Substrate processing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9236246-B2
Application number	US-201213409783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2012
Priority date	Mar 4, 2011
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

The temperature of a substrate is elevated rapidly while improving the temperature uniformity of the substrate.
The substrate is loaded into a process chamber, the loaded substrate is supported on a first substrate support unit, a gas is supplied to the process chamber, the temperature of the substrate supported on the first substrate support unit is elevated in a state of increasing the pressure in the process chamber to higher than the pressure during loading of the substrate or in a state of increasing the pressure in the process chamber to higher than the pressure during processing for the surface of the substrate, the substrate supported on the first substrate support unit is transferred to the second substrate support unit and supported thereon after lapse of a predetermined time, and the surface of substrate is processed while heating the substrate supported on the second substrate support unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a process chamber;
a processor;
a controllable susceptor lifting mechanism configured to receive a control signal from the processor to raise and lower a susceptor with respect to a bottom surface of the process chamber;
the susceptor disposed on the controllable susceptor lifting mechanism and having through holes formed therein;
a pin fixed to the process chamber, the pin being aligned with at least one of the through holes formed in the susceptor;
a controllable heating lamp provided in the upper part of the process chamber and configured to receive a control signal from the processor to activate the controllable heating lamp;
a controllable heater integrally buried inside the susceptor and configured to receive a control signal from the processor to activate the controllable heater;
a controllable gas supply unit coupled to the process chamber and configured to receive a control signal from the processor to open and close valves of the controllable gas supply unit to supply gas to the process chamber;
a controllable gas exhaustion unit coupled to the process chamber and configured to receive a control signal from the processor to operate a pump of the controllable gas exhaustion unit to remove gas from the process chamber,
wherein the processor is configured to:
issue first control signals to the controllable susceptor lifting mechanism, the controllable heating lamp, the controllable heater and the controllable gas supply unit to lower the susceptor a predetermined distance toward the bottom surface of the process chamber, activate the controllable heating lamp and the controllable heater and open the valves of the controllable gas supply unit while a substrate is supported on the pin, and
after a predetermined time, issue second control signals to the controllable susceptor lifting mechanism, the controllable heating lamp, the controllable heater and the controllable gas supply unit to raise the susceptor a predetermined distance toward the top surface of the process chamber, transfer the substrate supported on the pin to the susceptor and open the valves of the controllable gas supply unit to supply processing gas while the substrate is heated by the controllable heater by activating the controllable heating lamp.

2. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the susceptor has convex portions formed therein, surface for supporting the substrate.

3. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controllable plasma generator, disposed in the process chamber, comprising a power source and an electrode,
wherein the processor is further configured to issue third control signals, to the controllable plasma generator in response to the temperature of the substrate reaching a predetermined temperature, to control the power source to apply power to the electrode to excite the gas in the process chamber upon elevation of the temperature of the substrate supported on the pin.

4. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a spontaneous oxide film is formed on the surface of the substrate loaded into the processing chamber, and
a hydrogen-containing gas is used as a gas supplied from the gas supply unit during elevation of the temperature of the substrate supported on the pin.

5. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plasma generator; and
a protective member disposed adjacent the inner wall of the process chamber at least below a substrate placing surface of the susceptor, the protective member defining a gas flow restriction channel between a lateral end of the susceptor and the protective member when the lateral end of the susceptor is disposed adjacent the protective member, wherein the gas flow restriction channel restricts the flow of the excited gas generated above the susceptor in the direction below the susceptor thereby deactivating the gas flowing in the direction below the susceptor, between the lateral end of the susceptor and the protective member.

6. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the apparatus further comprises: a cover provided to the susceptor,
the control unit controls the susceptor position so that the gas flow restriction channel is between the protective member.

Assignees

• Hamano Katsuyoshi
• Tsubota Yasutoshi
• Tomita Masayuki
• Yoshino Teruo
• Hitachi Int Electric Inc

Inventors

• Hamano Katsuyoshi
• Tsubota Yasutoshi
• Tomita Masayuki
• Yoshino Teruo

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

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

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H10P50/642

  Chemical etching · CPC title

• H10P14/6504

  In-situ cleaning · CPC title