Cleaning method, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, substrate processing apparatus, recording medium, and cleaning completion determining method
First Claim
1. A substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate provided into a process chamber by supplying a process gas, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:
- a cleaning gas supply that supplies a cleaning gas;
a discharge port that discharges the process gas or the cleaning gas;
a controller that controls the cleaning gas supply and the discharge port so as to remove a deposit adhering to a component constituting the apparatus by discharging a predetermined gas generated by a reaction of the deposit and the cleaning gas; and
a concentration detector, communicatively coupled to the controller, that measures a concentration of the predetermined gas in a discharge path connected to the process chamber,wherein the controller includes a memory that stores a recipe including a cleaning step of executing a cleaning process and a sub-recipe for removing the deposit adhering to the component constituting the apparatus, andwherein the controller is configured to;
read the recipe and the sub-recipe from the memory;
control the cleaning gas supply and the discharge port by executing the cleaning step of the recipe and executing the sub-recipe a multiple number of times in the cleaning step, the sub-recipe being executed by performing a cycle the multiple number of times, and the cycle including performing, in a time series manner;
a gas cleaning process of supplying the cleaning gas by the cleaning gas supply; and
an exhaust process of discharging the cleaning gas by the discharge port;
monitor, after executing the sub-recipe a predetermined number of times, a signal from the concentration detector while subsequently executing the sub-recipe;
determine, based on the signal, that the concentration of the predetermined gas reaches a predetermined upper limit value or less;
determine, based on the signal and the multiple number of times that the cycle is performed, an execution end point of the sub-recipe such that after the concentration of the predetermined gas reaches the upper limit value or less, the concentration of the predetermined gas stays within a range between the predetermined upper limit value and a predetermined lower limit value for a predetermined time period while executing the sub-recipe;
terminate the sub-recipe by terminating the controlling of the cleaning gas supply and the discharge port at the execution end point to return to the recipe; and
execute one or more remaining steps in the recipe after the cleaning step and terminate the recipe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cleaning method including: cleaning a component in which a deposit adhering to the component constituting an apparatus is removed by supplying and discharging a cleaning gas, wherein the act of cleaning includes controlling the apparatus so that a signal, which indicates a concentration of a predetermined gas generated by a reaction of the deposit and the cleaning gas, reaches a predetermined upper limit value or less and then stays within a range between the predetermined upper limit value and a predetermined lower limit value for a predetermined time period.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate provided into a process chamber by supplying a process gas, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:
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a cleaning gas supply that supplies a cleaning gas; a discharge port that discharges the process gas or the cleaning gas; a controller that controls the cleaning gas supply and the discharge port so as to remove a deposit adhering to a component constituting the apparatus by discharging a predetermined gas generated by a reaction of the deposit and the cleaning gas; and a concentration detector, communicatively coupled to the controller, that measures a concentration of the predetermined gas in a discharge path connected to the process chamber, wherein the controller includes a memory that stores a recipe including a cleaning step of executing a cleaning process and a sub-recipe for removing the deposit adhering to the component constituting the apparatus, and wherein the controller is configured to; read the recipe and the sub-recipe from the memory; control the cleaning gas supply and the discharge port by executing the cleaning step of the recipe and executing the sub-recipe a multiple number of times in the cleaning step, the sub-recipe being executed by performing a cycle the multiple number of times, and the cycle including performing, in a time series manner; a gas cleaning process of supplying the cleaning gas by the cleaning gas supply; and an exhaust process of discharging the cleaning gas by the discharge port; monitor, after executing the sub-recipe a predetermined number of times, a signal from the concentration detector while subsequently executing the sub-recipe; determine, based on the signal, that the concentration of the predetermined gas reaches a predetermined upper limit value or less; determine, based on the signal and the multiple number of times that the cycle is performed, an execution end point of the sub-recipe such that after the concentration of the predetermined gas reaches the upper limit value or less, the concentration of the predetermined gas stays within a range between the predetermined upper limit value and a predetermined lower limit value for a predetermined time period while executing the sub-recipe; terminate the sub-recipe by terminating the controlling of the cleaning gas supply and the discharge port at the execution end point to return to the recipe; and execute one or more remaining steps in the recipe after the cleaning step and terminate the recipe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification