Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12087598-B2
Application number	US-201815919674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus, includes: a process chamber accommodating a substrate; a vaporizer vaporizing a liquid precursor to generate reaction gas and deliver a processing gas containing the reaction gas and a carrier gas, the vaporizer including: a vaporization vessel; and a heater heating the liquid precursor introduced into the vessel; a carrier gas flow rate controller controlling flow rate of the carrier gas supplied to the vaporizer; a liquid precursor flow rate controller controlling flow rate of the liquid precursor; a processing gas supply pipe introducing the processing gas delivered from the vaporizer into the process chamber; and a gas concentration sensor detecting a gas concentration of the reaction gas contained in the processing gas delivered from the vaporizer into the processing gas supply pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber configured to accommodate a substrate;
a vaporizer configured to vaporize a liquid precursor to generate a reaction gas containing hydrogen peroxide and deliver a processing gas containing the reaction gas and a carrier gas, the vaporizer including:
a vaporization vessel in which the liquid precursor is vaporized; and
a heater configured to heat the liquid precursor introduced into the vaporization vessel;

a carrier gas flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the carrier gas supplied to the vaporizer;
a liquid precursor flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the liquid precursor supplied to the vaporizer;
a processing gas supply pipe configured to introduce the processing gas delivered from the vaporizer into the process chamber;
a gas concentration sensor configured to detect a gas concentration of the reaction gas contained in the processing gas delivered from the vaporizer into the processing gas supply pipe; and
a controller configured to:
acquire the gas concentration of the reaction gas detected by the gas concentration sensor; and
perform an operation when it is determined that a state, in which a ratio of the gas concentration of the reaction gas to a first predetermined reference concentration value is equal to or less than a first predetermined concentration ratio, continues for a first predetermined period of time, the operation including:
controlling the heater to adjust a temperature of the heater based on the acquired gas concentration of the reaction gas, and then controlling the carrier gas flow rate controller to adjust a supply amount of the carrier gas;
controlling the heater to adjust the temperature of the heater based on the acquired gas concentration of the reaction gas, and then controlling the liquid precursor flow rate controller to reduce a supply amount of the liquid precursor; or
controlling the carrier gas flow rate controller to adjust the supply amount of the carrier gas, and then controlling the liquid precursor flow rate controller to reduce the supply amount of the liquid precursor.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the state continues for the first predetermined period of time, the controller is configured to determine that a vaporization failure of the liquid precursor supplied into the vaporization vessel has occurred.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when it is determined that the vaporization failure of the liquid precursor supplied into the vaporization vessel has occurred, the controller is configured to control a display device to notify a user that the vaporization failure has occurred.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when it is determined that the vaporization failure of the liquid precursor supplied into the vaporization vessel has occurred, the controller is configured to control a memory device to record occurrence of the vaporization failure.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the state continues for the first predetermined period of time, the controller is configured to control the carrier gas flow rate controller to increase the supply amount of the carrier gas.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the liquid precursor flow rate controller to reduce the supply amount of the liquid precursor when it is determined that a state, in which a ratio of the gas concentration of the reaction gas to a second predetermined reference concentration value is equal to or larger than a second predetermined ratio, continues for a second predetermined period of time.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid precursor is a hydrogen peroxide solution.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heater such that the temperature of the heater is 220 degrees C. or lower.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas flow rate controller is coupled to the vaporizer and configured to control the flow rate of the carrier gas flowing therethrough based on information corresponding to the detected gas concentration.

10. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a liquid flow rate controller, through which a liquid precursor flows, configured to control a flow rate of the liquid precursor;
a vaporizer coupled to the liquid flow rate controller and configured to vaporize the liquid precursor to generate a reaction gas containing hydrogen peroxide and deliver a processing gas containing the reaction gas and a carrier gas, the vaporizer including:
a vaporization vessel in which the liquid precursor is vaporized; and
a heater configured to heat the liquid precursor introduced into the vaporization vessel;

a carrier gas flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the carrier gas supplied to the vaporizer;
a gas densitometer coupled to the vaporizer via a pipe;
a process vessel configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed;
a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a vaporized gas flowing in the pipe as a detected temperature and provide information corresponding to the detected temperature to the liquid flow rate controller such that the liquid flow rate controller controls the flow rate of the liquid precursor flowing through the liquid flow rate controller; and
a controller configured to:
acquire the detected temperature, and
perform an operation when it is determined that the detected temperature is lower than a first predetermined temperature, the operation including:
controlling the heater to adjust a temperature of the heater based on the detected temperature, and then controlling the carrier gas flow rate controller to adjust a supply amount of the carrier gas;
controlling the heater to adjust the temperature of the heater based on the detected temperature, and then controlling the liquid flow rate controller to reduce a supply amount of the liquid precursor; or
controlling the carrier gas flow rate controller to adjust the supply amount of the carrier gas, and then controlling the liquid flow rate controller to reduce the supply amount of the liquid precursor.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the gas densitometer is configured to detect a gas concentration of the vaporized gas flowing in the pipe to provide information corresponding to the detected gas concentration to the liquid flow rate controller so as to control the flow rate of the liquid precursor.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the vaporized gas flowing in the pipe as a detected pressure and provide information corresponding to the detected pressure to the liquid flow rate controller so as to control the flow rate of the liquid precursor.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the carrier gas flow rate controller is coupled to the vaporizer and configured to control the flow rate of the carrier gas flowing therethrough based on the information corresponding to the detected temperature.

14. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a liquid flow rate controller, through which a liquid precursor flows, configured to control a flow rate of the liquid precursor;
a vaporizer coupled to the liquid flow rate controller and configured to vaporize the liquid precursor to generate a reaction gas containin

Assignees

• Hitachi Int Electric Inc
• Kokusai Electric Corp

Inventors

• Tateno Hideto
• Hara Daisuke
• Okuno Masahisa
• Joda Takuya
• Tsukamoto Takashi
• Tanaka Akinori
• Kakuda Toru
• Horii Sadayoshi

Classifications

• H10P72/3312

  Vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces · CPC title

• H10P72/12

  Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

  the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2 · CPC title

• H10P14/6689

  the compound being a silazane · CPC title

• H10P14/6529

  by exposure to a gas or vapour · CPC title