Semiconductor manufacturing system with exhaust pipe, deposit elimination method for use with semiconductor manufacturing system, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 20030094134A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Minami, Toshihiko
• Application Number:
  US10/152,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20030094134A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4407 Cleaning of reactor or reactor parts by using wet or mechanical methods
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4408 by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps

Abstract

A reactive gas is supplied to a reaction chamber by way of a reactive gas supply pipe. The reactive gas is exhausted from the reaction chamber by way of a main exhaust pipe. Outside air is drawn into the reaction chamber by way of an air intake pipe by means of opening an air intake valve. Further, a main exhaust valve is closed, and a dust collection exhaust valve is opened. As a result, a by-product deposited on an interior wall of the reaction chamber and in the main exhaust pipe is exhausted by way of a dust collection exhaust pipe having exhaust power higher than that of the main exhaust pipe.

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing system for forming a thin film on a substrate, comprising:

a supply section for supplying a reactive gas to a reaction chamber;

a first exhaust section for exhausting the reactive gas from the reaction chamber;

an air intake section for drawing outside air into the reaction chamber; and

a second exhaust section which has exhaust power higher than that of said first exhaust section, said second exhaust section exhausting a by-product deposited on an interior wall of the reaction chamber from the reaction chamber together with the outside air.

2. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first exhaust valve provided in said first exhaust section;

a second exhaust valve provided in said second exhaust section;

an air intake valve provided in said air intake section; and

a control section for controlling opening/closing actions of said first exhaust valve, said second exhaust valve and said air intake valve.

3. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a supply volume detection section connected to said supply section and for detecting a supply volume of the reactive gas,

wherein said control section controls the opening/closing actions of said first exhaust valve, those of said second exhaust valve and those of said air intake valve on the basis of a result detected by said supply volume detection section.

4. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a deposit volume detection section for detecting a volume of the by-product deposited on the interior wall surface of the reaction chamber,

wherein said control section controls the opening/closing actions of said first exhaust valve, those of said second exhaust valve, and those of said air intake valve on the basis of a result of detected by said deposit volume detection section.

5. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said second exhaust sections are provided.

6. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure sensor for sensing an internal pressure of said second exhaust section.

7. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein said air intake section draws an inert gas in lieu of the outside air.

8. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claims 1, wherein said second exhaust section is formed so as to branch off from said first exhaust section connected to the reaction chamber, and further exhaust a by-product deposited on an interior wall of said first exhaust section.

9. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 8, wherein said air intake section and said first exhaust section are connected to mutually-opposing positions of the reaction chamber.

16. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by the semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 1.

10. A deposit elimination method for use with a semiconductor manufacturing system, comprising:

a first exhaust step of exhausting a reactive gas from a reaction chamber, after formation of a thin film on a substrate in the reaction chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing system; and

a second exhaust step of drawing outside air into the reaction chamber after said first exhaust step, and exhausting the outside air from the reaction chamber at the same time,

wherein said second exhaust step is performed at a higher exhaust rate than said first exhaust step.

11. The deposit elimination method according to claim 10, wherein the second exhaust step exhausts the outside air and a by-product deposited on an interior wall of the reaction chamber at the same time.

12. The deposit elimination method according to claim 11, further comprising:

a deposit volume detection step, prior to said second exhaust step, of detecting the volume of the by-product deposited on the interior wall surface of the reaction chamber,

wherein said second exhaust step is performed on the basis of a result detected in said deposit volume detection process.

13. The deposit elimination method according to claim 11, further comprising:

a supply volume detection step, prior to said second exhaust step, of detecting a supply volume of the reactive gas into the reaction chamber,

wherein said second exhaust step is performed on the basis of a result detected in said supply volume detection step.

14. The deposit elimination method according to claim 10, wherein said second exhaust step is performed through use of a plurality of exhaust pipes.

15. The deposit elimination method according to claim 10, wherein in said second exhaust step, an inert gas draws into the reaction chamber in lieu of the outside air.