Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420316-B2
Application number	US-202318379851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2023
Priority date	Nov 7, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus including a processing container including a processing space, a substrate support extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the second direction, and configured to support a substrate in the processing container, a fluid supply device configured to supply a processing fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space through a container supply pipe, and a shower head assembly configured to diffuse the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply device into the processing space. The shower head assembly includes a first shower head having a first diameter, and a second shower head arranged between the first shower head and the substrate and having a second diameter. The processing container is separated from the shower head assembly in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, such that a flow path is formed between the processing container and the shower head assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing container including a processing space;
a substrate support extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and configured to support a substrate in the processing container;
a fluid supply device configured to supply a processing fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space through a container supply pipe; and
a shower head assembly configured to diffuse the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply device into the processing space,
wherein the shower head assembly comprises:
a first shower head having a first diameter; and
a second shower head arranged between the first shower head and the substrate and having a second diameter, and

wherein the processing container is detached from the shower head assembly and separated from the shower head assembly in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, such that a flow path is formed directly between the processing container and the second shower head.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first diameter of the first shower head is less than the second diameter of the second shower head.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first shower head comprises:
a first plate having a first hole;
a second plate having a second hole;
a third plate having a third hole; and
a fourth plate having a fourth hole, and
the first plate to the fourth plate are sequentially stacked in the third direction.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a central axis of the first hole of the first plate is aligned with a central axis of the third hole of the third plate in the third direction, and
a central axis of the second hole of the second plate is aligned with a central axis of the fourth hole of the fourth plate in the third direction.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the central axis of the first hole is separated from the central axis of the second hole in the first direction.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second diameter of the second shower head is greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first shower head includes a plurality of holes that form a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) shape.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of holes are aligned with one another in the third direction.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the TPMS shape of the plurality of holes is any one of a P-surface, a D-surface, and an H-surface.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing fluid includes carbon dioxide.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the flow path is defined by a buffer space formed directly between a lower surface of the first shower head and an upper surface of the second shower head and formed directly between an inner wall of the processing container and the upper surface of the second shower head.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the inner wall of the processing container includes an inclined surface inclined with a vertical level that is reduced along a direction extending along the upper surface of the second shower head.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the lower surface of the first shower head and the upper surface of the processing container are disposed at the same level in the third direction.

14. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing container including a processing space;
a substrate support extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and configured to support a substrate in the processing container;
a fluid supply device configured to supply a processing fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space through a container supply pipe;
a shower head assembly configured to diffuse the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply device into the processing space;
an exhaust pipe arranged on a lower wall of the processing container; and
an exhaust device configured to discharge a fluid in the processing space through the exhaust pipe;
wherein the shower head assembly comprises:
a first shower head having a first diameter; and
a second shower head arranged under the first shower head and having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter, and

wherein the processing container is detached from the shower head assembly and separated from the shower head assembly in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction to form an inclined flow path directly between the shower head assembly and the processing container.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the inclined flow path reduces pressure of the processing fluid between the first shower head and the second shower head.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a separation space is formed between the shower head assembly and the processing container, and
an upper surface of the separation space has a conical shape having an inclination with respect to the shower head assembly.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein centers of the first shower head, the second shower head, and of the substrate are aligned with one another along a central axis of the processing container.

18. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a plurality of supply pipes connecting the fluid supply device to the processing container,
wherein the plurality of supply pipes include at least three supply pipes, and
inner diameters of the plurality of supply pipes are different from each other.

19. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the inclined flow path is formed directly between an upper surface of the second shower head of the shower head assembly and an inner wall of the processing container.

20. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 19 , wherein a lower surface of the first shower head is disposed at a level in the third direction that is the same as or higher than the inner wall of the processing container.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sangjine
• Park Jihwan
• Lee Kuntack

Classifications

• H10P72/0408 Primary

  for drying · CPC title

• H10P70/80

  Cleaning only by supercritical fluids · CPC title

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B9/0423

  for supplying liquid or other fluent material to several spraying apparatus · CPC title

• G03F7/427

  using plasma means only · CPC title