing area is plural. Then, the placement section is set so that when the placement section stops, the same number of substrates will be located in each of the first processing area and the second processing area, and the substrates will alternately be located in the first processing area when the revolution is stopped. In the method of the first treatment area and the second treatment area, the placement portion is intermittently revolved to perform the film forming process. Therefore, when the revolution of the placing portion is stopped, the first gas and the second gas can be used to process at a plurality of locations at the same time, so the productivity is high.

1‧‧‧Rotating table

12‧‧‧Rotating support

13‧‧‧Rotation axis

2‧‧‧Mounting table

21‧‧‧Rotating shaft

31‧‧‧Passive gear

32‧‧‧Drive gear

4‧‧‧Separation Department

5‧‧‧Disposal container

53‧‧‧Heating section

54‧‧‧Gap

6‧‧‧Hood

63‧‧‧Exhaust port

71‧‧‧Material gas nozzle

8‧‧‧Plasma generator

81‧‧‧Dielectric components

82‧‧‧antenna

85‧‧‧Reactive gas nozzle

W‧‧‧Semiconductor Wafer

S1, S3‧‧‧The first processing area

S2, S4‧‧‧Second treatment area

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic structure of the main part of the film forming apparatus related to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus related to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus related to the first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing the plasma generating part in FIG. 3 superimposed.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along a part of the radial direction of the turntable used in the film forming apparatus.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the function of the above-mentioned film forming apparatus.

Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing the rotation mechanism used in the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of magnetic poles of the above-mentioned rotation mechanism.

Fig. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of a film forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the arrangement of wafers when the continuous rotation mode used in the third embodiment of the present invention is selected.

20 is a plan view showing the arrangement of wafers when the intermittent rotation mode used in the third embodiment of the present invention is selected.

Fig. 21 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system using the film forming apparatus of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Summary of the implementation of the present invention]

The summary of the implementation of the present invention is described. The film forming apparatus used in this embodiment has a rotating table made of, for example, quartz, in a processing container which is a vacuum container. Fig. 1 schematically shows the rotating table 1 and its peripheral parts. The upper side of the turntable 1 is formed with four circular recesses 11 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In each recess 11, a mounting table 2 constituting a mounting portion is arranged for mounting as a substrate. Of wafers. The lower side of the rotating table 1 is provided with a rotating support 12 having a circular shape concentric with the rotating table 1, and the rotating table 1 is supported on the rotating support 12 through a supporting component not shown in FIG. 1. The rotating support 12 can be rotated by a rotating shaft not shown in FIG. 1, and the rotating table 1 will rotate in a clockwise direction along with the rotation of the rotating support 12.

The mounting table 2 is attached to the upper end of the rotation shaft 21. The rotation shaft 21 penetrates the center of the recess 11 and is rotatably supported by the rotation support body 12. The lower end of the rotation shaft 21 is provided with a driven gear portion 31 composed of a magnet, and on the processing container side, a magnet for rotating the driven gear portion 31 in a non-contact manner is provided corresponding to the stop position of the turntable 1 In the configured driving gear portion 32, by the rotation of the driving gear portion 32, the rotation shaft 21 rotates through the driven gear portion 31, whereby the mounting table 2 rotates.

At the top of the processing container, the upper area of the rotating table 1 is equally divided into four processing areas in the circumferential direction, and four separation portions 4 respectively extending in the radial direction of the rotating table 1 are provided. The rotating table 1 is controlled to rotate intermittently to stop the four mounting tables 2 in the four processing areas, respectively. Then, when the wafer is placed on each mounting table 2 and viewed from above, it will be in a state as shown in FIG. 6 which will be described later.

The so-called ALD is to sequentially supply a thin film of raw material gas (adsorbed gas) and a reaction gas that reacts with the raw material gas to the surface of the wafer to layer the reaction product, and it repeats multiple cycles to sequentially supply raw materials. The method of gas and reaction gas circulation. In this embodiment, when viewed in a clockwise direction, for example, the four processing areas are respectively a raw material gas supply area, a reaction gas supply area, a raw gas supply area, and a reaction gas supply area. Therefore, by intermittently rotating the turntable 1 in such a manner that the wafer is stopped in the state in which the wafer is located in each processing area, two cycles can be performed while the turntable 1 is rotated once.

In addition, in order to perform the film forming process on the wafer, at the stop position where the turntable 1 stops, since the autorotation shaft 21 rotates as described above due to the rotation of the drive gear unit 32, the wafer rotates. That is, the wafer is subjected to film formation processing while rotating.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]

(First implementation type)

Next, the structure and operation of the film forming apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the film forming apparatus with the section corresponding to the area where the source gas is supplied on the right and the section corresponding to the section where the reaction gas is supplied on the left. The film forming apparatus has a flat processing container 5, and the bottom of the processing container 5 is divided into a central portion 51 and an annular portion 52 surrounding the central portion 51 in the radial direction. The central part 51 is supported by a pillar 53 which protrudes toward the top center of the processing container 5 from above, and the annular part 52 is fixed to the side wall of the processing container 5.

The upper surface side of the center part 51 and the ring part 52 is equipped with the heating part 54 which heats the wafer W as a board|substrate, and the heating part 54 is comprised by providing a heating wire in, for example, a quartz container. The power supply line 55 of the heating part 54 at the central part 51 is led out to the outside through the pillar 53. Although not shown in the figure, the power supply line of the heating part 54 at the ring portion 52 is led out to the outside through the processing container 5.

