WO2020066701A1

WO2020066701A1 - Substrate processing apparatus, method for producing semiconductor device, and program

Info

Publication number: WO2020066701A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/036140
Authority: WO
Inventors: 紀之磯辺
Original assignee: 株式会社ＫｏｋｕｓａｉＥｌｅｃｔｒｉｃ
Priority date: 2018-09-26
Filing date: 2019-09-13
Publication date: 2020-04-02
Also published as: KR20210046694A; JPWO2020066701A1

Abstract

Provided is a technology which comprises: a processing chamber in which a substrate is contained; a first gas supply unit which supplies a first gas into the processing chamber; a second gas supply unit which supplies a second gas into the processing chamber; an inert gas supply unit which supplies an inert gas into the processing chamber; an exhaust unit which exhausts the atmosphere of the processing chamber; a pressure measurement unit which is provided with a first opening and closing valve and a first pressure measuring instrument for measuring the pressure within the processing chamber during the supply of the first gas into the processing chamber and a second opening and closing valve and a second pressure measuring instrument for measuring the pressure within the processing chamber during the supply of the second gas into the processing chamber; and a control unit which is configured to control the inert gas supply unit, the exhaust unit and the pressure measurement unit so that the first opening and closing valve and the second opening and closing valve are opened during the discharge of the inert gas by means of the exhaust unit and the pressure within the processing chamber is measured by the first pressure measuring instrument and the second pressure measuring instrument.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, semiconductor device manufacturing method and program

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a program.

(2) As one process of manufacturing a semiconductor device (device), a film formation process for forming a film on a substrate housed in a processing chamber may be performed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2014-67777

In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a film using a source gas and a reaction gas, as a pressure measuring device for measuring a pressure in a processing chamber, for example, a reaction product may adhere to a diaphragm gauge or the like. When the product adheres, the zero point of the diaphragm gauge may shift in the positive or negative direction. For this reason, the pressure actually desired to be set cannot be obtained, and there is a possibility that appropriate pressure control cannot be performed.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure,
A processing chamber for accommodating the substrate;
A first gas supply unit that supplies a first gas to the processing chamber,
A second gas supply unit that supplies a second gas to the processing chamber,
An inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to the processing chamber,
An exhaust unit that exhausts an atmosphere in the processing chamber;
When supplying the first gas to the processing chamber, a first on-off valve and a first pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure in the processing chamber, and supplying the second gas to the processing chamber A pressure measurement unit including a second on-off valve and a second pressure measurement device for measuring the pressure in the processing chamber;
The first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened during the evacuation of the inert gas by the evacuation unit, and the pressure in the processing chamber is measured by the first pressure measuring device and the second pressure measuring device. A control unit configured to control the exhaust unit and the pressure measurement unit,
Is provided.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent reaction products from adhering to a pressure measuring device such as a diaphragm gauge, and to more accurately measure the pressure in the processing chamber by the pressure measuring unit.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in a first embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram illustrating a processing furnace portion in a vertical cross-sectional view. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in a first embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram illustrating a processing furnace portion in a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller of the substrate processing apparatus suitably used in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram illustrating a control system of the controller in a block diagram. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a film forming sequence according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

(1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing furnace 202 has a heater 207 as a heating system (temperature adjusting unit). The heater 207 has a cylindrical shape, and is vertically installed by being supported by a heater base (not shown) as a holding plate. The heater 207 heats a processing chamber 201 described later at a predetermined temperature. The heater 207 also functions as an activation mechanism (excitation unit) that activates (excites) the gas with heat.

Inside the heater 207, a reaction tube 203 is disposed concentrically with the heater 207. The reaction tube 203 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO ₂ ) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an upper end closed and a lower end opened. Below the reaction tube 203, a manifold (inlet flange) 209 is provided concentrically with the reaction tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel (SUS) and is formed in a cylindrical shape having upper and lower ends opened. The upper end of the manifold 209 is engaged with the lower end of the reaction tube 203, and is configured to support the reaction tube 203. An O-ring 220 as a seal member is provided between the manifold 209 and the reaction tube 203. By supporting the manifold 209 on the heater base, the reaction tube 203 is in a vertically installed state. A processing vessel (reaction vessel) mainly includes the reaction tube 203 and the manifold 209. A processing chamber 201 is formed in the hollow portion of the processing container. The processing chamber 201 is configured to be able to store a plurality of wafers 200 as substrates in a state where the wafers 200 are stacked in a horizontal posture and vertically in multiple stages by a boat 217 described later.

ノズル In the processing chamber 201,

nozzles

410 and 420 are provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209.

Gas supply pipes

310 and 320 as gas supply lines are connected to the

nozzles

410 and 420, respectively. As described above, the processing vessel (manifold 209) is connected with the two

nozzles

410 and 420 and the two

gas supply pipes

310 and 320, and supplies a plurality of types of gases into the processing chamber 201. Is possible.

The

gas supply pipes

310 and 320 are provided with mass flow controllers (MFC) 312 and 322 as flow controllers (flow control units) and

valves

314 and 324 as on-off valves, respectively, in order from the upstream direction. Downstream of the

valves

314 and 324 of the

gas supply pipes

310 and 320,

gas supply pipes

510 and 520 as gas supply lines for supplying an inert gas are connected, respectively. The

gas supply pipes

510 and 520 are provided with

MFCs

512 and 522 and

valves

514 and 524, respectively, in order from the upstream direction.

