FILM DEPOSITION APPARATUS, FILM DEPOSITION METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20100227046A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Honma, Manabu, KATO, HITOSHI
• Application Number:
  US12/713,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227046A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/10
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• 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 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0683 measurement during deposition or removal of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/211 Ellipsometry optical thickness measurement G01B11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68764 characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating caroussel
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68771 characterised by supporting more than one semiconductor substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/26 Acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection, in-situ thickness measurement endpoint detection arrangements in CMP apparatus B24B37/013, in discharge apparatus H01J37/32
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A disclosed film deposition apparatus includes a transparent window in a ceiling plate of a vacuum chamber. A film thickness of a film deposited on a substrate is measured by emitting light to the substrate through the transparent window by a film thickness measurement system that includes optical units arranged on or above the transparent window, optical fiber cables connected to the corresponding optical units, a measurement unit to which the optical fiber cables are connected, and a control unit electrically connected to the measurement unit in order to control the measurement unit.

Claims

1. A film deposition apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate by carrying out a cycle of alternately supplying to the substrate at least two kinds of reaction gases that react with each other to produce a layer of a reaction product in a chamber, the film deposition apparatus comprising:

a susceptor rotatably provided in the chamber and having in one surface thereof a substrate receiving area in which the substrate is placed;

a window portion hermetically provided to the chamber so that the window portion opposes the susceptor in the chamber;

a film thickness measurement portion that optically measures a thickness of a film deposited on the substrate placed in the substrate receiving area, through the window portion;

a first reaction gas supplying portion configured to supply a first reaction gas to the one surface;

a second reaction gas supplying portion configured to supply a second reaction gas to the one surface, the second reaction gas supplying portion being separated from the first reaction gas supplying portion along a rotation direction of the susceptor;

a separation area located along the rotation direction between a first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied and a second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied;

a center area that is located substantially in a center portion of the chamber, configured to separate the first process area and the second process area, and has an ejection hole that ejects a first separation gas along the one surface; and

an evacuation opening provided in the chamber in order to evacuate the chamber;

wherein the separation area includes a separation gas supplying portion that supplies a second separation gas, and a ceiling surface that creates in relation to the one surface of the susceptor a thin space in which the second separation gas may flow from the separation area to the process area side in relation to the rotation direction.

2. The film deposition apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the film thickness measurement portion includes:

plural light emitting portions that emit light to plural corresponding points on the substrate; and

plural light detecting portions that receive reflection light of the light emitted from the plural light emitting portions to the plural corresponding points on the substrate.

3. The film deposition apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a control part configured to stop film deposition when a measured film thickness of the film deposited on the substrate, the film thickness being measured by the film thickness measurement portion, is compared with a target thickness, and it is determined as a result of the comparison that the measured film thickness is greater than or equal to the target thickness.

4. The film deposition apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the film thickness measurement portion includes an ellipsometer.

11. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a film deposition apparatus recited in claim 1 to carry out a film deposition method comprising steps of:

placing the substrate in the substrate receiving area defined in one surface of the susceptor rotatably provided in the chamber;

rotating the susceptor on which the substrate is placed;

supplying the first reaction gas to the one surface of the susceptor from a first reaction gas supplying portion;

supplying the second reaction gas to the one surface of the susceptor from the second reaction gas supplying portion separated from the first reaction gas supplying portion along the rotation direction of the susceptor;

supplying the first separation gas from the separation gas supplying portion provided in the separation area located between the first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied from the first reaction gas supplying portion and the second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied from the second reaction gas supplying portion, in order to flow the first separation gas from the separation area to the process area relative to the rotation direction of the susceptor in the thin space created between the ceiling surface of the separation area and the susceptor;

supplying the second separation gas from the ejection hole formed in the center area located in the center portion of the chamber;

evacuating the chamber; and

measuring a film thickness of the film deposited on the substrate placed on the susceptor rotated in the step of rotating the susceptor.

5. A film deposition method for depositing a film on a substrate by carrying out a cycle of alternately supplying to the substrate at least two kinds of reaction gases that react with each other to produce a layer of a reaction product in a chamber, the film deposition method comprising steps of:

placing the substrate in a substrate receiving area defined in one surface of a susceptor rotatably provided in the chamber;

rotating the susceptor on which the substrate is placed;

supplying a first reaction gas to the one surface of the susceptor from a first reaction gas supplying portion;

supplying a second reaction gas to the one surface of the susceptor from a second reaction gas supplying portion separated from the first reaction gas supplying portion along a rotation direction of the susceptor;

supplying a first separation gas from a separation gas supplying portion provided in a separation area located between a first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied from the first reaction gas supplying portion and a second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied from the second reaction gas supplying portion, in order to flow the first separation gas from the separation area to the process area relative to the rotation direction of the susceptor in a thin space created between a ceiling surface of the separation area and the susceptor;

supplying a second separation gas from an ejection hole formed in a center area located in a center portion of the chamber;

evacuating the chamber; and

measuring a film thickness of a film deposited on the substrate placed on the susceptor rotated in the step of rotating the susceptor.

6. The film deposition method recited in claim 5, wherein the step of measuring the film thickness includes steps of:

emitting light to the substrate on the susceptor rotated in the step of rotating the susceptor;

receiving reflection light of the light emitted to the substrate in the step of emitting the light; and

calculating the film thickness of the film deposited on the substrate by utilizing a spectroscopic intensity of the reflection light received in the step of receiving the reflection light.

7. The film deposition method recited in claim 6, wherein plural light beams are emitted to the substrate, and plural reflection light beams of the corresponding light beams emitted to the substrate are received in the step of emitting the light;

and

wherein the film thickness of the film is calculated by utilizing spectroscopic intensities of the plural reflection light beams.

8. The film deposition method recited in claim 6, further comprising a step of comparing a film thickness calculated in the step of calculating the film thickness with a target thickness of the film.

9. The film deposition method recited in claim 8, further comprising a step of stopping supplying the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas when it is determined that the calculated film thickness is greater than or equal to the target thickness as a result of the step of comparing.

10. The film deposition method recited in claim 6, wherein the film thickness is calculated by ellispometry in the step of calculating.