PURGE STEP-CONTROLLED SEQUENCE OF PROCESSING SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERS
First Claim
1. A method of processing semiconductor substrates in an apparatus comprising a reaction chamber and a transfer chamber connected to and communicated with the reaction chamber via a gate valve, said reaction chamber and said transfer chamber being evacuatable, said method comprising:
- (i) depositing a film on a substrate in the reaction chamber;
(ii) evacuating the reaction chamber, without purging the reaction chamber between steps (i) and (iii);
(iii) opening the gate valve and replacing the substrate with a next substrate via the transfer chamber, wherein the pressure of the transfer chamber is controlled to be higher than that of the reaction chamber before and while the gate valve is opened by introducing an inert gas into the transfer chamber, wherein while the gate valve is opened, the inert gas flows from the transfer chamber into the reaction chamber and a flow rate of the inert gas is increased, relative to that before that gate valve is opened, to 5,000 to 10,000 sccm;
(iv) repeating steps (i) and (ii) for the next substrate and removing the next substrate from the reaction chamber; and
(v) purging and evacuating the reaction chamber, and cleaning the reaction chamber with a cleaning gas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of processing semiconductor substrates includes: depositing a film on a substrate in a reaction chamber; evacuating the reaction chamber without purging the reaction chamber; opening a gate valve and replacing the substrate with a next substrate via the transfer chamber wherein the pressure of the transfer chamber is controlled to be higher than that of the reaction chamber before and while the gate valve is opened; repeating the above steps and removing the substrate from the reaction chamber; and purging and evacuating the reaction chamber, and cleaning the reaction chamber with a cleaning gas.
59 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of processing semiconductor substrates in an apparatus comprising a reaction chamber and a transfer chamber connected to and communicated with the reaction chamber via a gate valve, said reaction chamber and said transfer chamber being evacuatable, said method comprising:
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(i) depositing a film on a substrate in the reaction chamber; (ii) evacuating the reaction chamber, without purging the reaction chamber between steps (i) and (iii); (iii) opening the gate valve and replacing the substrate with a next substrate via the transfer chamber, wherein the pressure of the transfer chamber is controlled to be higher than that of the reaction chamber before and while the gate valve is opened by introducing an inert gas into the transfer chamber, wherein while the gate valve is opened, the inert gas flows from the transfer chamber into the reaction chamber and a flow rate of the inert gas is increased, relative to that before that gate valve is opened, to 5,000 to 10,000 sccm; (iv) repeating steps (i) and (ii) for the next substrate and removing the next substrate from the reaction chamber; and (v) purging and evacuating the reaction chamber, and cleaning the reaction chamber with a cleaning gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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5. (canceled)
Specification