Nozzles

410 and 420 are connected to the distal ends of the

gas supply pipes

310 and 320, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the

nozzles

410 and 420 are provided in the annular space in plan view between the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and the wafer 200, and along the upper portion of the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 from above the lower portion. 200 are provided so as to rise and extend upward in the loading direction of 200. That is, the

nozzles

410 and 420 are provided in a region horizontally surrounding the wafer arrangement region on the side of the wafer arrangement region where the wafers 200 are arranged, along the wafer arrangement region. That is, the

nozzles

410 and 420 are provided on the side of the end (peripheral edge) of each wafer 200 loaded into the processing chamber 201, respectively, perpendicular to the surface (flat surface) of the wafer 200. The

nozzles

410 and 420 are configured as L-shaped long nozzles, respectively, and their horizontal parts are provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209, and their vertical parts are at least one end of the wafer arrangement area. It is provided so as to rise from the side toward the other end.

A plurality of supply holes 410a (first gas supply holes) and 420a (second gas supply holes) for supplying gas are provided at the height corresponding to the wafer 200 on the side surfaces of the nozzles 410 and 420 (height corresponding to the substrate loading region). Gas supply holes) are provided. The

supply holes

410a and 420a are open so as to face the center of the reaction tube 203, and can supply gas toward the wafer 200. A plurality of

supply holes

410a and 420a are provided in the region of the reaction tube 203 where the wafer 200 is present, that is, a position facing the substrate support 217, in other words, from the lower end to the upper portion of the heater 207.

供給 A plurality of

supply holes

410a and 420a are provided from the lower part to the upper part of the reaction tube 203, each having the same opening area, and further provided at the same opening pitch. However, the

supply holes

410a and 420a are not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the opening area may be gradually increased from the lower part (upstream side) to the upper part (downstream side) of the

nozzles

410 and 420. Thereby, the flow rate of the gas supplied from the

supply holes

410a and 420a can be made more uniform.

As described above, in the present embodiment, an annular shape in plan view defined by the inner wall of the side wall of the reaction tube 203 and the ends (peripheral portions) of the plurality of wafers 200 arranged in the reaction tube 203. Gas is transported via

nozzles

410 and 420 arranged in a vertically long space, that is, in a cylindrical space. Then, gas is jetted into the reaction tube 203 near the wafer 200 from the

supply holes

410a and 420a opened to the

nozzles

410 and 420, respectively. The main flow of the gas in the reaction tube 203 is in a direction parallel to the surface of the wafer 200, that is, in a horizontal direction. The gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 below the region of the wafer 200 from the supply hole 410b. With the supply hole 410b, the pressure in the nozzle 410 can be reduced.

With such a configuration, the gas can be uniformly supplied to each wafer 200, and the uniformity of the film thickness of the film formed on each wafer 200 can be improved. The gas flowing on the surface of the wafer 200, that is, the residual gas after the reaction flows toward an exhaust port, that is, an exhaust pipe 231 described later. However, the direction of the flow of the residual gas is appropriately specified by the position of the exhaust port, and is not limited to the vertical direction.

A processing gas (raw material gas) is supplied from the gas supply pipe 310 into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 312, the valve 314, and the nozzle 410. As the raw material gas, for example, trimethyl aluminum (Al (CH ₃ ) ₃ ) as an aluminum-containing raw material (Al-containing raw material gas, Al-containing gas) which is a metal-containing gas containing aluminum (Al) as a metal element, abbreviation: TMA ) Is used. TMA is an organic raw material, and is an alkyl aluminum in which an alkyl group is bonded to aluminum as a ligand. When the source gas flows from the nozzle 410, the nozzle 410 may be referred to as a source gas nozzle.

The raw material gas refers to a raw material in a gaseous state, for example, a gaseous raw material in a gaseous state at normal temperature and normal pressure, a gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid raw material in a liquid state at normal temperature and normal pressure, and the like. In this specification, the term “raw material” means “raw material in liquid state”, “raw material in gaseous state (raw material gas)”, or both of them. May be.

From the gas supply pipe 320, an oxygen-containing gas (oxidizing gas, oxidizing agent) containing, for example, oxygen (O) as a processing gas (reactive gas) and reacting with Al is supplied as an MFC 322 and a valve. 324, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 through the nozzle 420. As the O-containing gas, for example, an ozone (O ₃ ) gas, a mixed gas of O ₃ and O ₂ , or the like can be used.

From the

gas supply pipes

510 and 520, for example, N ₂ gas as an inert gas is introduced into the processing chamber 201 via the

MFCs

512 and 522, the

valves

514 and 524, the

gas supply pipes

310 and 320, and the

nozzles

410 and 420, respectively. Supplied.

(4) When the source gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 310, a source gas supply system mainly includes the gas supply pipe 310, the MFC 312, and the valve 314. The nozzle 410 may be included in the source gas supply system. The source gas supply system may be referred to as a source supply system. When supplying the metal-containing gas from the gas supply pipe 310, the source gas supply system may be referred to as a metal-containing gas supply system. When an aluminum-containing raw material (Al-containing raw material gas, Al-containing gas) is used as the metal-containing gas, the metal-containing gas supply system may be referred to as an aluminum-containing raw material (Al-containing raw material gas, Al-containing gas) supply system. When TMA is used as the aluminum-containing raw material, the aluminum-containing raw material supply system may be referred to as a TMA supply system.

