Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016153085-A1
Application number	US-201514674016-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber configured to process substrates; a substrate mounting stand installed in the process chamber and configured to support the substrates along a circumferential direction; a rotating unit configured to rotate the substrate mounting stand; a first gas supplier configured to supply a first gas from above the substrate mounting stand; a second gas supplier configured to supply a second gas from above the substrate mounting stand; a third gas supplier configured to supply a cleaning gas from above the substrate mounting stand; and an elevator configured to maintain the substrate mounting stand at a substrate processing position while supplying the first gas and the second gas and also configured to maintain the substrate mounting stand at a cleaning position while supplying the cleaning gas.

First claim

1 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber configured to process a plurality of substrates, the process chamber defining a processing space therein and having a ceiling which defines a top portion of the processing space; a substrate mounting stand installed in the processing space chamber and configured to support the plurality of substrates along a circumferential direction; a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the substrate mounting stand; a first gas supplier having a first gas supply hole connected to the ceiling of the process chamber and a first space positioned below the first gas supply hole, the first gas supplier being configured to supply a first gas from the first gas supply hole through the first space above the substrate mounting stand in the processing space; a second gas supplier having a second gas supply hole connected to the ceiling of the process chamber and a second space positioned below the second gas supply hole, the second gas supplier being configured to supply a second gas from the second gas supply hole through the second space above the substrate mounting stand in the processing space; a third gas supplier having a third gas supply hole connected to the ceiling of the process chamber, the third gas supplier being configured to supply a cleaning gas from the third gas supply hole above the substrate mounting stand in the processing space; and an elevator configured to elevate the substrate mounting stand up and down to a substrate processing position and a cleaning position such that the substrate mounting stand is maintained at a substrate processing position while supplying the first gas and the second gas and maintained at a cleaning position while supplying the cleaning gas, the cleaning position being lower than the substrate processing position in a vertical direction, wherein at least one of the first gas supplier or the second gas supplier is further configured to supply an inert gas while supplying the cleaning gas from the third gas supplier.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in the substrate processing position, a distance between a surface of the substrate mounting stand and a convex member protruding from a ceiling of the process chamber is shorter than a distance between the surface of the substrate mounting stand and the convex member protruding from the ceiling of the process chamber in the cleaning position.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the convex member is any of the first gas supplier, the second gas supplier and the third gas supplier.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in the substrate processing position, a distance between a surface of the substrate mounting stand and a ceiling of the process chamber is shorter than a distance between the surface of the substrate mounting stand and the ceiling of the process chamber in the cleaning position.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third gas supplier is configured to supply an inert gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the substrate processing position, and is also configured to supply the cleaning gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the cleaning position.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the third gas supplier is configured to supply an inert gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the substrate processing position, and is also configured to supply the cleaning gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the cleaning position.

7 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the third gas supplier is configured to supply an inert gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the substrate processing position, and is also configured to supply the cleaning gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the cleaning position.

8 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the third gas supplier is configured to supply an inert gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the substrate processing position, and is also configured to supply the cleaning gas into the process chamber while the substrate mounting stand is maintained at the cleaning position.

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . (canceled)

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of combinations of the first gas supply hole and the second gas supply hole are disposed at an upper side of the process chamber along the circumferential direction, and the third gas supply holes are respectively disposed between the first gas supply holes and the second gas supply holes.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, at the upper side of the process chamber, an upper exhaust hole is formed between the first gas supply hole and the second gas supply hole.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, at the upper side of the process chamber, an upper exhaust hole is formed at a process chamber periphery side of the first gas supply hole.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, at the upper side of the process chamber, an upper exhaust hole is formed at a process chamber periphery side of the second gas supply hole.

18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, at the upper side of the process chamber, a first upper exhaust hole is formed in an outer periphery of the first gas supply hole and a second upper exhaust hole is formed in an outer periphery of the second gas supply hole.

19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein an exhauster having a lower exhaust hole is installed below the substrate mounting stand.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein, while supplying the cleaning gas from the third gas supplier, any combination or all of the first gas supplier, the second gas supplier, the third gas supplier and the exhauster are controlled to allow a conductance of the lower exhaust hole to be larger than a conductance of the upper exhaust hole.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gas supplier includes a first gas supply pipe,
the second gas supplier includes a second gas supply pipe, and the third gas supplier includes a cleaning gas supply pipe and an inert gas supply pipe.

Assignees

• Hitachi Int Electric Inc

Inventors

• Ueda Tatsushi

Classifications

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/7621

  characterised by supporting two or more semiconductor substrates · CPC title

• H10P72/7618

  characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title