Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, gas regeneration system, and gas regeneration method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12293904-B2
Application number	US-202117465115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 4, 2021
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

According to one embodiment, there is provided a gas regeneration method. The method includes setting a predetermined standard on a basis of a flow rate of rare gas set in a processing recipe. The method includes selecting a rare gas recovery step on a basis of the predetermined standard. The method includes, in the rare gas recovery step, guiding emission gas from a predetermined chamber to a rare gas regenerator. The method includes, in a step other than the rare gas recovery step, causing the emission gas to bypass the rare gas regenerator to discharge the emission gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas regeneration method comprising:
setting a predetermined standard on a basis of a flow rate of rare gas set in a processing recipe;
selecting a rare gas recovery step on a basis of the predetermined standard;
in the rare gas recovery step, guiding emission gas from a predetermined chamber to a rare gas regenerator, and separating a rare gas from the emission gas at the rare gas regenerator to collect the rare gas through a recovery pipe in a recovery container and to discharge the separated emission gas through an exhaust pipe to an outside; and
in a step other than the rare gas recovery step, causing the emission gas to bypass the rare gas regenerator to discharge the emission gas to the outside, wherein
setting the predetermined standard includes
determining rare gas usage for each step of the processing recipe,
adding up the rare gas usage for each step to determine total usage,
calculating a utilization rate of the usage for each step to the total usage, and
setting a standard utilization rate on a basis of the calculated utilization rate, and selecting the rare gas recovery step includes
selecting, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the utilization rate is equal to or greater than the standard utilization rate, and not selecting, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the utilization rate is smaller than the standard utilization rate.

2. A substrate processing method comprising:
carrying a substrate to be processed into a chamber; and
executing the gas regeneration method according to claim 1 in a case where processing is applied to the substrate in accordance with process parameters set in the processing recipe.

3. A gas regeneration method comprising:
setting a predetermined standard on a basis of a flow rate of rare gas set in a processing recipe;
selecting a rare gas recovery step on a basis of the predetermined standard;
in the rare gas recovery step, guiding emission gas from a predetermined chamber to a rare gas regenerator, and separating a rare gas from the emission gas at the rare gas regenerator to collect the rare gas through a recovery pipe in a recovery container and to discharge the separated emission gas through an exhaust pipe to an outside; and
in a step other than the rare gas recovery step, causing the emission gas to bypass the rare gas regenerator to discharge the emission gas to the outside, wherein
setting the predetermined standard includes
determining rare gas usage for each step of the processing recipe, and
determining standard usage on a basis of the rare gas usage, and

selecting the rare gas recovery step includes
selecting, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the rare gas usage is equal to or greater than the standard usage, and not selecting, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the rare gas usage is smaller than the standard usage.

4. A substrate processing method comprising:
carrying a substrate to be processed into a chamber; and
executing the gas regeneration method according to claim 3 in a case where processing is applied to the substrate in accordance with process parameters set in the processing recipe.

5. A gas regeneration method comprising:
setting a predetermined standard on a basis of a flow rate of rare gas set in a processing recipe;
selecting a rare gas recovery step on a basis of the predetermined standard;
in the rare gas recovery step, guiding emission gas from a predetermined chamber to a rare gas regenerator, and separating a rare gas from the emission gas at the rare gas regenerator to collect the rare gas through a recovery pipe in a recovery container and to discharge the separated emission gas through an exhaust pipe to an outside; and
in a step other than the rare gas recovery step, causing the emission gas to bypass the rare gas regenerator to discharge the emission gas to the outside, wherein
setting the predetermined standard and selecting the rare gas recovery step include
in a case where a predetermined rare gas flow rate ratio lasts for a predetermined period of time, setting the period of time in the rare gas recovery step on a basis of the flow rate of the rare gas set in the processing recipe.

6. A substrate processing method comprising:
carrying a substrate to be processed into a chamber; and
executing the gas regeneration method according to claim 4 in a case where processing is applied to the substrate in accordance with process parameters set in the processing recipe.

7. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a gas supply system connected to the chamber;
a gas exhaust system connected to the chamber; and
a controller that controls the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system, wherein
the gas exhaust system includes
a first flow path,
a second flow path,
a flow path changer that switches between a first state in which the chamber communicates with the first flow path and a second state in which the chamber communicates with the second flow path, and
a rare gas regenerator provided in the first flow path, the rare gas regenerator being connected through a recovery pipe to a recovery container, the rare gas regenerator being connected through an exhaust pipe to an outside, wherein

the controller is configured to set a predetermined standard on a basis of a flow rate of rare gas set in a processing recipe, to select a rare gas recovery step on a basis of the predetermined standard, and to control the flow path changer to guide the emission gas to the rare gas regenerator in the rare gas recovery step and to cause the emission gas to bypass the rare gas regenerator in a step other than the rare gas recovery step.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller determines rare gas usage for each step of the processing recipe, adds up the rare gas usage for each step to determine total usage, calculates a utilization rate of the usage for each step to the total usage, sets a standard utilization rate on a basis of the utilization rate calculated, and sets the predetermined standard, and
the controller selects, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the utilization rate is equal to or greater than the standard utilization rate, and does not select, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the utilization rate is smaller than the standard utilization rate.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller determines rare gas usage for each step of the processing recipe, determines standard usage on a basis of the rare gas usage, and sets the predetermined standard, and
the controller selects, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the rare gas usage is equal to or greater than the standard usage, and does not select, as the rare gas recovery step, a step in which the rare gas usage is smaller than the standard usage.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein,
in a case where a predetermined rare gas flow rate ratio lasts for a predetermined period of time, the controller sets the period of time in the rare gas recovery step on a basis of the flow rate of the rare gas set in the processing recipe.

Assignees

• Kioxia Corp

Inventors

• Mizuno Horoyuki

Classifications

• H10P50/267

  using plasmas · CPC title

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H01J37/32495

  Means for protecting the vessel against plasma · CPC title

• H01J37/3244

  Gas supply means · CPC title

• C01B23/00

  Noble gases; Compounds thereof (liquefying F25J {; noble gases obtained by rectification F25J3/028}) · CPC title