When a reaction gas (reactant) is supplied from the gas supply pipe 320, a reaction gas supply system (reactant supply system) is mainly configured by the gas supply pipe 320, the MFC 322, and the valve 324. The nozzle 420 may be included in the reaction gas supply system. When an oxygen-containing gas (oxidizing gas, oxidant) is supplied as a reaction gas, the reaction gas supply system may be referred to as an oxygen-containing gas (oxidizing gas, oxidant) supply system. When O ₃ is used as the oxygen-containing gas, the oxygen-containing gas supply system may be referred to as an O ₃ supply system. When the reaction gas flows from the nozzle 420, the nozzle 420 may be referred to as a reaction gas nozzle.

An inert gas supply system mainly includes the

gas supply pipes

510 and 520, the

MFCs

512 and 522, and the valves 514 and 325.

The source gas supply system and the reaction gas supply system may be collectively referred to as a gas supply system. The inert gas supply system may be included in the gas supply system.

The reaction tube 203 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 as an exhaust passage for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201. The exhaust pipe 231 has a pressure sensor (diaphragm gauge) 293 as a first pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure in the processing chamber 201 when the source gas is supplied through a protective air valve (air valve) 291 as a first opening / closing valve. Is connected. In addition, a pressure sensor (diaphragm gauge) as a second pressure measuring device that measures the pressure in the processing chamber 201 when the reaction gas is supplied through a protective air valve (air valve) 292 as a second opening / closing valve is provided in the exhaust pipe 231. ) 294 are connected. A pressure measuring unit is configured including the air valves 291 and 292 and the pressure sensors 293 and 294. In addition, a vacuum pump 246 as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the exhaust pipe 231 via an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 244 as an exhaust valve (pressure adjusting unit). The APC valve 244 can perform evacuation and stop evacuation of the processing chamber 201 by opening and closing the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. Further, with the vacuum pump 246 operating, The valve is configured such that the pressure in the processing chamber 201 can be adjusted by adjusting the valve opening based on the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 245. An exhaust system is mainly configured by the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 244, the air valves 291 and 292, and the pressure sensors 293 and 294. The vacuum pump 246 may be included in the exhaust system. The exhaust pipe 231 is not limited to being provided in the reaction tube 203, and may be provided in the manifold 209 similarly to the

nozzles

410 and 420.

シール Below the manifold 209, a seal cap 219 is provided as a furnace port lid capable of hermetically closing the lower end opening of the manifold 209. The seal cap 219 is configured to contact the lower end of the manifold 209 from below in the vertical direction. The seal cap 219 is made of, for example, a metal such as SUS and is formed in a disk shape. On the upper surface of the seal cap 219, an O-ring 220b is provided as a seal member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 209. On the opposite side of the seal cap 219 from the processing chamber 201, a rotation mechanism 267 for rotating a boat 217 described later is installed. The rotation shaft 255 of the rotation mechanism 267 passes through the seal cap 219 and is connected to the boat 217. The rotation mechanism 267 is configured to rotate the boat 217 to rotate the wafer 200. The seal cap 219 is configured to be vertically moved up and down by a boat elevator 115 as an elevating mechanism vertically installed outside the reaction tube 203. The boat elevator 115 is configured so that the boat 217 can be carried in and out of the processing chamber 201 by moving the seal cap 219 up and down. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transfer device (transfer mechanism) that transfers the boat 217, that is, the wafer 200, into and out of the processing chamber 201. Further, below the manifold 209, a shutter 219s is provided as a furnace port lid that can hermetically close the lower end opening of the manifold 209 while the seal cap 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115. The shutter 219s is made of a metal such as SUS, for example, and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 220c is provided on the upper surface of the shutter 219s as a seal member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 209. The opening / closing operation of the shutter 219s (elevation operation, rotation operation, etc.) is controlled by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s.

The boat 217 as a substrate supporter supports a plurality of, for example, 25 to 200, wafers 200 in a horizontal posture and in a vertically aligned manner with their centers aligned with each other, that is, supports in multiple stages. It is configured to be arranged at intervals. The boat 217 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. At the lower part of the boat 217, a heat insulating plate (not shown) made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC is supported in multiple stages. This configuration makes it difficult for heat from the heater 207 to be transmitted to the seal cap 219 side. However, the present embodiment is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, instead of providing a heat insulating plate below the boat 217, a heat insulating tube 218 configured as a cylindrical member made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC may be provided.

温度 A temperature sensor 263 as a temperature detector is installed in the reaction tube 203. By adjusting the power supply to the heater 207 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263, the temperature in the processing chamber 201 becomes a desired temperature distribution. The temperature sensor 263 is formed in an L shape like the

nozzles

410 and 420, and is provided along the inner wall of the reaction tube 203.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 121, which is a control unit (control means), is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I / O port 121d. Have been. The RAM 121b, the storage device 121c, and the I / O port 121d are configured to exchange data with the CPU 121a via the internal bus 121e. An input / output device 122 configured as, for example, a touch panel or the like is connected to the controller 121.

The storage device 121c includes, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and the like. In the storage device 121c, a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, a process recipe in which procedures and conditions of substrate processing described later are described, and a cleaning procedure and conditions of cleaning processing described later are described. Recipes and the like are stored in a readable manner. The process recipe is a combination that allows the controller 121 to execute each procedure in a film forming process described later and obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. The cleaning recipe is a combination of the cleaning procedure, which will be described later, performed by the controller 121 so as to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, the cleaning recipe, the control program, and the like are collectively referred to simply as a program. Further, the process recipe and the cleaning recipe are also simply referred to as recipes. When the word program is used in this specification, it may include only a process recipe alone, may include only a cleaning recipe, may include only a control program, or may include any combination thereof. . The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) in which programs, data, and the like read by the CPU 121a are temporarily stored.

The I / O port 121d includes the

MFCs

512, 522, 312, 322, the

valves

514, 524, 314, 324, the air valves 291, 292, the pressure sensors 293, 294, the APC valve 243, the vacuum pump 246, the temperature sensor 263, and the heater. 207, a rotation mechanism 267, a boat elevator 115, a notification unit 550, and the like.

The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c and read a recipe from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122 or the like. The CPU 121a adjusts the flow rate of various gases by the

MFCs

512, 522, 312, and 322, opens and closes the

valves

514, 524, 314, and 324, opens and closes the APC valve 243, and operates the air valve 291, according to the contents of the read recipe. 293, the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve 243 based on the pressure sensors 293, 294, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on the temperature sensor 263, the rotation and rotation of the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267. The speed control operation, the lifting / lowering operation of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, and the opening / closing operation of the shutter 219s by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s are controlled.

The controller 121 is stored in an external storage device 123 (for example, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk such as a flexible disk and a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD and a DVD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, and a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory and a memory card). The above-described program can be configured by installing the program in a computer. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these are collectively simply referred to as a recording medium. In this specification, the term “recording medium” may include only the storage device 121c, include only the external storage device 123, or include both of them. The provision of the program to the computer may be performed using communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line without using the external storage device 123.

(2) Film Forming Process An example of a sequence of forming a film on a substrate as one process of manufacturing a semiconductor device (device) using the above-described substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the operation of each unit constituting the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the controller 121.

In the present embodiment, while heating the processing chamber 201 containing a plurality of wafers 200 as substrates loaded therein at a predetermined temperature, the processing gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the plurality of supply holes 410 a opened to the nozzle 410. By performing a predetermined number of times (n times) of supplying a TMA gas as a reaction gas and supplying an O ₃ gas as a reaction gas from a plurality of supply holes 420a opened to the nozzle 420, n An aluminum oxide film (AlO film) is formed as a film containing O.

において In this specification, the term “wafer” may mean the wafer itself or may refer to a laminate of the wafer and predetermined layers or films formed on the surface thereof. In this specification, the term “surface of the wafer” may mean the surface of the wafer itself or the surface of a predetermined layer or the like formed on the wafer. In this specification, the phrase "forming a predetermined layer on a wafer" means that a predetermined layer is directly formed on the surface of the wafer itself, or a layer formed on the wafer. It may mean forming a predetermined layer on the substrate. In this specification, the use of the word "substrate" is synonymous with the use of the word "wafer".

(Wafer charge boat load)
When a plurality of wafers 200 are loaded on the boat 217 (wafer charging), the shutter 219s is moved by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s, and the lower end opening of the manifold 209 is opened (shutter open). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the boat 217 in which the plurality of wafers 200 are stored is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and is loaded into the processing chamber 201 (boat loading). In this state, the seal cap 219 is in a state where the lower end of the manifold 209 is sealed via the O-ring 220b.

(Pressure / temperature adjustment)
The air valves 291 and 292 are opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensors 293 and 294 for a certain time. Thereafter, when each of the pressure sensors 293 and 294 measures that the pressure value in the processing chamber 201 is the same, the air valve 292 is closed and the air valve 291 is kept open. Start monitoring pressure of The inside of the processing chamber 201, that is, the space where the wafer 200 exists, is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 so as to have a desired pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 293, and the APC valve 243 is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure information (pressure adjustment). The vacuum pump 246 keeps operating at least until the processing on the wafer 200 is completed. Further, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is heated by the heater 207 so as to reach a desired temperature. At this time, the amount of power to the heater 207 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 has a desired temperature distribution (temperature adjustment). The heating of the inside of the processing chamber 201 by the heater 207 is continuously performed at least until the processing on the wafer 200 is completed. Subsequently, the rotation of the boat 217 and the wafer 200 by the rotation mechanism 267 is started. The rotation of the boat 217 and the wafer 200 by the rotation mechanism 267 is continuously performed at least until the processing on the wafer 200 is completed.

(Deposition step)
Thereafter, a source gas supply step, a residual gas removal step, a reaction gas supply step, and a residual gas removal step are performed a predetermined number of times in this order.