The lower side of the processing container 5 is provided with the above-mentioned rotating support 12 that can be rotated horizontally by a rotating shaft 13 provided at a position corresponding to the center portion of the processing container 5. The rotating shaft 13 is rotationally driven by a driving part not shown in the figure housed in the housing 14.

A rotating table 1 is installed in the processing container 5, and the rotating table 1 is supported by a rotating support body 12 through a rod-shaped support assembly 15. The supporting assembly 15 is configured by the annular gap 56 between the central portion 51 and the annular portion 52 of the bottom of the processing container 5, and is arranged in plural along the circumferential direction. In addition, the right part and the left part of the turntable 2 in FIG. 2 show the area where the mounting table 2 is not provided and the part where the mounting table 2 is provided, respectively.

The upper surface of the turntable 1 is formed with four circular recesses 11 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction as described above, and the mounting table 2 on which the wafer W is placed is housed in each recess 11 and supported by Self-rotating shaft 21. The mounting table 2 is set such that when the wafer W is mounted, the height of the upper surface of the wafer W and the upper surface of the turntable 1 are the same. In addition, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the illustration of the recess 11 located around the mounting table 2 is omitted. The respective rotating shafts 21 are rotatably supported by the rotating support body 12 via the bearing portion 22 through the annular gap 56.

Therefore, the mounting table 2 can be configured to be capable of revolving and rotating. Each rotating shaft 21 extends below the bearing portion 22, and the lower end portion is provided with the above-mentioned driven gear portion 31. The lower side of the bottom of the processing container 5 is provided with a cover 6 for partitioning the rotating support 12 and the like from the atmosphere. The cover 6 is shaped to dent the part near the periphery of the flat cylindrical body to form a ring-shaped recessed part 61. The inner wall surface on the outer peripheral side of the recessed part 61, viewed from a plan view, is tied to four at equal intervals A drive gear portion 32 is provided at the location.

The drive gear portion 32 is installed at the front end of the horizontal rotating shaft 33 that penetrates the side wall of the recessed portion 61 of the cover 6, and the base end side of the rotating shaft 33 is provided with a drive portion for rotating and moving the rotating shaft 33 in the axial direction. 34. On the side peripheral surface of the driven gear portion 31, the N pole and the S pole are alternately magnetized in the circumferential direction, and on the side of the drive gear portion 32, the N pole and the S pole are alternately magnetized in the circumferential direction. The position system of the driven gear portion 31 and the drive gear portion 32 is set such that the passing area of the driven gear portion 31 will face a portion higher than the center on one side of the drive gear portion 32.

The driving gear portion 32 is set at a position corresponding to the stop position of the turntable 1, that is, when the wafer W is positioned at the center of the circumferential direction of each of the four processing regions, it will be in contact with the driven gear portion 31 The position of the magnetic gear is formed between. When the driven gear portion 31 stops at a position facing the drive gear portion 32, the driving gear portion 32 approaches the driven gear portion 31 to form a magnetic gear and advances by the rotating shaft 33 (moving to the processing container). 5 on the radial center side). Then, by rotating the driving gear portion 32 counterclockwise when viewed from the side of the rotation shaft 33, the driven gear portion 31 rotates clockwise, and the mounting table 2 rotates by itself. In addition, the inner peripheral wall surface of the recessed portion 61 of the cover body 6 is formed by providing, for example, a magnet body at a position where the passing area of the driven gear portion 31 is sandwiched and opposed to the driving gear portion 32. The brake component 35. The stopping assembly 35 has the function of causing the driving gear portion 32 to retreat when the rotating table 1 rotates and pulling away from the driven gear portion 31 to stop the rotation of the driven gear portion 31.

Among the above-mentioned four processing regions, the region for supplying raw material gas to be adsorbed on wafer W is called the first processing region, and the region for supplying reactive gas to react with the raw material gas on wafer W is called the first processing region. 2 Treatment area. As described in the summary item of the implementation type, the first processing area and the second processing area are alternately provided along the circumferential direction of the processing container 5.

In the first processing area on the far right side of the processing container 5 in FIG. 2, the raw gas nozzle 71 serving as the raw gas supply part for supplying raw gas is located at the entrance of the transport mechanism CA described later. At a higher position, the side wall of the processing container 5 penetrates and is arranged in parallel with the turntable 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the source gas nozzle 71 extends along a line that is inclined in the lateral direction with respect to a line connecting a portion penetrating the side wall of the processing container 5 and the center of the turntable 1. In addition, the lower surface of the source gas nozzle 71 is formed with gas ejection holes 72 at intervals in the longitudinal direction. The arrangement area of the gas ejection holes 72 is set to a length that covers the diameter of the wafer W.

The base end side of the raw gas nozzle 71 is connected to a raw gas supply system 73 including a raw gas supply source, a gas supply control equipment group, and the like. As an example, if the film formation process performed on the wafer W is a silicon nitride film, for example, a DCS (dichlorosilane) gas is used as the source gas.

The center of the processing container 5 in FIG. 2 is located above the second processing area on the left side, and a plasma generating mechanism 8 is provided via a dielectric assembly 81 constituting a part of the top of the processing container 5. The dielectric component 81 is shaped to fit into the opening formed at the top of the processing container 5, and is formed to have a fan shape in a plan view as shown in FIG. 4, and the peripheral edge will rise and face outward It is bent as a flange.

