SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND GAS SUPPLY METHOD

• US 20080182423A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Daisuke, Takanashi, Morihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,465,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/735
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02071 the processing being a delineation, e.g. RIE, of conductive layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus that can prevent formation of deposit in openings of a plurality of gas supply holes leading into a processing chamber. Each of the gas supply holes is configured to uniformly supply a processing gas, whose molecules are turned into clusters, into the processing chamber and to prevent liquefaction of processing gas when the processing gas is supplied into the processing chamber.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas into a processing chamber, wherein

said gas supply unit comprises a plurality of gas supply holes,

each of said gas supply holes is configured to uniformly supply the processing gas into the processing chamber and prevent liquefaction of the processing gas when said gas supply unit supplies the processing gas into the processing chamber, and

molecules of the processing gas are turned into clusters.

2. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a flow rate of the processing gas supplied into the processing chamber by said gas supply unit is 2970 to 3030 sccm, said gas supply holes are formed to have a diameter of 1 mm or greater.

3. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a pressure in the processing chamber is 4000 Pa (30 Torr) or higher, and a temperature on walls of said gas supply holes is 80°

C. or higher.

4. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said gas supply holes has an opening leading into the processing chamber and broadening toward the end.

5. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas supply unit comprises a pressure-reducing and heating unit that reduces a pressure of the processing gas and heats the processing gas before supplying the processing gas into the processing chamber.

6. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing gas comprises hydrogen fluoride gas.

7. A gas supply method for a substrate processing apparatus comprising a gas supply unit that has a plurality of gas supply holes and uniformly supplies a processing gas, whose molecules are turned into clusters, into a processing chamber, the method comprising a supply step of supplying the processing gas without causing the processing gas to liquefy.

8. A gas supply method according to claim 7, wherein in said supply step, the processing gas is supplied while preventing a temperature of the processing gas from decreasing by 53°

C. or more when the processing gas passes through the gas supply holes in a case where the processing gas is supplied at a flow rate of 2970 to 3030 sccm into the processing chamber.

9. A gas supply method according to claim 8, wherein a pressure in the processing chamber is 4000 Pa (30 Torr) or higher, and a temperature on walls of the gas supply holes is 80°

C. or higher.

10. A gas supply method according to claim 7, further comprising a pressure-reducing and heating step of reducing a pressure of the processing gas and heating the processing gas before supplying the processing gas into the processing chamber.

11. A gas supply method according to claim 7, wherein the processing gas comprises hydrogen fluoride gas.