[Raw material gas supply step]
The valve 314 is opened, and the TMA gas flows into the gas supply pipe 310. The flow rate of the TMA gas is adjusted by the MFC 312, and the TMA gas is supplied to the wafer 200 from a supply hole 410 a opened in the nozzle 410. That is, the wafer 200 is exposed to the TMA gas. The TMA gas supplied from the supply hole 410a is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, at the same time, the valve 514 is opened, and the N 2 gas flows as a carrier gas into the gas supply pipe 510. The flow rate of the N ₂ gas is adjusted by the MFC 512, the N ₂ gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 through the supply hole 410 a of the nozzle 410 together with the TMA gas, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. In the source gas supply step, when the TMA gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201, the air valve 291 is opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 during the supply of the TMA gas is monitored by the pressure sensor 293. On the other hand, the air valve 292 is closed so that the TMA gas does not enter the pressure sensor 294.

Further, in order to prevent the intrusion of the TMA gas into the nozzle 420 (prevent the backflow), the valve 524 is opened, and the N ₂ gas flows into the gas supply pipe 520. The N ₂ gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 through the gas supply pipe 520 and the nozzle 420, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231.

At this time, the APC valve 243 is appropriately adjusted so that the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is, for example, 1 to 1000 Pa, preferably 1 to 100 Pa, and more preferably 10 to 50 Pa. By setting the pressure in the processing chamber 201 to 1000 Pa or less, it is possible to suitably perform the residual gas removal described later. By setting the pressure in the processing chamber 201 to 1 Pa or more, the reaction speed of the TMA gas on the surface of the wafer 200 can be increased, and a practical film forming speed can be obtained. In this specification, when the range of the numerical value is, for example, 1 to 1000 Pa, it means 1 Pa or more and 1000 Pa or less. That is, 1 Pa and 1000 Pa are included in the range of the numerical value. The same applies to all numerical values described in this specification, such as not only pressure but also flow rate, time, temperature and the like.

The supply flow rate of the TMA gas controlled by the MFC 312 is, for example, a flow rate within a range of 10 to 1000 sccm, preferably 50 to 1000 sccm, and more preferably 100 to 500 sccm. By setting the flow rate to 1000 sccm or less, it is possible to suitably perform the residual gas removal described later. By setting the flow rate to 10 sccm or more, it is possible to obtain a practical film forming rate capable of increasing the reaction rate of the TMA gas on the surface of the wafer 200. Here, the TMA gas indicates the flow rate of the TMA gas alone. In addition, as a supply method of the TMA gas, for example, a supply method by bubbling may include an inert gas of 100 to 2000 sccm.

The supply flow rate of the N ₂ gas controlled by the MFC 512 is, for example, 1 to 30 slm, preferably 1 to 20 slm, and more preferably 1 to 10 slm.

The time for supplying the TMA gas to the wafer 200 is, for example, in the range of 1 to 60 seconds, preferably 1 to 30 seconds, and more preferably 2 to 20 seconds.

The heater 207 heats the wafer 200 so that the temperature of the wafer 200 is, for example, in the range of 50 to 600 ° C., preferably 70 to 550 ° C., and more preferably 75 to 500 ° C. By controlling the temperature to 600 ° C. or lower, it is possible to appropriately obtain a film formation rate while suppressing excessive thermal decomposition of the TMA gas, and suppress an increase in resistivity due to impurities being taken into the film. . Note that thermal decomposition of TMA gas starts at about 450 ° C. under conditions close to the processing, and therefore, it is more effective to use the present disclosure in the processing chamber 201 heated to a temperature of 550 ° C. or lower. On the other hand, when the temperature is 400 ° C. or higher, the reactivity is high, and efficient film formation is possible.

(4) By supplying the TMA gas into the processing chamber 201 under the above conditions, an Al-containing layer is formed on the outermost surface of the wafer 200. The Al-containing layer may include C and H in addition to the Al layer. The Al-containing layer is formed on the outermost surface of the wafer 200 by physically adsorbing TMA, chemically adsorbing a substance obtained by partially decomposing TMA, or depositing Al by thermal decomposition of TMA. Is done. That is, the Al-containing layer may be an adsorption layer (physical adsorption layer or chemical adsorption layer) of TMA or a substance in which TMA is partially decomposed, or may be an Al deposition layer (Al layer).

[Residual gas removal step]
After the formation of the Al-containing layer, the valve 314 is closed, and the supply of the TMA gas is stopped. At this time, while the APC valve 243 is kept open, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246, and the TMA gas remaining in the processing chamber 201 and having contributed to the formation of the Al-containing layer is removed from the processing chamber 201. Eliminate from within. The

valves

514 and 524 maintain the supply of the N ₂ gas into the processing chamber 201 in an open state. The N ₂ gas acts as a purge gas (inert gas), and can increase the effect of removing unreacted TMA gas remaining in the processing chamber 201 or having contributed to the formation of the Al-containing layer from the processing chamber 201. Note that the N ₂ gas from the

valves

514 and 524 may be kept flowing during the residual gas removing step.