The plasma generating mechanism 8 includes an antenna 82 wound in a coil shape, and a high-frequency power source 83 is connected to both ends of the antenna 82. In addition, between the antenna 82 and the dielectric component 81 is a Faraday shielding plate 84 which is a conductive plate. The Faraday shielding plate 84 is formed to prevent the electric field component of the electric field and the magnetic field generated by the antenna 82 from facing toward Slot of wafer W. Symbol 84a is a dielectric plate.

Although FIG. 3 shows a part below the top of the processing container 5, in the second processing area, for convenience, the position of the antenna 82 is shown with a dotted line.

In the second processing area, as shown in FIG. 3, in the direction of rotation of the turntable 1, upstream of the dielectric assembly 81, a reaction gas nozzle 85 as a reaction gas supply part penetrates the side wall of the processing container 5. It is arranged parallel to the turntable 1. The reaction gas nozzle 85 extends in the radial direction of the turntable 1, and gas ejection holes are formed on the lower surface thereof at intervals in the longitudinal direction. When viewed in the radial direction of the turntable 1, the reaction gas nozzle 85 The distribution area of the gas ejection holes for supplying reaction gas through the entire area.

The base end side of the reaction gas nozzle 85 is connected to a reaction gas supply system 86 including a reaction gas supply source, a gas supply control equipment group, and the like. If the film formation process is a silicon nitride film, for example, ammonia gas is used as the reaction gas system. Moreover, in addition to the reactive gas, rare gas such as argon for plasma ignition can be supplied from the reactive gas nozzle 85.

The peripheral edge of the bottom of the processing container 5 is formed with a groove 62 for exhaust gas surrounding the turntable 1, and the groove 62 is located at a position corresponding to the downstream end of each processing area when viewed from the rotation direction of the turntable 1 An exhaust port 63 is formed. Each exhaust port 63 is connected to one end of an exhaust pipe 64 (refer to FIG. 2), and the other end of the exhaust pipe 64 is connected to a vacuum pump such as a vacuum exhaust mechanism 65. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the side wall of the processing container 5 facing one of the two first processing regions is formed with a carry-out inlet 50 for wafer W opened and closed by a gate valve (not shown in the figure). The wafer W is transferred to and from each mounting table 2 by the external transfer mechanism CA through the transfer entrance 50.

The transfer of the wafer W is carried out by the following method. While the turntable 1 is stationary, lift pins (not shown in the figure) are raised from the lower side of the mounting table 2 to lift and receive the transport mechanism CA The wafer W on the upper side and the transport mechanism CA retreats, causing the lift pins to descend. Therefore, each mounting table 2 is formed with through holes for lifting pins at three locations in the circumferential direction, and corresponding to the arrangement of the through holes, in the processing area of the turntable 1 and the carry-out entrance 50 facing the wafer W A through hole is formed at the bottom of the processing container 5, so that the lifting pin can cross the through hole and the through hole to lift. The lifting mechanism of the lifting pin is provided in the cover 6, for example.

Here, the separation unit 4 is described in advance. As shown in FIG. 5, the separation part 4 is equipped with the plate body 41 for separation formed so that the dimension of the width direction may become larger gradually from the center side of the processing container 5 toward the outer peripheral side, and the planar shape is fan-shaped. The separating plate body 41 is bent into a hook shape with the outer end side toward the lower side, and extends to the lower side than the outer circumference of the turntable 1 to ensure the gas separation function between the processing areas. In addition, the separating plate body 41 is fixed to the pillar 53 on the inner end side, and the upper surface is fixed to the top of the processing container 5, and the lower side is formed with protrusions separated from each other in the width direction. In other words, on the lower surface side of the separating plate body 41, the groove 42 is formed in the center part in the width direction.

The groove 42 is arranged so that the separation gas nozzle 43 penetrates the side wall of the processing container 5 and is parallel to the turntable 1 and extends in the radial direction. The separation gas nozzle 43 has gas ejection holes 44 formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction on the lower side, and is set to supply separation gas to the entire passage area of the wafer W when viewed along the radial direction of the turntable 1 The area where the ejection holes 44 are arranged. Although the base end side of the separation gas nozzle 43 is not shown, it is connected to a separation gas supply system including a separation gas supply source, a gas supply control device group, and the like. As the separation gas, for example, nitrogen which is an inert gas or the like is used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the film forming apparatus is provided with a control unit 100, and the control unit 100 is provided with a program for controlling the operation of the film forming apparatus described later. The program also contains the meaning of the processing recipe written with the processing step sequence or processing parameters. The program is stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compressed disk, an optical disk, a USB memory, a memory card, etc., and is downloaded to the control unit 100.

Next, the film forming process using the above-mentioned film forming apparatus will be described by taking the process of forming a silicon nitride film on the wafer W as an example. The transfer mechanism CA in the vacuum transfer chamber adjacent to the processing container 5 sequentially transfers the four wafers W to the mounting table 2 through the transfer inlet 50 as shown in FIG. 6. The transfer of each wafer W is performed through lift pins (not shown in the figure) as described above. After one wafer W is transferred to the mounting table 2, the turntable 1 is rotated in a clockwise direction, for example, relative to The mounting table 2 adjacent to the mounting table 2 transfers the subsequent wafer W. In the following description, the symbols W1 to W4 are given to each wafer W in order from the wafer W transferred to the mounting table 2 first. For individual descriptions of the 4 wafers, the assigned symbols are used, and for general descriptions, "W" is used.

