Substrate Processing Apparatus

• US 20080153308A1
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takebayashi, Motonari, Toyoda, Kazuyuki, Ishimaru, Nobuo, Kontani, Tadashi, Ogawa, Shizue
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/758
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45542 Plasma being used non-continuously during the ALD reactions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45578 Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber which is to accommodate at least one substrate; a gas supply system which is to supply processing gas into the processing chamber; an exhaust system which is to exhaust atmosphere in the processing chamber; and at least one pair of electrodes which are to bring the processing gas into an active state and which are accommodated in protection tubes such that the electrodes can be inserted into and pulled out from the protection tubes, wherein the electrodes are accommodated in the protection tube in a state where at least a portion of the electrodes is bent, and the electrodes are formed of flexible members, is disclosed.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber which is to accommodate at least one substrate;

a gas supply system which is to supply processing gas into the processing chamber;

an exhaust system which is to exhaust atmosphere in the processing chamber; and

at least one pair of electrodes which are to bring the processing gas into an active state and which are accommodated in protection tubes such that the electrodes can be inserted into and pulled out from the protection tubes, wherein

the electrodes are accommodated in the protection tubes in a state where at least a portion of each of the electrodes is bent, and the electrodes are formed of flexible members.

2. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

each of the electrodes is formed by weaving linear conductive members.

3. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

each of the electrodes is of a hollow cylindrical shape formed by weaving linear conductive members.

4. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

each of the electrodes is formed by tying linear conductive members in bundles.

5. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus wherein processing of the substrates are carried out in a state where a substrate holding member which holds a plurality of substrates in a multi-stacked manner at a predetermined distance from each other is accommodated in the processing chamber, and

the pair of electrodes are disposed along a stacking direction of the substrates, and ends of the electrodes are located at a position exceeding a position of a leading end substrate, which is held by the substrate holding member which is located on the side of the ends of the electrodes, by at least a length corresponding to the distance between adjacent substrates in the substrate holding member.

6. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

the pair of electrodes are accommodated in separate protection tubes, respectively, such that the electrodes can be inserted into and pulled out from the protection tubes, respectively.

7. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

an outer diameter of each of the pair of electrodes is smaller than an inner diameter of each of the separate protection tubes by 1 mm to 2 mm.

8. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein

the electrodes are provided with cores, respectively.

9. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein

the ends of the electrodes are located at a position exceeding a position of a top plate of the substrate holding member.

10. A semiconductor device producing method, comprising:

processing at least one substrate using a substrate processing apparatus, comprising;

a processing chamber which is to accommodate at least one substrate;

a gas supply system which is to supply processing gas into the processing chamber;

an exhaust system which is to exhaust atmosphere in the processing chamber; and

at least one pair of electrodes which are to bring the processing gas into an active state and which are accommodated in protection tubes such that the electrodes can be inserted into and pulled out from the protection tubes, wherein

the electrodes are accommodated in the protection tube in a state where at least a portion of the electrodes is bent, and the electrodes are formed of flexible members.