After removing the residual gas in the processing chamber 201, the air valve 291 is kept open, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 after the residual gas is removed is monitored by the pressure sensor 293. At this time, the air valve 292 is opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 after the residual gas is removed is monitored by the pressure sensor 294. That is, in the step of removing (exhausting) the source gas (first gas) in the processing chamber 201, the air valves 291 and 292 are opened while the purge gas is exhausted, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensors 293 and 294. (Monitor). The pressure sensors 293 and 294 monitor the pressure in the processing chamber 201 for a certain period of time, and then each of the pressure sensors 293 and 294 measures that the value of the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is the same. May be. In this case, the air valve 291 is closed, the air valve 292 is kept open, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is switched to a pressure sensor 294 for monitoring the pressure in the processing chamber when O _{3 is} supplied, which will be described later. By closing the air valve 291, the O ₃ gas is prevented from entering the pressure sensor 293. After the residual gas in the processing chamber 201 is removed, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is monitored by the pressure sensors 293 and 294, and the value of the pressure of the processing chamber 201 measured by the pressure sensors 293 and 294 measures the same pressure, that is, Since the measurement results are the same, it is possible to confirm that the reaction products are not attached to the pressure sensors 293 and 294 and that the pressure sensors 293 and 294 are operating normally. In addition, a notifying unit 550 is provided in the substrate processing apparatus 10 and connected to the controller 121, and when the pressure values monitored (measured) by the pressure sensors 293 and 294 do not match, the notifying unit informs the user. It may be configured to notify that the pressure values do not match. By doing so, it is possible to notify the user that the reaction product has adhered to the pressure sensor 293 or 294 from the notification unit 550 by an alarm or the like.

[Reaction gas supply step]
When the monitoring of the pressure sensor 294 is started after removing the residual gas in the processing chamber 201, the valve 324 is opened, and the O ₃ gas, which is a reaction gas, flows into the gas supply pipe 320. The flow rate of the O ₃ gas is adjusted by the MFC 322, the O ₃ gas is supplied to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201 from the supply hole 420 a of the nozzle 420, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. That wafer 200 is exposed to the _{O 3} gas. At this time, the valve 524 is opened, and the N 2 gas flows into the gas supply pipe 520. The flow rate of the N ₂ gas is adjusted by the MFC 522, supplied to the processing chamber 201 together with the O ₃ gas, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the valve 514 is opened and the N ₂ gas flows into the gas supply pipe 510 in order to prevent the O ₃ gas from entering the nozzle 410 (prevent backflow). The N ₂ gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 through the gas supply pipe 510 and the nozzle 410, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. In the reaction gas supply step, when supplying O ₃ into the processing chamber 201, the air valve 292 is opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 during the supply of the O ₃ gas is monitored by the pressure sensor 294. On the other hand, the air valve 291 is closed so that O ₃ gas does not enter the pressure sensor 293.

At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is adjusted to, for example, a pressure in the range of 1 to 1000 Pa, preferably 1 to 500 Pa, and more preferably 10 to 200 Pa by appropriately adjusting the APC valve 243. The supply flow rate of the O ₃ gas controlled by the MFC 322 is, for example, within a range of 5 to 40 slm, preferably 5 to 30 slm, and more preferably 10 to 30 slm. The time for supplying the O ₃ gas to the wafer 200 is, for example, in the range of 1 to 120 seconds, preferably 2 to 60 seconds, and more preferably 5 to 60 seconds. Other processing conditions are the same processing conditions as in the above-described source gas supply step.

At this time, the gas flowing into the processing chamber 201 is only the O ₃ gas and the inert gas (N ₂ gas). Here, the O ₃ gas refers to a mixed gas of O ₃ and O ₂ . The O ₃ gas reacts with at least a part of the Al-containing layer formed on the wafer 200 in the source gas supply step. The Al-containing layer is oxidized to form an aluminum oxide layer (AlO layer) containing Al and O as a metal oxide layer. That is, the Al-containing layer is modified into an AlO layer.

[Residual gas removal step]
After the AlO layer is formed, the valve 324 is closed to stop the supply of the O ₃ gas. Then, according to the same processing procedure as the residual gas removing step after the raw material gas supplying step, the unreacted O ₃ gas or reaction by-product remaining in the processing chamber 201 after contributing to the formation of the AlO layer is removed from the processing chamber 201. Eliminate from within. The

valves

514 and 524 maintain the supply of the N ₂ gas into the processing chamber 201 in an open state. The N ₂ gas acts as a purge gas (inert gas) and removes unreacted O ₃ gas and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 or contributing to the formation of an AlO layer from the processing chamber 201. Can be increased. Note that the N ₂ gas from the

valves

514 and 524 may be kept flowing during the residual gas removing step.

(4) When shifting from the residual gas removing step to the raw material gas supplying step, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 after removing the residual gas is monitored by the pressure sensor 294 while keeping the air valve 292 open. At this time, the air valve 291 is opened, and the pressure is monitored by the pressure sensor 293 inside the processing chamber 201 after the residual gas is removed. That is, in the step of removing (exhausting) the reaction gas (second gas) in the processing chamber 201, the air valves 292 and 291 are opened during the exhaust of the purge gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensors 294 and 293 ( Monitor). The pressure sensors 293 and 294 monitor the pressure in the processing chamber 201 for a certain period of time, and then each of the pressure sensors 293 and 294 measures that the value of the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is the same. May be. In this case, the air valve 292 is closed, the air valve 291 is kept open, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is switched to the pressure sensor 293 for monitoring the pressure in the processing chamber 201 when the TMA gas is supplied, and the monitoring in the processing chamber 201 is started. In addition, a notification unit (not shown) is provided in the substrate processing apparatus 10 and is connected to the controller 121. If the pressure values monitored (measured) by the pressure sensors 293 and 294 do not match, the notification unit 550 is used. The user may be notified that the pressure values do not match. By doing so, it is possible to notify the user that the reaction product has adhered to the pressure sensor 293 or 294 by an alarm or the like of the notification unit 550.

