Film-forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441293-B2
Application number	US-201314388307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A film-forming apparatus forms a film by sequentially supplying a plurality of kinds of reaction gases to a substrate placed between a placing unit and a ceiling plate in a processing chamber having vacuum atmosphere and supplying a replacement gas between supply of one reaction gas and supply of next reaction gas. A central gas ejecting unit is disposed above the central portion of the substrate, and includes gas ejecting ports formed therein to spread the gases toward the outer side in the horizontal direction. A peripheral gas supply unit is disposed to surround the central gas ejecting unit. The peripheral gas supply unit includes a plurality of gas ejecting ports, which is formed in the circumferential direction such that the gases are spread in the horizontal direction toward the outer circumferential side and the central side of the substrate in a plan view.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A film-forming apparatus that forms a film by sequentially supplying a plurality of kinds of reaction gases which react with each other to a substrate within a processing chamber having a vacuum atmosphere and supplying a replacement gas between supply of one reaction gas and supply of next reaction gas, the film-forming apparatus comprising:
a placing unit provided in the processing chamber to place the substrate thereon;
a ceiling section provided to face the placing unit;
an exhaust unit configured to perform vacuum exhaust of an inside of the processing chamber;
a central gas ejecting unit disposed above a central portion of the substrate placed on the placing unit, the central gas ejecting unit including one or more gas ejecting ports formed to spread the gases in a horizontal direction toward an outer side; and
a peripheral gas supply unit disposed at a position above an area between a central portion and an outer circumference of the substrate to surround the central gas ejecting unit,
wherein the peripheral gas supply unit includes an annular member formed in an annular shape to surround the central gas ejecting unit, with a plurality of gas dispersion units formed in a hollow shape and provided within the annular member and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction, and with a plurality of gas ejecting ports formed and spaced apart along the circumferential direction at each of an inner circumferential surface side and an outer circumferential side of the annular member so that gases dispersed by the gas dispersion units spread through the gas ejecting ports formed in the outer circumferential surface side of the annular member in a horizontal direction toward the outer circumferential side of the substrate and gases dispersed by the gas dispersion units spread through the gas ejecting ports formed in the inner circumferential surface side of the annual member in a horizontal direction toward the central side of the substrate.

2. The film-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gas dispersion units includes a plurality of gas ejecting ports which are formed to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the gas dispersion unit, the plurality of gas ejecting ports being configured to cause the gases to flow out into the annular member.

3. The film-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the central gas ejecting unit or the gas dispersion unit includes a head unit which protrudes from the ceiling section into the processing chamber and includes a plurality of gas ejecting ports formed to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction, and a swirling flow forming unit configured to form swirling flows of the gases which swirl along a direction where the plurality of gas ejecting ports is arranged within the head unit.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Saitou Tetsuya

Classifications

• C23C16/45574

  Nozzles for more than one gas · CPC title

• C23C16/45565

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• C23C16/4583

  the substrate being supported substantially horizontally · CPC title

• C23C16/4412

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title

• C23C16/45506

  Turbulent flow · CPC title