In addition, for the convenience of explanation, if the four processing areas are assigned symbols in the clockwise direction from the area facing the export/export entrance 50, as processing area S1, processing area S2, processing area S3, and processing area S4, processing area S1 , S3 is the first treatment area (area supplied with raw material gas), and the treatment areas S2 and S4 are the second treatment area (area supplied with reactive gas).

Returning to FIG. 6, after the wafers W1 to W4 are placed on each mounting table 2, the gate valve (not shown in the figure) is used to close the unloading inlet 50, and the processing container 5 is adjusted to a specific process pressure (for example 100 Pa), and as shown in FIG. 7, each mounting table 2 is rotated (wafers W1 to W4 are rotated). Up to this point, the inside of the processing container 5 is heated to a specific temperature (for example, 400° C.) by the heating unit 54.

Then, in the first processing regions S1 and S3, the DCS gas as the raw material gas is ejected from the raw material gas nozzle 71 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) at a flow rate of, for example, 900 sccm. In the second processing regions S2 and S4, a mixed gas of ammonia gas as a reaction gas and argon gas as a plasma ignition gas, for example, is ejected from the reaction gas nozzle 85 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). As an example of the flow rate, ammonia gas is 300 sccm and argon gas is 2000 sccm. Furthermore, in the second processing regions S2 and S4, the argon gas and ammonia gas are plasma-ized by supplying high-frequency electric power to the antenna 82.

Furthermore, in the separation section 4, nitrogen gas as a separation gas is ejected from the separation gas nozzle 43 shown in FIG. 5 at a specific flow rate, thereby suppressing the mixing of gases in adjacent processing regions. That is, each processing area is separated in terms of atmosphere. Furthermore, as viewed from the direction of rotation of the turntable 1, each treatment area has an exhaust port 63 at the downstream end of the treatment area, so the gas supplied to each treatment area flows in the treatment area. To the downstream side, it is exhausted together with the separation gas flowing out from the separation part 4.

DCS gas is adsorbed on the surfaces of wafers W4 and W2 located in the first processing regions S1 and S3, respectively. At this time, since the respective wafers W1 to W4 are rotated by the above-mentioned magnetic gear mechanism, the wafers W4 and W2 will adsorb the DCS gas with good uniformity in the circumferential direction.

Although the surfaces of the wafers W3 and W1 located in the second processing regions S2 and S4 are supplied with active groups generated by the plasmaization of ammonia, the DCS gas has not yet been adsorbed at this point in time. A reaction product is formed. In addition, the gas supply and plasma generation at the second processing regions S2 and S4 can also be performed after the next rotation of the turntable 1 (intermittent rotation), that is, the wafers W4 and W2 that have adsorbed DCS gas are positioned at It is performed after the second processing areas S2 and S4.

In the first processing regions S1 and S3, after the DCS gas is ejected from the material gas nozzle 71 (see FIG. 3) for 10 seconds, the turntable 1 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise (see FIG. 8) to make Each wafer W1 to W4 is moved to a processing area (to be revolved) adjacent to the processing area where it has been so far (specifically, it is adjacent to the clockwise direction when viewed from the rotation direction of the turntable 1). The arrangement of the wafers W1 to W4 shown in FIG. 9 is the state after the rotation of the turntable 1, and the wafers W1, W4, W3, and W2 are located in the processing regions S1 to S4, respectively.

Then, the wafers W1, W4, W3, and W2 are processed in the processing regions S1 to S4 while rotating. Since the wafers W4 and W2 have adsorbed the DCS gas as the raw material gas, the reactive radicals of the ammonia gas as the reactive gas will react with the DCS gas on the wafers W4 and W2 at the second processing regions S2 and S4. A silicon nitride layer is formed as a reaction product.

In the first processing regions S1 and S3, DCS gas is ejected from the source gas nozzle 71 to adsorb the DCS gas on the wafers W1, W3 located in the first processing regions S1, S3, respectively.

In the 2 processing regions S2 and S4, the time required for supplying the active radicals of ammonia gas to the wafer W to react with DCS to produce reaction products is, for example, 20 seconds. The required time means the time required to fully react with DCS (to fully nitrate the surface of the wafer W) to obtain a film quality that meets the specifications. On the other hand, the time required for the DCS gas to be adsorbed on the surface of the wafer W is, for example, 10 seconds, which is shorter than the time required for the reaction of the active groups of ammonia gas. Therefore, when the wafers W1 and W3 are respectively located in the first processing regions S1 and S3 and the required time of DCS gas is ejected from the source gas nozzle 71, the ejection of the DCS gas is stopped, and the wafers W1 and W3 are in the Until the processing in the second processing areas S2 and S4 is completed, it waits in the first processing areas S1 and S3, respectively.

On the other hand, since the reactions in the second processing regions S2 and S4 will become the speed limit of the process, for example, the supply of ammonia gas and the generation of plasma will continue until a series of film formation on one of the four wafers W1~W4 Until the end of processing.