[Conducted a predetermined number of times]
An AlO film is formed on the wafer 200 by performing at least one cycle (a predetermined number of times) of sequentially performing the above-described source gas supply step, residual gas removal step, reaction gas supply step, and residual gas supply step. The number of times of this cycle is appropriately selected depending on the film thickness required for the AlO film to be finally formed, but this cycle is preferably repeated a plurality of times. The thickness (film thickness) of the AlO film is, for example, 1 to 150 nm, preferably 1 to 100 nm, and more preferably 60 to 80 (1 to 20 nm).

(After-purge, return to atmospheric pressure)
When the film forming step is completed, the

valves

514 and 524 are opened, N ₂ gas is supplied from the

gas supply pipes

310 and 320 into the processing chamber 201, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. The N ₂ gas acts as a purge gas, and gas and by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201 (after-purge). Thereafter, the atmosphere in the process chamber 201 is replaced with N ₂ gas (N ₂ gas replacement), the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure return).

(Boat unload / wafer discharge)
Thereafter, the seal cap 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115, the lower end of the manifold 209 is opened, and the processed wafer 200 is unloaded from the lower end of the manifold 209 to the outside of the reaction tube 203 while being supported by the boat 217. (Boat unloading). After the boat is unloaded, the shutter 219s is moved, and the lower end opening of the manifold 209 is sealed by the shutter 219s via the O-ring 220c (shutter closed). The processed wafer 200 is carried out of the reaction tube 203 and then discharged from the boat 217 (wafer discharge).

(3) Effects of the present embodiment According to the above-described embodiment, one or more effects described below can be obtained.

As described above, the pressure sensor 293 for measuring the pressure in the treatment chamber 201 when the exhaust air valve 291 and TMA gas (first gas) is provided, the process at the time of exhaust of the air valve 292 and the _{O 3} gas (second gas) A pressure sensor 294 for measuring the pressure in the chamber 201 is provided. When the TMA gas or the O ₃ gas is exhausted, the air valve 291 and the air valve 292 are opened. Can be monitored.

Further, the pressure sensor 294 for monitoring the pressure in the processing chamber 201 to the pressure sensor 293 is provided, upon supply of the air valve 292 and the _{O 3} gas for monitoring the pressure in the processing chamber 201 during the supply of the air valve 291 and TMA gas When supplying the TMA gas, the air valve 292 is closed, and the pressure sensor 294 at the time of supplying the O ₃ gas is not exposed to the TMA gas, so that the film formation does not progress, and the pressure sensor such as a diagram gauge is used. It is possible to configure so that the reaction product does not adhere. When supplying O ₃ gas, the air valve 291 is closed and the pressure sensor 293 during TMA supply is not exposed to the O ₃ gas, so that film formation does not proceed and a reaction is generated by a pressure sensor such as a diagram gauge. It is possible to configure so that an object does not adhere.

When switching the supply from the source gas to the reaction gas, or when switching the supply from the reaction gas to the source gas, the air valves 291 and 292 are opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 after removing the residual gas by the pressure sensors 293 and 294. Is monitored for a certain period of time, and when the pressure sensors 293 and 294 measure that the values of the pressures in the processing chamber are the same, the pressure is determined according to the processing gas (source gas or reaction gas) supplied into the processing chamber 201. Since the sensors are switched, it is possible to confirm that the reaction products are not attached to the pressure sensors 293 and 294 and that the pressure sensors 293 and 294 are operating normally. In addition, the air valves 291 and 292 can be switched in a low pressure state where the pressure values of the pressure sensors 293 and 294 are easily uniform.

In addition, a notification unit (not shown) is provided in the substrate processing apparatus 10 and is connected to the controller 121. If the pressure values measured by the pressure sensors 293 and 294 do not match, the notification unit notifies the user of the user. By notifying that the pressure values do not match, it is possible to notify the user that the reaction product is attached to the pressure sensor 293 or 294.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the TMA gas is used as the Al-containing gas has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, aluminum chloride (AlCl ₃ ) may be used. Although an example in which an O ₃ gas is used as the O-containing gas has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, oxygen (O ₂ ), water (H ₂ O), hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ), O ₂ plasma A combination of hydrogen and hydrogen (H ₂ ) plasma can also be applied. Although an example in which N ₂ gas is used as the inert gas has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a rare gas such as Ar gas, He gas, Ne gas, or Xe gas may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the AlO film is formed on the substrate has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this aspect. It is also used for a film type that forms a film by using a source gas diluted with an inert gas or the like at the time of supplying the source gas. For example, titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium ( A film containing Hf), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), yttrium (Y), La (lanthanum), strontium (Sr), and silicon (Si). Nitride, carbonitride, oxide, oxycarbide, oxynitride, oxycarbonitride, boronitride, borocarbonitride, metal element simple film, etc. is there.

