Substrate processing apparatus, purging apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695509-B2
Application number	US-201314041447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 23, 2012
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing vessel configured to process a substrate; a first purging part configured to perform a first purge to supply inert gas at a first flow rate into a substrate container accommodating the substrate; and a second purging part configured to perform a second purge to supply inert gas at a second flow rate into the substrate container, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing vessel configured to process a substrate;
a substrate container transfer stand configured to transfer a substrate container accommodating the substrate into and out of a transfer chamber;
a substrate container opening/closing part configured to open and close a cover of the substrate container;
a substrate container storing shelf configured to store the substrate container;
a first purging part controlled by a first controller to perform a first purge to supply inert gas at a first flow rate into the substrate container mounted on the substrate container transfer stand or the substrate container opening/closing part, wherein the first purging part is installed in at least one of the substrate container transfer stand and the substrate container opening/closing part; and
a second purging part controlled by a second controller to perform a second purge to supply inert gas at a second flow rate into the substrate container mounted on the substrate container storing shelf, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate, wherein the second purging part is installed in the substrate container storing shelf.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate container transfer device configured to transfer the substrate container;
a transfer control part electrically connected to the substrate container transfer device and configured to control the substrate container transfer device to transfer the substrate container from the first purging part to the second purging part; and
a purge control part configured to control the first purging part to perform the first purge when the substrate container is in the first purging part and control the second purging part to perform the second purge when the substrate container is transferred from the first purging part to the second purging part.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate container transfer device configured to transfer the substrate container;
a transfer control part electrically connected to the substrate container transfer device and configured to control the substrate container transfer device to transfer the substrate container to the first purging part and transfer the substrate container from the first purging part to the second purging part, when the substrate container is transferred into the substrate processing apparatus; and
a purge control part configured to control the first purging part to perform the first purge when the substrate container is transferred to the first purging part and control the second purging part to perform the second purge when the substrate container is transferred from the first purging part to the second purging part.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first purging part is configured to reduce oxygen concentration within the substrate container to a first control value or less by supplying the inert gas at the first flow rate into the substrate container, and the second purging part is configured to keep the oxygen concentration within the substrate container at a second control value or less by supplying the inert gas at the second flow rate into the substrate container.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second control value is an oxygen concentration value higher than the first control value.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first control value is 600 ppm, and the second control value is equal to or more than 600 ppm and equal to or less than 1,000 ppm.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first flow rate is greater than or equal to 20 slm and less than or equal to 100 slm, and the second flow rate is greater than or equal to 0.5 slm and less than or equal to 20 slm.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first purging part includes:
a first gas supplying hole configured to supply inert gas at the first flow rate into the substrate container; and
a first gas exhaust hole configured to exhaust an internal atmosphere of the substrate container,
wherein the second purging part includes:
a second gas supplying hole configured to supply inert gas at the second flow rate into the substrate container, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate; and
a second gas exhaust hole configured to exhaust an internal atmosphere of the substrate container.

9. A purging apparatus comprising:
a first purging part controlled by a first controller to perform a first purge to supply inert gas at a first flow rate into a substrate container mounted on a substrate container transfer stand or a substrate container opening/closing part, wherein the first purging part is installed in at least one of the substrate container transfer stand and the substrate container opening/closing part, the substrate container transfer stand is installed in a substrate processing apparatus and is configured to transfer the substrate container accommodating a substrate into and out of the substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate container opening/closing part is installed in the substrate processing apparatus and is configured to open and close the substrate container; and
a second purging part controlled by a second controller to perform a second purge to supply inert gas at a second flow rate into the substrate container mounted on a substrate container storing shelf, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate, wherein the second purging part is installed the substrate container storing shelf, and the substrate container storing shelf is installed in the substrate processing apparatus and is configured to store the substrate container.

10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
performing a first purge to supply inert gas at a first flow rate into a substrate container mounted on a substrate container transfer stand or a substrate container opening/closing part, wherein the first purging part is installed in at least one of the substrate container transfer stand and the substrate container opening/closing part, and the substrate container transfer stand is installed in a substrate processing apparatus and is configured to transfer the substrate container accommodating a substrate into and out of the substrate processing apparatus;
transferring the substrate container from a first purging part to a second purging part, wherein the second purging part is installed in the substrate container storing shelf, and the substrate container storing shelf is configured to store the substrate container; and
performing a second purge to supply inert gas at a second flow rate into the substrate container mounted on the substrate container storing shelf, the second flow rate being lower than the first flow rate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the act of performing the first purge comprises reducing oxygen concentration within the substrate container to a first control value or less by supplying the inert gas at the first flow rate into the substrate container, and the act of performing the second purge comprises keeping the oxygen concentration within the substrate container at a second control value or less by supplying the inert gas at the second flow rate into the substrate container.

12. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a transfer stand configured to transfer a pod accommodating a substrate into and out of a transfer chamber;
an opening/closing part configured to open and close a cover of the pod, wherein the opening/closing part is installed in

Assignees

• Hitachi Int Electric Inc

Inventors

• Hirano Makoto
• Hayashi Akinari

Classifications

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/3404

  Storage means · CPC title

• H10P72/3312

  Vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces · CPC title

• H10P72/1926

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

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