Method of detoxifying exhaust pipe and film forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053776-B2
Application number	US-201615003138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Feb 2, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A method of detoxifying an exhaust pipe in a film forming apparatus configured to supply a raw material gas contending a harmful component and a reaction gas capable of generating a harmless reaction product by reaction with the raw material gas into a process chamber to perform a film forming process on a substrate while independently exhausting the raw material gas and the reaction gas from a raw material exhaust pipe and a reaction gas exhaust pipe connected to the process chamber, respectively, is provided. The method includes supplying the reaction gas into the raw material exhaust pipe to detoxify an interior of the raw material exhaust pipe during a predetermined period in which the film forming apparatus is operated and the film forming process is not performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of detoxifying an exhaust pipe in a forming apparatus configured to supply a raw material gas containing a harmful component and a reaction gas capable of generating a harmless reaction product by reaction with the raw material gas into a process chamber to perform a film forming process on a substrate while independently exhausting the raw material gas and the reaction gas from a raw material exhaust pipe and a reaction gas exhaust pipe connected to the process chamber, respectively, comprising:
supplying the reaction gas into the raw material exhaust pipe to detoxify an interior of the raw material exhaust pipe during a predetermined period in which the film forming apparatus is operated and the film forming process is not performed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplying the reaction gas into the raw material exhaust pipe is performed by switching a connection of a supply destination of the reaction gas supply source from the process chamber to the raw material exhaust pipe.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period includes at least one of a substrate loading period in which the substrate is loaded to the process chamber, a film forming preparation period before performing the film forming process from the substrate loading period, a post-processing period before starting unloading of the substrate after performing the film forming process, and a substrate unloading period in which the substrate is unloaded from the process chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction gas is an oxidization gas.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the oxidization gas is an oxygen gas or an ozone gas.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw material gas is a gas containing an organic metal compound.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the organic metal compound contains aluminum, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, or silane.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the harmful component is a component containing an amino group.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the film forming apparatus includes, within the process chamber, a rotary table configured to load a plurality of substrates on a surface thereof in a circumferential direction, a raw material gas supply region and a reaction gas supply region partitioned in the circumferential direction in an upper side of the rotary table, and a separation region formed between the raw material gas supply region and the reaction gas supply region,
wherein the raw material exhaust pipe and the reaction gas exhaust pipe are connected to the process chamber so as to be communicated with the raw material gas supply region and the reaction gas supply region, respectively, and
wherein the film forming process is performed by rotating the rotary table on which the substrate is loaded such that the substrate alternately passes through the raw material gas supply region and the reaction gas supply region via the separation region.

10. A film forming apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber;
a raw material gas supply region formed within the process chamber and configured such that a raw material gas containing a harmful component is supplied thereto;
a reaction gas supply region partitioned with the raw material gas supply region within the process chamber and configured such that a reaction gas capable of generating a harmless reaction product by reaction with the raw material gas is supplied thereto;
a raw material gas exhaust pipe connected to a point that communicates with the raw material gas supply region of the process chamber;
a reaction gas exhaust pipe connected to a point that communicates with the reaction gas supply region of the process chamber;
a raw material gas supply part configured to supply the raw material gas to the raw material gas supply region;
a reaction gas supply part configured to supply the reaction gas to the reaction gas supply region;
a reaction gas supply source connected to the reaction gas supply part;
a bypass pipe configured to connect the reaction gas supply source to the raw material gas exhaust pipe;
a connection switching part configured to switch a connection of the reaction gas supply source to the reaction gas supply part or to the bypass pipe; and
a control part configured to control a connection switching operation of the connection switching part.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a rotary table configured to load a plurality of substrates on a surface thereof in a circumferential direction is installed within the process chamber,
wherein the raw material gas supply region and the reaction gas supply region are formed to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction in an upper side of the rotary table, and a separation region is formed between the raw material gas supply region and the reaction gas supply region,
wherein a film forming process is performed to deposit a reaction product oh the plurality of substrates by rotating the rotary table on which the plurality of substrates are loaded and alternately passing the plurality of substrates through the raw material gas supply region and the reaction gas supply region via the separation region, while supplying the raw material gas from the raw material gas supply part to the raw material gas supply region and simultaneously supplying the reaction gas from the reaction gas supply part to the reaction gas supply region, and
wherein the control part is configured to operate the connection switching part to connect the reaction gas supply source to the bypass pipe during a predetermined period in which the film forming process is not performed.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control part is configured to operate the connection switching part to connect the reaction gas supply source to the bypass pipe during at least one period of a substrate loading period in which the substrate is loaded to the process chamber, a film forming preparation period before performing the film forming process from the substrate loading period, a post-processing period before starting unloading of the substrate after performing the film forming process, and a substrate unloading period in which the substrate is unloaded from the process chamber.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Wamura Yu
• Hayase Fumiaki
• Kaminishi Masahiko
• Takahashi Kosuke
• Sasaki Yu
• Sasaki Hiroko

Classifications

• C23C16/45551

  for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments · CPC title

• B01D2258/0216

  from CVD treatment or semi-conductor manufacturing · CPC title

• C23C16/4584 Primary

  the substrate being rotated · CPC title

• C23C16/4412 Primary

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title

• B01D2251/104

  Ozone · CPC title