The recipes (programs describing processing procedures and processing conditions, etc.) used for the film formation processing include processing contents (types of films to be formed or removed, composition ratios, film quality, film thickness, processing procedures, processing conditions, etc.). It is preferable to prepare individually according to the above and store in the storage device 121c via the electric communication line or the external storage device 123. Then, when starting the processing, it is preferable that the CPU 121a appropriately selects an appropriate recipe from the plurality of recipes stored in the storage device 121c according to the processing content. This makes it possible to form films of various film types, composition ratios, film qualities, and film thicknesses with high reproducibility by one substrate processing apparatus, and to perform appropriate processing in each case. Become like In addition, the burden on the operator (such as the burden of inputting processing procedures and processing conditions) can be reduced, and processing can be started quickly while avoiding operation errors.

The above-described recipe is not limited to the case where the recipe is newly created, and may be prepared by, for example, changing an existing recipe already installed in the substrate processing apparatus. When changing the recipe, the changed recipe may be installed in the substrate processing apparatus via an electric communication line or a recording medium on which the recipe is recorded. Further, the input / output device 122 provided in the existing substrate processing apparatus may be operated to directly change the existing recipe already installed in the substrate processing apparatus.

In addition, the above-described embodiments and modified examples can be used in appropriate combinations. Further, the processing procedure and processing conditions at this time can be the same as the processing procedures and processing conditions of the above-described embodiment and modified examples.

Claims

A processing chamber for accommodating the substrate;
A first gas supply unit that supplies a first gas to the processing chamber;
A second gas supply unit that supplies a second gas to the processing chamber;
An inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to the processing chamber,
An exhaust unit that exhausts an atmosphere in the processing chamber;
While supplying the first gas to the processing chamber, a first on-off valve and a first pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure in the processing chamber, and supplying the second gas to the processing chamber A pressure measurement unit including a second on-off valve and a second pressure measurement device for measuring the pressure in the processing chamber;
The first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened during the evacuation of the inert gas by the evacuation unit, and the pressure in the processing chamber is measured by the first pressure measuring device and the second pressure measuring device. A substrate processing apparatus having a control unit configured to control the inert gas supply unit, the exhaust unit, and the pressure measurement unit.
The control unit, when the value of the pressure of the processing chamber measured by the first pressure measurement device and the second pressure measurement device is the same pressure, when supplying the first gas, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the second on-off valve is closed and the second gas is supplied, the pressure measurement unit is controlled to close the first on-off valve.
When the value of the pressure of the processing chamber measured by the first pressure measuring device and the second pressure measuring device is not the same pressure, a notification unit that notifies an alarm,
The control unit notifies the alarm when a value of the pressure of the processing chamber measured by the first pressure measuring device and the second pressure measuring device does not become the same pressure within a predetermined time. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is configured to control the notification unit.
The control unit is configured to close the second on-off valve when the first gas is being supplied from the first gas supply unit to the processing chamber, and to control the processing chamber from the second supply unit to the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing valve is configured to close the first on-off valve when the second gas is supplied.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure measuring unit is a diaphragm gauge.
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gas is a source gas, and the second gas is a reaction gas.
8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the source gas is a metal-containing gas, and the reaction gas is an oxygen-containing gas.
A processing chamber accommodating a substrate, a first gas supply unit for supplying a first gas to the processing chamber, a second gas supply unit for supplying a second gas to the processing chamber, and an inert gas to the processing chamber. An inert gas supply unit for supplying, an exhaust unit for exhausting an atmosphere in the processing chamber, and a first opening / closing unit for measuring a pressure in the processing chamber when the first gas is supplied to the processing chamber. A pressure, comprising: a valve, a first pressure measuring device, and a second on-off valve for measuring a pressure in the processing chamber when the second gas is supplied into the processing chamber, and a second pressure measuring device. A measuring unit, and a step of carrying the substrate into the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus having
Supplying the first gas into the processing chamber by the first gas supply unit;
Exhausting the first gas from the reaction chamber by the exhaust unit;
Supplying the second gas into the processing chamber by the second gas supply unit;
Exhausting the second gas from the processing chamber by the exhaust unit,
In the step of exhausting the first gas or the step of exhausting the second gas, during the exhaustion of the inert gas, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened, and the first pressure measuring device and the A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, wherein a pressure in the processing chamber is measured by a second pressure measuring device.
A processing chamber accommodating a substrate, a first gas supply unit for supplying a first gas to the processing chamber, a second gas supply unit for supplying a second gas to the processing chamber, and an inert gas to the processing chamber. An inert gas supply unit for supplying, an exhaust unit for exhausting an atmosphere in the processing chamber, and a first opening / closing unit for measuring a pressure in the processing chamber when the first gas is supplied to the processing chamber. A pressure, comprising: a valve, a first pressure measuring device, and a second on-off valve for measuring a pressure in the processing chamber when the second gas is supplied into the processing chamber, and a second pressure measuring device. A procedure for carrying a substrate into the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus having a measuring unit;
Supplying the first gas into the processing chamber by the first gas supply unit;
A step of exhausting the first gas from the reaction chamber by the exhaust unit;
Supplying the second gas into the processing chamber by the second gas supply unit;
Exhausting the second gas from the processing chamber by the exhaust unit,
In the step of exhausting the first gas or the step of exhausting the second gas, during exhaustion of the inert gas, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened, and the first pressure measurement device includes: A program for causing the substrate processing apparatus to execute, by a computer, a procedure of measuring the pressure of the processing chamber by the second pressure measuring device.