After the wafers W4 and W2 are processed in the second processing regions S2 and S4, respectively, that is, after a predetermined set time has elapsed corresponding to the time required for the reaction, as shown in FIG. The wafers W4, W3, W2, and W1 are rotated 90 degrees clockwise to move the wafers W4, W3, W2, and W1 to one downstream processing area S3, S4, S1, S2, respectively. Figure 11 shows the state after the movement. Then, similarly, each of the wafers W4, W3, W2, W1 rotates while simultaneously adsorbing the DCS gas on the wafers W2 and W4 in the first processing regions S1 and S3, and in the second processing regions S2, At S4, the wafers W1 and W3 are respectively subjected to reaction treatment with the active radicals of ammonia gas.

After that, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the turntable 1 is rotated 90 degrees in the clockwise direction. Wafers W4 and W2 will be supplied with active groups of ammonia in the second processing regions S4 and S2 while rotating, and react with the DCS gas adsorbed in the first processing regions S3 and S1 to deposit silicon nitride layers. . In addition, the wafers W1 and W3 are respectively located in the first processing regions S1 and S3, and DCS gas is adsorbed on the formed silicon nitride layer. Then, when the set time has elapsed, as shown in FIG. 14, the turntable 1 will rotate and return to the state of FIG. 6.

Thereafter, similarly, the rotating table 1 will stop sequentially at the set time, and repeat the action of intermittently rotating 90 degrees each time in the clockwise direction with the set number of times. In addition, when the last stop position of the turntable 1 is in the state shown in Fig. 6, when processing is performed in the second processing areas S2 and S4, in order to eliminate unnecessary consumption of raw material gas, it is not necessary in the first processing areas S1 and S3. The raw material gas will be ejected. After finishing a series of film forming processes in this way, each wafer W is formed with a silicon nitride film by ALD, and then the order of the steps opposite to the order of the above-mentioned wafer W is carried in by the transport mechanism CA Then, each wafer W is carried out from the processing container 5.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, in the processing container 5, the first processing area and the second processing area are alternately arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the turntable 1 via the separating portion 4, and 2 One. Then, the mounting table 2 is arranged so that one wafer W is located in each processing area at a time, and the turntable 1 is rotated intermittently so that each wafer W is alternately located in the first processing area and the second processing area. The area is processed and a silicon nitride film is formed by ALD. Therefore, during one rotation of the turntable 1, since the adsorption of the DCS gas as the raw material gas and the cycle of the reaction by the reactive radicals of the ammonia gas as the reaction gas can be performed twice, the effect of high productivity is achieved. .

In addition, in each of the first processing area and the second processing area, since the wafer W is processed while rotating, the uniformity of the film thickness and film quality in the circumferential direction of the wafer W is good. Furthermore, since the time required for the reaction of the active radicals of the ammonia gas to be longer than the time required for the adsorption of DCS gas, the rotating table 1 is rotated intermittently, so that the nitrogen can be fully carried out. Chemical treatment to obtain high-quality films. After the DCS gas is sprayed for the required time, the DCS gas is stopped during the standby period until the ammonia treatment is completed, which contributes to the reduction of the DCS gas consumption.

(Modification of the first embodiment)

In the above embodiment, although the configuration is such that one wafer W will be located in the four processing areas, as shown in FIG. 15, it can also be constructed such that there are eight mounting tables 2 so that each Two wafers W are located in four processing areas respectively. In Fig. 15, reference numerals 50a and 50b are import ports. Furthermore, the number of wafers W placed in each processing area when the turntable 1 is stopped may also be three or more.

In addition, the number of each of the first treatment area and the second treatment area is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

In the above embodiment, although the ammonia gas is plasma-formed, the ammonia gas may be directly supplied to the wafer W without being plasma-formed.

In the above embodiment, although the DCS gas is sprayed for a set time, the spraying is stopped until the reaction by the ammonia gas is completed, but when the wafer W is in the first processing area and a certain time has passed, The DCS gas is sprayed over time, so that the adsorption of DCS gas and the reaction by ammonia gas are completed at the same time point, and the consumption of raw material gas can still be suppressed. In addition, even for the case where the DCS gas is continuously supplied for the wafer W until the end of a series of film forming processes, it is still included in the scope of the present invention.

The film formation process is not limited to the formation of silicon nitride films, but may also be silicon oxide using, for example, di(terbutylamino)silane gas as a silicon source gas and oxygen or ozone gas as a reaction gas. Treatment of the membrane. In addition, it is also possible to use titanium tetrachloride gas as a raw material gas and ammonia gas as a reaction gas to form a titanium nitride film.

One of the driven gear portion 31 and the drive gear portion 32 as the rotation mechanism may also be made of an unmagnetized magnetic body. In addition, the driven gear portion 31 may be configured to rotate horizontally, and the driving gear portion 32 may be arranged on the lower side of the driven gear portion 31 to face the driven gear portion 31. Furthermore, the autorotation mechanism is not limited to the one using magnetism, but a driven gear part and a driving gear part may be provided as mechanical gears, and the driving gear part may advance and retreat relative to the movement path of the driven gear part. Or, the rotation mechanism may be a configuration in which a rotation mechanism is provided on each rotation shaft 21.

