Substrate processing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11062918-B2
Application number	US-201916572184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2019
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a first processing module including a first processing module, a second processing module, a first utility system adjacent to a back surface of the first processing module, and a second utility system adjacent to a back surface of the second processing module, a first exhaust box of the first utility system and a second exhaust box of the second utility system being disposed to face each other across a maintenance area located behind a part of the back surface of the first processing module that is close to the second processing module and behind a part of the back surface of the second processing module that is close to the first processing module, and a first supply box of the first utility system and a second supply box of the second utility system being disposed to face each other across the maintenance area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a first process module including a first process container in which a substrate is processed;
a second process module including a second process container in which a substrate is processed, the second process module being disposed adjacent to the first process module;
a first utility system disposed adjacent to a back surface of the first process module and including:
a first exhaust system configured to evacuate an inside of the first process container; and
a first supply mechanism configured to supply a processing gas into the first process container; and
a second utility system disposed adjacent to a back surface of the second process module and including:
a second exhaust system configured to evacuate an inside of the second process container; and
a second supply mechanism configured to supply a processing gas into the second process container,
wherein the first supply mechanism and the first exhaust system are disposed in a row in a direction to the back surface of the first process module,
wherein the second supply mechanism and the second exhaust system are disposed in a row in a direction to the back surface of the second process module, and
wherein a maintenance area, defined between the first utility system and the second utility system, expands behind the back surface of the first process module and the back surface of the second process module continuously and is commonly used for the first process module and the second process module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first utility system includes:
a first supply box including the first supply mechanism; and
a first exhaust box including the first exhaust system, and
wherein the second utility system includes:
a second supply box including the second supply mechanism; and
a second exhaust box including the second exhaust system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance area constitutes an area for maintaining the first process container and the second process container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first utility system is installed such that an outer side surface of the first process module opposite to the second process module and an outer side surface of the first utility system opposite to the second process module are flush with each other, and
wherein the second utility system is installed such that an outer side surface of the second process module opposite to the first process module and an outer side surface of the second utility system opposite to the first process module are flush with each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first process container is configured such that an exhaust pipe of the first process container faces the outer side surface of the first process module which is configured to be flush with the outer side surface of the first utility system, and
wherein the second process container is configured such that an exhaust pipe of the second process container faces the outer side surface of the second process module which is configured to be flush with the outer side surface of the second utility system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first controller box, which accommodates a controller configured to control the first exhaust system and the first supply mechanism, is installed behind the first exhaust system and the first supply mechanism in the first utility system, and
wherein a second controller box, which accommodates a controller configured to control the second exhaust system and the second supply mechanism, is installed behind the second exhaust system and the second supply mechanism in the second utility system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first process module and the second process module are plane-symmetrically disposed with respect to a surface on which the first process module and the second process module are adjacent to each other, and
wherein the first utility system and the second utility system are plane-symmetrically disposed with respect to the surface on which the first process module and the second process module are adjacent to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein widths of portions of the first utility system and the second utility system that are close to front surfaces thereof are narrower than widths of portions of the first utility system and the second utility system that are close to back surfaces thereof, and
wherein a distance at the front surfaces between the first utility system and the second utility system is larger than a distance at the back surfaces between the first utility system and the second utility system.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first supply box is installed such that an outer side surface of the first process module opposite to the second process module and an outer side surface of the first supply box opposite to the second process module are flush with each other, and
wherein the second supply box is installed such that an outer side surface of the second process module opposite to the first process module and an outer side surface of the second supply box opposite to the first process module are flush with each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first process module and the second process module are disposed to have no gap therebetween.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first exhaust box accommodates at least an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve included in the first exhaust system, and
wherein the second exhaust box accommodates at least an APC valve included in the second exhaust system.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first supply box accommodates at least a gas accumulation system included in the first supply mechanism, and
wherein the second supply box accommodates at least a gas accumulation system included in the second supply mechanism.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein maintenance in a second transfer chamber is performed from the maintenance area when the substrate is processed in the first process container, the second transfer chamber being disposed below the second process container.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein maintenance in a first transfer chamber is performed from the maintenance area when the substrate is processed in the second process container, the first transfer chamber being disposed below the first process container.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control a pressure in a first transfer chamber disposed below the first process container and a pressure in a transshipment chamber disposed adjacent to the first transfer chamber,
wherein the controller is configured to, before maintenance in the first transfer chamber is performed from the maintenance area, increase an oxygen concentration in the first transfer chamber while maintaining the pressure in the first transfer chamber to be lower than the pressure in the transshipment chamber.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance area is commonly used for a first transfer chamber of the first process module and a second transfer chamber of the second process module.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance area is adjacent to a back surface of a first transfer chamber of the first process module and a back surface of a second transfer chamber of the second process module, and is commonly used for the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance area is adjacent to a

Assignees

• Kokusai Electric Corp
• Kokusai Electric Corpotation

Inventors

• Kamimura Daigi
• Taniyama Tomoshi
• Nogami Takashi

Classifications

• H10P72/0466

  characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H10P72/3312

  Vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces · CPC title

• H10P72/0464

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title