Method of Parallel Shift Operation of Multiple Reactors

• US 20140033978A1
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Adachi, Wataru, Ha, Jeongsok
• Granted Patent: US 8,911,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/696
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45542 Plasma being used non-continuously during the ALD reactions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0357 For producing uniform flow

Abstract

A method of parallel shift operation of multiple reactors includes: (i) continuously supplying n gases numbered 1 to n simultaneously to n gas ports via n main gas lines, respectively, at a constant flow rate, wherein one of branch gas lines of each main gas line is in an open state so that the inflow rates of the respective reactors are equal, and the outflow rates of the respective reactors are equal; and (ii) while maintaining the inflow rates and the outflow rates of the respective reactors, simultaneously closing the one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line in the open state and opening another one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line so that different numbered gases are continuously supplied to the respective reactors in parallel without changing the inflow rates and the outflow rates of the reactors.

Claims

1. A method of parallel shift operation of multiple reactors in which substrates are placed, wherein n main gas lines numbered 1 to n and n gas ports numbered 1 to n are provided wherein n is an integer greater than one, each main gas line branches into n branch gas lines numbered 1 to n connected to the n gas ports, respectively, each branch gas line is provided with a valve for closing and opening the branch gas line, and each reactor is connected to a different gas port, wherein one of branch gas lines 1 to n of each main gas line is in an open state at a time while all the other branch gas lines of the main gas line are in a closed state,

said method comprising:

(i) continuously supplying n gases numbered 1 to n simultaneously to the n gas ports via the n main gas lines, respectively, at a constant flow rate, wherein one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line is in an open state, said one of the branch gas lines being such that the inflow rates of the respective reactors are equal, and the outflow rates of the respective reactors are equal; and

(ii) while maintaining the inflow rates and the outflow rates of the respective reactors, simultaneously closing the one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line in the open state and opening another one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line so that different numbered gases are continuously supplied to the respective reactors in parallel without changing the inflow rates and the outflow rates of the reactors.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising repeating step (ii) in sequence.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (i), the branch gas lines in the open state are branch gas lines 1 to n corresponding to main gas lines 1 to n, respectively, and in step (ii), the branch gas lines to be opened are the next numbered branch gas lines corresponding to main gas lines 1 to n, respectively, wherein the next number after number n returns to number 1.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the n gases is an inactive gas, a reactant gas, or a mixture thereof, and the main gas line for the at least one of the n gases is capable of switching flow of the inactive gas and flow of the reactant gas or switching flow of the inactive gas and flow of the mixture gas without interruption at the same total flow rate.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein n is two, main gas lines 1 and 2 each supply an inactive gas, reactant gas, or a mixture thereof at the same flow rate, and gas ports 1 and 2 are connected to two reactors as the multiple reactors, respectively.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein n is three, main gas lines 1, 2, and 3 each supply an inactive gas, a reactant gas, or a mixture thereof at the same flow rate, and gas ports 1, 2, and 3 are connected to three reactors as the multiple reactors, respectively.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein n is three, main gas lines 1, 2, and 3 each supply an inactive gas, a reactant gas, or a mixture thereof at the same flow rate, and gas ports 1, 2, and 3 are connected to two reactors as the multiple reactors and one vent, respectively.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein n is three, main gas line 1 supplies an inactive gas, a reactant gas, or a mixture thereof at the same flow rate, main gas lines 2 and 3 each supply an inactive gas, and gas ports 1, 2, and 3 are connected to three reactors as the multiple reactors, respectively.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one main gas line supplies an inactive gas or a reactant gas with an inactive gas, said reactant gas being a vaporized gas of a liquid material.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one main gas line supplies an inactive gas or a reactant gas.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a common gas line is provided, which branches into gas lines connected to the multiple reactors, respectively, wherein a common gas is continuously supplied, through the common gas line simultaneously, to the multiple reactors.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the common gas is not reactive to gases 1 to n when they are in a non-excited state.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein gases 1 to n are not reactive to each other when they are in a non-excited state.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein a common exhaust is provided, into which exhausts from the multiple reactors are merged.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the multiple reactors is cyclic CVD or ALD.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the n gases are continuously reactant gases.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein another main gas line is provided, which branches into branch gas lines connected to the multiple reactors, respectively, each branch gas line being provided with a valve for closing and opening the branch gas line, wherein another reactant gas is supplied to the multiple reactors in sequence by (a) continuously supplying the other reactant gas to the other main gas lines;

(b) during step (a), supplying the other reactant gas to one of the multiple reactors via the branch gas line connected thereto, wherein the valves of the branch gas lines are in an open state, and the valves of the other branch gas lines are in a closed state;

(c) during step (a) and after step (b), simultaneously closing the valves of the branch gas lines in the open state and opening the valve of another of the branch gas lines in the closed state, thereby supplying the other reactant gas to another of the multiple reactors connected to the other branch gas line; and

(d) repeating step (c) in sequence.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the other main gas line supplies an inactive gas, the other reactant gas, or a mixture thereof, and the other main gas line is capable of switching the inactive gas and the reactant gas or switching the inactive gas and the mixture gas without interruption at the same total flow rate.

19. A method of parallel shift operation of at least two reactors, wherein n main gas lines numbered 1 to n and n gas ports numbered 1 to n are provided wherein n is an integer greater than one, each main gas line branching into n branch gas lines numbered 1 to n connected to the n gas ports, respectively, each branch gas line being provided with a valve for closing and opening the branch gas line, each reactor being connected to a different gas port, said method comprising:

(i) continuously supplying n gases numbered 1 to n simultaneously to the n main gas lines, respectively;

(ii) during step (i), supplying gases 1 to n to gas ports 1 to n, respectively, via branch gas lines 1 to n corresponding to main gas lines 1 to n, respectively, wherein the valves of branch gas lines 1 to n corresponding to main gas lines 1 to n, respectively, are in an open state, and the valves of the other branch gas lines are in a closed state;

(iii) during step (i) and after step (ii), simultaneously closing the valve of branch gas lines 1 to n in the open state and opening the valves of branch gas lines 1 to n in the closed state corresponding to the next numbered main gas lines, respectively, thereby supplying the next numbered gases to gas ports 1 to n, respectively, wherein the next number after number n returns to number 1; and

(iv) repeating step (iii), whereby the reactors are operated in parallel by supplying gases in shifted sequences to the respective reactors.

20. A semiconductor-processing apparatus comprising:

multiple reactors;

n main gas lines numbered 1 to n and n gas ports numbered 1 to n, wherein n is an integer greater than one, each main gas line branches into n branch gas lines numbered 1 to n connected to the n gas ports, respectively, each branch gas line is provided with a valve for closing and opening the branch gas line, and each reactor is connected to a different gas port, wherein one of branch gas lines 1 to n of each main gas line is in an open state at a time while all the other branch gas lines of the main gas line are in a closed state; and

a common exhaust shared by the reactors,

wherein the valves of the branch gas lines are programmed to (i) continuously supply n gases numbered 1 to n simultaneously to the n gas ports via the n main gas lines, respectively, at a constant flow rate, wherein one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line is in an open state, said one of the branch gas lines being such that the inflow rates of the respective reactors are equal, and the outflow rates of the respective reactors are equal; and

(ii) while maintaining the inflow rates and the outflow rates of the respective reactors, simultaneously close the one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line in the open state and open another one of the branch gas lines of each main gas line so that different numbered gases are continuously supplied to the respective reactors in parallel without changing the inflow rates and the outflow rates of the reactors.