(Second Implementation Type)

Regarding other examples of film forming apparatuses using a rotation mechanism for rotating the mounting table 2, refer to FIGS. 16 to 18 as the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the drive gear portion 32 is arranged at four positions along the circumferential direction of the turntable 1, but in the second embodiment, the drive gear portion is distributed along the revolution track of the turntable 1. Set up all week. That is, the driving gear portion 90 is set to face the revolution orbit of the driven gear portion 36, and its central portion is provided with an annular plate-shaped body 91 with a circular opening 91a, and the center of the opening 91a is arranged It is consistent with the rotation center of the turntable 1. On the upper surface of the driving gear portion 90, magnetic pole portions composed of permanent magnets, that is, the N pole portion (shown in diagonal lines) 92 and the S pole portion 93 are alternately arranged over the entire circumference along the revolving track of the driven gear portion 36.

The lower surface of the driven gear portion 36 is along the rotation direction, and magnetic pole portions composed of permanent magnets are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of the driven gear portion 36, that is, the short grid-shaped N pole portion 37 (shown in diagonal lines) and S pole part 38. The N pole portion 92 and the S pole portion 93 of the driving gear portion 90 are arranged on a surface facing the lower surface of the driven gear portion 36. FIG. 17 is a diagram depicting the magnetic pole portion of one driven gear portion 36 corresponding to the magnetic pole portion of the driving gear portion 90 below it.

As shown in FIG. 18, the driven gear part 36 is arrange|positioned on the inner side (vacuum atmosphere side) of the cover body 6, and the drive gear part 90 is arrange|positioned on the outer side of the cover body 6 (atmosphere side). That is, the passive gear portion 36 and the driving gear portion 90 are separated by the cover 6 such as the cover 6 made of a material (aluminum or SUS) with lines of magnetic force. The drive gear portion 90 is configured to be rotatable by a ring-shaped direct drive motor (DD motor) 94 on a holding table 95 provided around the rotating shaft 13 of the rotating support body 12. In FIG. 18, the symbol 13a is a bearing part.

In the above-mentioned rotation mechanism, the driven gear portion 36 stops at a position determined by the combined action of the attractive force and the reaction force between the magnetic pole portion of the driven gear portion 36 and the magnetic pole portion of the drive gear portion 90. Therefore, when the revolution speed of the driven gear portion 36 (the number of rotations (rpm) of the turntable 1) is the same as the number of rotations of the drive gear portion 90, the driven gear portion 36 will not rotate, but when there is a difference in the number of rotations between the two , The driven gear portion 36 will rotate, and its rotation speed is determined according to the difference in the number of rotations. In addition, when the number of rotations of the driving gear portion 90 is greater than the number of rotations of the turntable 1, the driven gear portion 36 rotates clockwise in FIG. 16.

In addition, in the first embodiment, although the lift pins used for carrying in and out of the wafer W are not shown, the lift pins are shown in FIG. 18. The number of lift pins 96 is, for example, three, so that the lift mechanism 97 does not interfere with the movement path of the bearing portion 22, and the front end portion of the lift pin 96 stands by in the cover 6. When the wafer W is transferred to the external transport mechanism CA, the lift pin 96 penetrates the bottom plate portion of the processing container 5, the heating portion 54, the rotating table 1, and the holes provided by the mounting tables 2 to hold the crystal. Round W. The lift pin 96 and the cover 6 are kept airtight by, for example, a bellows. In FIG. 16, the hole part (through hole) penetrated by the mounting table 2 is shown with the code|symbol 96a.

(3rd implementation type)

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the turntable 1 is rotated intermittently so that the wafers W are alternately positioned in the first processing area and the second processing area. When this operation mode is called the intermittent rotation mode, the third embodiment of the present invention is configured such that in addition to the intermittent rotation mode, a continuous rotation mode in which the turntable 1 is continuously rotated to perform the film formation process is prepared, and Two modes can be selected.

FIG. 19 shows the arrangement of wafer W when the continuous rotation mode is selected. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, one wafer W is placed in each first processing area S1, S3 and second processing area S2, S4 at a time. Mounting table 2. Moreover, in the example of FIG. 15, the mounting table 2 is arranged in such a way that two wafers W are located in each processing area S1 to S4 each time.

In contrast, in the third embodiment, one or two wafers W (see FIG. 19) are located in each processing area S1~S4 at a time, and the wafer W is also The mounting table 2 is arranged between the processing regions S1 to S4, that is, the four separation parts 4 respectively. Therefore, each time there are two wafers W located in each processing area S1 to S4, the mounting table 2 is arranged in twelve.

FIG. 19 shows the instantaneous position of the wafer W when the wafer W is processed in the continuous rotation mode, and each time two wafers W are located in each processing area S1 to S4. In the continuous rotation mode, all 12 mounting tables 2 will place the processed wafer to be processed, that is, the product wafer W. In this example, the carry-out entrance 50 is configured as a transport mechanism (not shown in the figure) that two wafers W can pass through together, and the two wafers W are aligned horizontally and held on the outside while being transferred to adjacent to each other.的2 Mounting Table 2. The above-mentioned group of lift pins 96 is configured to be arranged at a position corresponding to the stop positions of the two mounting tables 2, and the wafer holding assembly at the front end of the transport mechanism does not interfere with the shape of the lift pins 96 in a plan view. Therefore, the wafer W is transferred between the transport mechanism and the mounting table 2 by the cooperation of the transport mechanism and the lift pins 96.

