Substrate processing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12203167-B2
Application number	US-202318514494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2023
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

Described herein is a technique capable of improving a film thickness uniformity on a surface of a wafer whereon a film is formed. According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a process gas nozzle configured to supply a process gas into the process chamber; an inert gas nozzle configured to supply an inert gas into the process chamber while a concentration of the process gas at the center of the substrate is higher than a concentration required for processing the substrate; and an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust an inner atmosphere of the process chamber; wherein the process gas nozzle and the inert gas nozzle are disposed beside the edge of substrate with a predetermined distance therebetween corresponding to an angle of circumference of 90 to 180 degrees.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a vessel in which a substrate is processed;
two process gas nozzles arranged substantially in parallel with a gap therebetween and configured to supply a process gas into the vessel;
a first inert gas nozzle and a second inert gas nozzle fluidly coupled to an inert gas supply, the first and second inert gas nozzles provided respectively in two regions divided by a first straight line passing through a center of the two process gas nozzles and a center of the substrate, and configured to supply an inert gas into the vessel, wherein an angle between the first straight line and a second straight line extending from the center of the substrate to at least one of the first or second inert gas nozzles is within a range from 90 to 180 degrees;
an exhaust port provided at the vessel and configured to exhaust an inner atmosphere of the vessel; and
a controller configured to set a first flow rate of the inert gas through the first inert gas nozzle and a second flow rate of the inert gas through the second inert gas nozzle.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is arranged at an inner wall of the vessel to face the substrate on the first straight line,
wherein the two process gas nozzles are arranged alongside each other.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first inert gas nozzle and the second inert gas nozzle are arranged so that a relatively high partial pressure of the process gas or a relatively high partial pressure of a reaction intermediate gas is distributed within a region of a fan shape including the center of the substrate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first flow rate and the second flow rate are not less than a flow rate of the process gas through one of the two process gas nozzles.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two process gas nozzles are configured to respectively supply a first process gas and a second process gas different from the first process gas.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein gaps between the two process gas nozzles and each of the first and second inert gas nozzles are aligned with the angle determined according to a surface area of the substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second inert gas nozzles is provided such that the inert gas is ejected toward the center of the substrate.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vessel forms a chamber where the two process nozzles and the first and second inert gas nozzles are arranged between an inner wall of a reaction vessel and an edge of the substrate.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises a first projecting portion protruding outward so as to accommodate the first inert gas nozzle and a second projecting portion protruding outward so as to accommodate the second inert gas nozzle.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first flow rate of the inert gas through the first inert gas nozzle and the second flow rate of the inert gas through the second inert gas nozzle so that a concentration of the process gas at the center of the substrate is higher than a concentration of the process gas circumferentially averaged at an edge of the substrate when the process gas from at least one of the two process gas nozzles and the inert gas from the first and second inert gas nozzles flow simultaneously over the substrate.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:
a first mass flow controller provided on a first supply pipe connected to the first inert gas nozzle and configured to set the first flow rate to a predetermined flow rate between 700 sccm to 4,000 sccm; and
a second mass flow controller provided on a second supply pipe connected to the second inert gas nozzle and configured to set the second flow rate to a predetermined flow rate between 700 sccm to 4,000 sccm.

12. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a substrate in a vessel, the vessel comprising:
two process gas nozzles arranged substantially in parallel with a gap therebetween and configured to supply a process gas into the vessel,
a first inert gas nozzle and a second inert gas nozzle provided respectively in two regions divided by a first straight line passing through a center of the two process gas nozzles and a center of the substrate, wherein an angle between the first straight line and a second straight line extending from the center of the substrate to at least one of the first or second inert gas nozzles is within a range from 90 to 180 degrees; and
an exhaust port provided at the vessel;

supplying the process gas into the vessel through at least one of the two process gas nozzles;
supplying an inert gas into the vessel through the first inert gas nozzle and the second inert gas nozzle;
controlling a first flow rate of the inert gas through the first inert gas nozzle and a second flow rate of the inert gas through the second inert gas nozzle; and
exhausting an inner atmosphere of the vessel through the exhaust port.

13. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
providing the substrate in a vessel, the vessel comprising:
two process gas nozzles arranged substantially in parallel with a gap therebetween and configured to supply a process gas into the vessel,
a first inert gas nozzle and a second inert gas nozzle provided respectively in two regions divided by a first straight line passing through a center of the two process gas nozzles and a center of the substrate, wherein an angle between the first straight line and a second straight line extending from the center of the substrate to at least one of the first or second inert gas nozzles is within a range from 90 to 180 degrees; and
an exhaust port provided at the vessel;

supplying the process gas into the vessel through at least one of the two process gas nozzles;
supplying an inert gas into the vessel through the first inert gas nozzle and the second inert gas nozzle;
controlling a first flow rate of the inert gas through the first inert gas nozzle and a second flow rate of the inert gas through the second inert gas nozzle; and
exhausting an inner atmosphere of the vessel through the exhaust port.

14. The vessel used in the method of claim 13 .

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes, by a computer, a substrate processing apparatus to perform the method of claim 13 .

Assignees

• Kokusai Electric Corp

Inventors

• Mimura Hidetoshi
• Sasaki Takafumi
• Yoshida Hidenari
• Okajima Yusaku

Classifications

• H10P14/69433

  the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz · CPC title

• H10P14/6339

  deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD · CPC title

• H10P14/6682

  the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P14/60

  of insulating materials · CPC title