FILM FORMING APPARATUS, FILM FORMING METHOD AND NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140356550A1
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: TONEGAWA, Yamato, ISHII, Katsutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,535,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/569
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32834 Exhausting

Abstract

A film forming apparatus includes a first supply unit configured to supply a first reaction gas into the reaction vessel under an environment of a first pressure, a second supply unit configured to supply a second reaction gas into the reaction vessel under an environment of a second pressure lower than the first pressure, a first vacuum exhaust mechanism connected to the reaction vessel through a first exhaust path in order to create the environment of the first pressure within the reaction vessel, a second vacuum exhaust mechanism connected to the reaction vessel through a second exhaust path in order to create the environment of the second pressure, the second vacuum exhaust mechanism being lower in an operation pressure zone than the first vacuum exhaust mechanism, and a switching unit configured to switch exhaust destinations of the reaction vessel between the first path and the second path.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus configured to perform a film forming process on a substrate in a vacuum environment by sequentially supplying different kinds of mutually-reacting reaction gases into a reaction vessel, comprising:

a first reaction gas supply unit configured to supply a first reaction gas into the reaction vessel under an environment of a first pressure;

a second reaction gas supply unit configured to supply a second reaction gas into the reaction vessel under an environment of a second pressure lower than the first pressure;

a first vacuum exhaust mechanism connected to the reaction vessel through a first exhaust path in order to create the environment of the first pressure within the reaction vessel;

a second vacuum exhaust mechanism connected to the reaction vessel through a second exhaust path in order to create the environment of the second pressure within the reaction vessel, the second vacuum exhaust mechanism being lower in an operation pressure zone than the first vacuum exhaust mechanism; and

a switching unit configured to switch exhaust destinations of the reaction vessel between the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the degree of acceleration of reaction when supplying the second reaction gas after the first reaction gas is attached to the substrate is higher in the environment of the second pressure than in the environment of the first pressure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a gas activation unit configured to activate the second reaction gas, wherein the lifespan of active species obtained by the activation of the second reaction gas is longer in the environment of the second pressure than in the environment of the first pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the gas activation unit is further configured to obtain the active species by converting the second reaction gas to plasma.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second vacuum exhaust mechanism includes a turbo molecular pump and a vacuum pump arranged at the downstream side of the turbo molecular pump.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate holding unit configured to hold a plurality of substrates in a shelf-like shape, wherein the film forming process is performed by carrying the substrate holding unit, which holds the plurality of substrates to be processed, into the reaction vessel.

7. A film forming method for performing a film forming process on a substrate in a vacuum environment by sequentially supplying different kinds of mutually-reacting reaction gases into a reaction vessel, comprising:

a first process in which a first reaction gas is supplied into the reaction vessel under an environment of a first pressure and in which the interior of the reaction vessel is evacuated by a first vacuum exhaust mechanism connected to the reaction vessel through a first exhaust path in order to create the environment of the first pressure within the reaction vessel; and

a second process in which a second reaction gas is supplied into the reaction vessel under an environment of a second pressure lower than the first pressure and in which the interior of the reaction vessel is evacuated by a second vacuum exhaust mechanism connected to the reaction vessel through a second exhaust path and lower in an operation pressure zone than the first vacuum exhaust mechanism in order to create the environment of the second pressure within the reaction vessel,

wherein the first process and the second process are repeatedly performed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the degree of acceleration of reaction when supplying the second reaction gas after the first reaction gas is attached to the substrate is higher in the environment of the second pressure than in the environment of the first pressure.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

an activating process for activating the second reaction gas, and wherein the lifespan of active species obtained by the activation of the second reaction gas is longer in the environment of the second pressure than in the environment of the first pressure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, in the activating process, the active species are obtained by converting the second reaction gas to plasma.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program used in a film forming apparatus configured to perform a film forming process on a substrate in a vacuum environment by sequentially supplying different kinds of mutually-reacting reaction gases into a reaction vessel, the computer program incorporating a process group for implementing the film forming method of claim 7.