In the continuous rotation mode, all the stages 2 are loaded with wafers W to be processed, and after the unloading entrance 50 is closed, the turntable 1 is rotated to rotate (revolve) the stage 2 and the stage 2 is rotated , And establish the process conditions. That is, in the first embodiment, as described above, the inside of the processing container 5 is set to a specific pressure to heat the wafer W to a specific temperature, and the raw material gas is supplied to the first processing regions S1 and S3. The DCS gas is supplied with the above-mentioned mixed gas to the second processing regions S2 and S4 to be plasma-formed. Furthermore, the separation part 4 is supplied with separation gas.

Each wafer W will alternately and continuously pass through the first processing area S1 (S3) and the second processing area S2 (S4) to repeat the adsorption of the DCS gas and the reaction of the adsorbed DCS gas and the active radicals of the ammonia gas. The resulting silicon nitride layer is formed as a reaction product, and the silicon nitride layer is laminated. The continuous rotation mode is different from the intermittent rotation mode in that the wafer W to be processed is placed on all the 12 mounting tables 2 and is different from the intermittent rotation mode in that each mounting table 2 is continuously rotated.

Next, when the intermittent rotation mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 20, two wafers W to be processed are positioned in each of the first processing areas S1, S3 and the second processing areas S2, S4 each time. The wafer W to be processed is placed on the mounting table 2. In this case, although the stage 2 located in the separation part 4 does not place the processed wafer W, it is not empty, but is placed on the dummy wafer DW (the wafer shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 20). round). The reason is as follows. A purge gas, not shown, is supplied between the turntable 1 and the heating part 54. If this state is left when the wafer W is not yet placed on the mounting table 2, the purge gas will pass through and formed on the mounting table 2. The hole 96a through which the lift pin 96 passes flows into the processing atmosphere. Therefore, the dummy wafer DW is placed on the mounting table 2.

In the intermittent rotation mode, processing is performed while the wafer W is stationary in each processing area S1 to S4, while in the continuous rotation mode, the wafer W is processed while moving in each processing area S1 to S4. Therefore, the film quality of the silicon nitride film formed by the intermittent rotation mode is better than that of the continuous rotation mode. In contrast, in the continuous rotation mode, compared with the intermittent rotation mode, the number of wafers W mounted is 4 more, and since the processing is performed by continuous rotation, the same film thickness is obtained. The processing time in the container 5 is shorter than that in the intermittent rotation mode. Therefore, the continuous rotation mode can obtain higher productivity than the intermittent rotation mode. Therefore, the present invention has the following advantages. The intermittent rotation mode is selected when high-quality film is the priority, and the continuous rotation mode is selected when the productivity is the priority. Two types can be set corresponding to the batch of wafers. One of the modes.

Here, a substrate processing system equipped with two film forming apparatuses described above is shown in FIG. 21. In FIG. 21, the symbol 301 is the carrier mounting table, the symbol 302 is the atmospheric transfer chamber, the symbol 300 is the first wafer transfer mechanism, the symbols 303 and 304 are the load lock chambers, 305 is the vacuum transfer chamber, and the symbol 306 is the second Wafer transport mechanism. In addition, at a position facing the atmosphere transfer chamber 302, for example, on the right side, a holder 307 storing a plurality of (at least 4) dummy wafers DW is provided.

After the FOUP (carrier C) containing, for example, a plurality of wafers W is loaded into the carrier mounting table C301, the cover on the front of the carrier C is removed, and the wafer W is taken out by the first wafer transport mechanism 300 , And the wafer W is transferred into the processing container 5 through the load lock chamber 303 or 304 and the second wafer transfer mechanism 306. The second wafer transfer mechanism 306 is configured to hold, for example, two wafers W arranged in a horizontal direction and transfer them to the processing container 5 and the load lock chamber 303 or 304 together.

Reference numeral 200 denotes a control unit, which is provided with an operation mode selection unit 201 capable of selecting an intermittent rotation mode or a continuous rotation mode. When the intermittent rotation mode is selected, the first wafer transport mechanism 300 will take out the dummy wafer DW, transport it into the processing container 5 through the aforementioned path, and place it in the position shown in FIG. 20.

The turntable 1 used in the above embodiment has the function of transferring the heat of the heating part 54 to the wafer W, although it is configured to be supported by the support 12 for revolving the mounting table 2, However, the rotating table 1 may also be fixed. In this case, although the plate-shaped body corresponding to the turntable 1 has the function of a heat transfer plate, it is preferable to support the center part by a pillar. In this case, the rotating mechanism for revolving the mounting table 2 uses a direct drive motor (DD motor) that surrounds the pillar. In addition, in the circumferential direction of the heat transfer plate fixed to the pillar, a gap is formed for the rotation shaft 21 of the mounting table 2 to move. Therefore, the heat transfer plate is divided into a central part and an outer ring part. Therefore, the present invention does not necessarily require a rotating table.

The present invention is not limited to the film formation process by ALD, but can also be applied to supply the first gas to the first treatment area and CVD process to form the first film, and then supply the second gas to the second treatment area In the case of forming the second film by CVD processing. In this case, it can be used in the manufacture of, for example, a three-dimensional NAND circuit in which a plurality of first films and second films are alternately laminated. In this case, when two or more gases are used as the first gas, these gas systems are equivalent to the first gas, and when two or more gases are used as the second gas , These gas systems are equivalent to the second gas.

In addition, the rotation of the turntable 1 is not limited to intermittently rotating in the same direction, and clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation may be performed alternately.

