FILM DEPOSITION APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, FILM DEPOSITION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20100055316A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: HONMA, MANABU
• Granted Patent: US 9,267,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.280
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45551 for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45578 Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes

Abstract

A film deposition apparatus to form a thin film by supplying first and second reaction gases within a vacuum chamber includes a turntable, a protection top plate, first and second reaction gas supply parts extending from a circumferential edge towards a rotation center of the turntable, and a separation gas supply part provided therebetween. First and second spaces respectively include the first and second reaction gas supply parts and have heights H1 and H2. A third space includes the separation gas supply part and has a height H3 lower than H1 and H2. The film deposition apparatus further includes a vacuum chamber protection part which surrounds the turntable and the first, second and third spaces together with the protection top plate to protect the vacuum chamber from corrosion.

Claims

1. A film deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate in a vacuum chamber by sequentially supplying at least two kinds of source gases, including a first reaction gas and a second reaction gas, and by carrying out a supply cycle to sequentially supply said at least two kinds of source gases, said film deposition apparatus comprising:

a turntable rotatably provided in the chamber and having a substrate receiving part configured to receive a substrate;

a protection top plate, disposed above the turntable to oppose the turntable, configured to protect the vacuum chamber from corrosion with respect to the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas;

a first reaction gas supply part and a second reaction gas supply part, extending from mutually different positions along a circumferential edge of the turntable towards a rotation center of the turntable, configured to supply the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas, respectively;

a first separation gas supply part extending from a position along the circumferential edge of the turntable between the first reaction gas supply part and the second reaction gas supply part towards the rotation center of the turntable, configured to supply a first separation gas for separating the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas from each other;

a first lower surface portion located at a first distance from an upper surface of the turntable, and included in a lower surface of the protection top plate which includes the first reaction gas supply part;

a first space formed between the first lower surface portion and the turntable;

a second lower surface portion located at a second distance from the upper surface of the turntable at a position separated from the first lower surface portion, and included in the lower surface of the protection top plate which includes the second reaction gas supply part;

a second space formed between the second lower surface portion and the turntable;

a third lower surface portion located at a third distance from the upper surface of the turntable, and included in the lower surface of the protection top plate which includes the first separation gas supply part and is located on both sides of the first separation gas supply part along a rotating direction of the turntable, said third height being lower than each of the first height and the second height;

a third space formed between the third lower surface portion and the turntable, and having the third height to flow the first separation gas from the first separation gas supply part to the first space and the second space;

a vacuum chamber protection part configured to surround the turntable, the first space, the second space and the third space, together with the protection top plate, and to protect the vacuum chamber from corrosion with respect to the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas;

a second separation gas supply part, provided in a central part area included in the lower surface of the protection top plate on a side of the substrate receiving part relative to the rotation center of the turntable, and configured to supply a second separation gas for separating the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas from each other; and

an exhaust port configured to exhaust the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas together with the first separation gas ejected to both sides of the third space and the second separation gas ejected from the central part area.

2. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection top plate and the vacuum chamber protection part are made of quartz or ceramics.

3. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first protection gas supply part, disposed between a top plate of the vacuum chamber and the protection top plater and configured to supply a first protection gas to protect the vacuum chamber from corrosion.

4. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a second protection gas supply part, disposed between a bottom of the vacuum chamber and the vacuum chamber protection part, and configured to supply a second protection gas to protect the vacuum chamber from corrosion.

5. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a third separation gas supply part, disposed under the rotation center of the turntable, and configured to supply a third separation gas for separating the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas from each other.

6. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a column disposed at a central part of the vacuum chamber between the lower surface of the protection top plate and a bottom of the vacuum chamber; and

a rotation sleeve rotatable about a vertical axis and surrounding the column,

wherein the rotation sleeve forms a rotary shaft of the turntable.

7. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface of the substrate placed in the substrate receiving part is located at a level which is lower than or equal to a level of the upper surface of the turntable.

8. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein gas inlet ports for introducing gases to the first reaction gas supply part, the second reaction gas supply part and the first separation gas supply part are disposed on the rotation center side or the circumferential edge side of the turntable.

9. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first separation gas supply part includes a plurality of ejection holes arranged in a direction from the rotation center towards the circumferential edge of the turntable.

10. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first exhaust port and a second exhaust port disposed at a periphery in a bottom of the vacuum chamber in vicinities of the first space and the second space, respectively.

11. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pressure within the third space is set higher than a pressure within the first space and a pressure within the second space.

12. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third lower surface portion has a shape which increases in width from the rotation center towards the circumferential edge of the turntable.

13. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a film deposition apparatus according to claim 1;

a vacuum transport chamber connected to the film deposition apparatus in an air-tight manner, and having a substrate transport part provided therein; and

a load lock chambers connected to the vacuum transport chamber in an air-tight manner, and having an environment therein switched between an atmospheric environment and a vacuum environment.

14. A film deposition method for depositing a thin film on a substrate in a space surrounded by a vacuum chamber protection part which protects a vacuum chamber from corrosion by sequentially supplying at least two kinds of source gases, including a first reaction gas and a second reaction gas, and by carrying out a supply cycle to sequentially supply said at least two kinds of source gases, said film deposition method comprising:

placing a substrate on a turntable within the vacuum chamber;

rotating the turntable;

supplying, from a first reaction gas supply part, a first reaction gas to a first space formed between an upper surface of the turntable and a top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part;

supplying, from a second reaction gas supply part disposed at a position different from a position of the first reaction gas supply part along a rotating direction of the turntable, a second reaction gas to a second space formed between the upper surface of the turntable and the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part;

supplying, from a first separation gas supply part disposed between the first reaction gas supply part and the second reaction gas supply part, a first separation gas to a third space formed between the upper surface of the turntable and the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part, said third space being lower than the first space and the second space;

supplying a second separation gas for separating the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas to a central part area under the top plate and above the turntable; and

moving the substrate with a rotation of the turntable, to repeat supplying the first reaction gas to the surface of the substrate, stop supplying the first reaction gas, supplying the second reaction gas to the surface of the substrate, and stop supplying the second reaction gas, in order to exhaust the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas together with the first separation gas and the second separation gas, to thereby form a thin film on the substrate.

15. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 14, comprising:

flowing a first protection gas for protecting the vacuum chamber from corrosion into a protection space between the vacuum chamber protection part and the vacuum chamber; and

setting a pressure within the protection space higher than a pressure within the space surrounded by the vacuum chamber protection part.

16. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 14, comprising:

setting a height from the upper surface of the turntable to the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part in a portion of an area supplying the first reaction gas above the turntable at a portion including the first reaction gas supply part lower than a height from the upper surface of the turntable to the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part in another portion of the area supplying the first reaction gas, when supplying the first reaction gas.

17. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 14, comprising:

setting a height from the upper surface of the turntable to the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part in a portion of an area supplying the second reaction gas above the turntable at a portion including the second reaction gas supply part lower than a height from the upper surface of the turntable to the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part in another portion of the area supplying the second reaction gas, when supplying the second reaction gas.

18. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the turntable is heated.

19. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 14, comprising:

flowing a second protection gas between the vacuum chamber protection part and a bottom of the vacuum chamber.

20. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a film deposition process for depositing a thin film on a substrate in a space surrounded by a vacuum chamber protection part which protects a vacuum chamber from corrosion by sequentially supplying at least two kinds of source gases, including a first reaction gas and a second reaction gas, and by carrying out a supply cycle to sequentially supply said at least two kinds of source gases, said program comprising:

a procedure causing the computer to rotate a turntable having a substrate placed thereon;

a procedure causing the computer to supply, from a first reaction gas supply part, a first reaction gas to a first space formed between an upper surface of the turntable and a top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part;

a procedure causing the computer to supply, from a second reaction gas supply part disposed at a position different from a position of the first reaction gas supply part along a rotating direction of the turntable, a second reaction gas to a second space formed between the upper surface of the turntable and the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part;

a procedure causing the computer to supply, from a first separation gas supply part disposed between the first reaction gas supply part and the second reaction gas supply part, a first separation gas to a third space formed between the upper surface of the turntable and the top plate of the vacuum chamber protection part, said third space being lower than the first space and the second space;

a procedure causing the computer to supply, a second separation gas for separating the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas to a central part area under the top plate and above the turntable; and

a procedure causing the computer to move the substrate with a rotation of the turntable, and repeat supplying the first reaction gas to the surface of the substrate, stop supplying the first reaction gas, supplying the second reaction gas to the surface of the substrate, and stop supplying the second reaction gas, in order to exhaust the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas together with the first separation gas and the second separation gas, to thereby form a thin film on the substrate.