1‧‧‧Rotating table

4‧‧‧Separation Department

5‧‧‧Disposal container

50‧‧‧Move out entrance

63‧‧‧Exhaust port

CA‧‧‧Transfer Organization

W1~W4‧‧‧Semiconductor wafer

S1, S3‧‧‧The first processing area

S2, S4‧‧‧Second treatment area

Claims (13)

A film-forming device is a film-forming device that alternately supplies a first gas and a second gas as a processing gas to a substrate in a processing container that forms a vacuum atmosphere, and forms a thin film on the substrate. There are: n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) first processing areas, which are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the processing container to supply the first gas to process the substrate; n second processing areas, Is arranged between the first processing area along the circumferential direction, and is used to supply a second gas to process the substrate; the separating part is used to separate the first processing area and the second processing area; The mounting portion is configured to revolve along the circumferential direction, and is arranged in plural along the circumferential direction for mounting the substrate; the rotation mechanism is used when the processing gas is supplied to the substrate at least , Will cause the mounting part on which the substrate is placed to rotate; and the control part, when the revolution is stopped, the substrate will alternately position in the first processing area and the second processing area to make the loading The placement section revolves intermittently; the placement section is configured so that when the placement section stops revolving, the same number of substrates will be located in each of the n first processing areas and n second processing areas. For example, the film forming apparatus of the first item of the patent application, wherein the first gas is a raw material gas that will be adsorbed on the film of the substrate, and the second gas is a reaction gas that will react with the raw material gas to generate a reaction product . For example, the film forming device of item 1 or 2 of the scope of patent application, where the gas supply time required in the first processing area and the second processing area are different, and the rotating table is adapted to the longer time of the required gas supply stop. For example, in the film forming device of item 3 of the scope of patent application, the gas supply time in the processing area where the required gas supply time is shorter is set to the gas supply time in the processing area where the required gas supply time is longer To be short. For example, the film forming apparatus of the first or second patent application includes a rotating table that can rotate in the circumferential direction of the processing container; the plurality of placement parts are arranged on the upper side of the rotating table. For example, the film forming device of the first or second application in the scope of patent application, in which the placement part is intermittently revolved so that the substrate will alternately be in the first processing area and the second processing area when it is stationary When called the intermittent rotation mode; the control unit is configured to select the continuous rotation mode of the placement unit to continuously revolve so that the substrate continuously passes through the first processing area and the second processing area. One. For example, in the film forming device of the sixth item of the scope of patent application, the number of placement parts is set so that when the same number of substrates are located in each of the n first processing areas and n second processing areas, the substrate placement parts are also Will be located at the separation part; when the continuous rotation mode is selected, all the placement parts will be placed on the substrate. For example, the film forming device of the seventh item of the scope of patent application, wherein the mounting part is formed with a through hole for lifting and lowering pins, and the lifting pins are used to transfer substrates with an external substrate transport mechanism; the control When the intermittent rotation mode is selected, the control signal will be output so that when the same number of substrates are located in each of the n first processing areas and n second processing areas, the placement section located in the separation section will Place a simulated substrate to block the through hole of the placement portion. A film forming method is a method of forming a thin film on the substrate by alternately supplying a first gas and a second gas as a processing gas to the substrate in a processing container forming a vacuum atmosphere multiple times; Along the circumferential direction of the processing container, n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) first processing regions are provided in the processing container at intervals, and the separation regions are interposed on the first processing region along the circumferential direction In between, n second processing areas are provided; a placement portion is provided, and the placement portion is configured to revolve along the circumferential direction and is arranged to be 2n×m (m is An integer greater than 1), which are used to mount the substrate; include the process of repeating multiple cycles, and the cycle includes the following processes: (1) the process of placing the substrate on each placement part; (2) in Stop the revolution of each placement part to position the substrate in the n first processing areas and n The process of supplying the first gas and the second gas to the first treatment area and the second treatment area in the state of each area of the second treatment area; then, the placement part is revolved to place it in the first The process in which the substrates of each of the processing area and the second processing area are located in the adjacent processing areas; and after that, the first processing area and the second processing area are supplied to the first processing area and the second processing area while stopping the revolution of the placing part. 1 gas and 2 gas process. For example, in the film forming method of claim 9, wherein the first gas is a raw material gas that will be adsorbed on the film of the substrate, and the second gas is a reaction gas that reacts with the raw material gas to produce a reaction product. For example, the film forming method of the 9th or 10th item of the scope of patent application, when at least the processing gas is supplied to the substrate, the mounting part on which the substrate is mounted rotates. A method of film formation in which the placement part revolves intermittently so that the substrate will alternately move in the first processing area and the second processing area in a stationary state is called intermittent rotation mode; The placement part continuously revolves to make the substrate continuously pass through the first processing area and the second processing area in the continuous rotation mode, and the intermittent rotation mode is used for the film formation processing of the substrate, and the subsequent substrates The other of the continuous rotation mode and the intermittent rotation mode is selected to perform the film forming process. A memory medium is a memory medium with a computer program stored therein. The computer program is used in a processing container that forms a vacuum atmosphere to alternately supply a substrate with a first gas and a second gas as the processing gas. , And a film-forming device for forming a thin film on a substrate; the computer program includes a group of steps to implement the film-forming method as in any one of the 9th to 12th patents.

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