Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

• US 6,875,280 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakuma, Harunobu, Nishitani, Eisuke, Ikeda, Kazuhito, Nakagomi, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Karla
• Application Number:
  US09/780,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/729
• US Class Current: 118/719
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45521 the gas, other than thermal contact gas, being introduced the rear of the substrate to flow around its periphery
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4585 Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67751 vertical transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68735 characterised by edge profile or support profile

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber, a gas introducing portion, a gas discharge port, a substrate transfer gate, and a substrate moving member which moves the substrate between a substrate processing position where the substrate is processed in the chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in the chamber where the substrate transferred into the chamber from the substrate transfer gate is located and where the substrate is located when the substrate is transferred out from the chamber through the substrate transfer gate. The gas introducing portion, the substrate processing position, the gas discharge port and the substrate transfer gate are disposed in this order. A gas restraining member which restrains processing gas for processing the substrate from flowing toward the substrate transfer gate is provided between the gas discharge port and the substrate transfer gate.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method, comprising processing a substrate using an apparatus which includes:

a chamber;

a gas introducing portion;

a gas discharge port;

a substrate transfer gate;

a substrate moving member which moves said substrate between a substrate processing position where said substrate is processed in said chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in said chamber where said substrate transferred into said chamber from said substrate transfer gate is located and where said substrate is located when said substrate is transferred out from said chamber through said substrate transfer gate, said gas introducing portion, said substrate processing position, said gas discharge port and said substrate transfer gate being disposed in this order;

a gas restraining member which restrains processing gas for processing said substrate from flowing toward said substrate transfer gate and which is provided between said gas discharge port and said substrate transfer gate; and

a cover plate,

said chamber including a step portion projecting from an inner wall of a sidewall of said chamber, and said step portion being located between said gas discharge port and said substrate transfer gate, wherein

in a state in which said substrate is placed on said substrate moving member and is positioned at said substrate processing position, and said cover plate is placed on said substrate moving member extending toward the sidewall of said chamber from a periphery of said substrate and having a clearance between the sidewall of said chamber and said cover plate, said processing gas is introduced above and onto said substrate from said gas introducing portion, and a majority of said gas which has flowed above and on said substrate then flows into a discharge buffer space constituted below said cover plate by said cover plate, a sidewall of said substrate moving member, the sidewall of said chamber and said step portion through said clearance, and is discharged out from said gas discharge port to process said substrate.

2. A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising processing a substrate using an apparatus which includes:

a chamber;

a gas introducing portion;

a gas discharge port;

a substrate transfer gate;

a step portion projecting inward of a side wall of said chamber; and

a substrate moving member which moves said substrate between a substrate processing position where said substrate is processed in said chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in said chamber where said substrate transferred into said chamber from said substrate transfer gate is located and where said substrate is located when said substrate is transferred out from said chamber through said substrate transfer gate,

said gas discharge port being lower than said substrate processing position, said substrate transfer gate being lower than said gas discharge port, and said step portion being lower than said substrate processing position, to form a discharge passage to said gas discharge port, said discharge passage including said side wall of said chamber, said step portion and a side wall of said substrate moving member, wherein

a majority of processing gas flows in said discharge passage to said gas discharge port.

3. A substrate processing method, comprising processing a substrate using an apparatus which includes:

a chamber;

a gas introducing portion;

a gas discharge port;

a substrate transfer gate;

a substrate moving member which moves said substrate between a substrate processing position where said substrate is processed in said chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in said chamber where said substrate transferred into said chamber from said substrate transfer gate is located and where said substrate is located when said substrate is transferred out from said chamber through said substrate transfer gate, said gas introducing portion, said substrate processing position, said gas discharge port and said substrate transfer gate being disposed in this order,

a gas restraining member which restrains processing gas for processing said substrate from flowing toward said substrate transfer gate and which is provided between said gas discharge port and said substrate transfer gate; and

a cover plate, wherein

said chamber includes a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion,

a sidewall of said first chamber portion of the sidewall of said chamber is defined as a first sidewall, and a sidewall of said second chamber portion of the sidewall of said chamber is defined as a second sidewall,

said substrate transfer gate is opened in said second sidewall,

said gas discharge port is opened in said first sidewall,

an inner wall of said second sidewall is located at an inner side as compared with an inner wall of said first sidewall,

said chamber comprises a step portion formed by projecting an upper face of said second sidewall inward of the inner wall of said first sidewall,

said gas restraining member includes at least said substrate moving member, said second sidewall and said step portion,

said substrate moving member includes a substrate placing portion and a third sidewall,

a discharge buffer space is constituted below said cover plate by said cover plate, said third sidewall of said substrate moving member, said first sidewall of said first chamber portion and said step portion, and

when said substrate is placed on said substrate placing portion of said substrate moving member and is located at said substrate processing position, said cover plate is placed on said substrate moving member, said cover plate extending toward said first sidewall from a periphery of said substrate and having a clearance between said first sidewall and said cover plate, wherein

after said processing gas has flowed above and on said substrate, a majority of said processing gas flows into said gas discharge buffer space through said clearance and flows out from said gas discharge port.

4. A substrate processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein when said substrate moves closer to said substrate transferring in-out position than said step portion by said substrate moving member, said cover plate is held by said step portion.

5. A substrate processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein when said substrate is placed on said substrate moving member and is located at least at said substrate processing position, said cover plate is placed on said substrate moving member such as to cover a peripheral portion of said substrate.

6. A substrate processing method as recited in claim 4, wherein when said substrate is placed on said substrate moving member and is located at least at said substrate processing position, said cover plate is placed on said substrate moving member such as to cover a peripheral portion of said substrate.

7. A substrate processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein said clearance between said cover plate and said first sidewall of said first chamber portion is adjusted over the periphery of said cover plate to adjust a discharge amount distribution caused by said clearance between said cover plate and said first sidewall of said first chamber portion over the periphery of said cover plate, thereby adjusting a distribution of flow of said reaction gas flowing above and on said substrate.

8. A substrate processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein a distance between said gas introducing portion and said substrate and a distance between said gas introducing portion and said cover plate are adjusted by moving said substrate moving member in a state in which said substrate and said cover plate are placed on said substrate moving member.

9. A substrate processing method as recited in claim 3, wherein said cover plate can be attached to and detached from said step portion by moving said substrate moving member.

10. A substrate processing method, comprising processing a substrate using an apparatus which includes:

a chamber;

a gas introducing portion;

a gas discharge port;

a substrate transfer gate;

a cover plate;

a cover plate holding portion; and

a substrate moving member which moves said substrate between a substrate processing position where said substrate is processed in said chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in said chamber where said substrate transferred into said chamber from said substrate transfer gate is located and where said substrate is located when said substrate is transferred out from said chamber through said substrate transfer gate, wherein

said gas introducing portion, said substrate processing position, said gas discharge port and said substrate transfer gate are disposed in this order,

when said substrate is placed on said substrate moving member and is located at said substrate processing position, said cover plate extending toward a sidewall of said chamber from a periphery of said substrate and having a clearance between said sidewall of said chamber is placed on said substrate moving member,

said cover plate holding portion is provided between said substrate processing position and said substrate transferring in-out position,

said cover plate holding portion allows said substrate moving member and said substrate placed on said substrate moving member to pass, but does not allow said cover plate placed on said substrate moving member to pass, and holds said cover plate,

when said substrate is moved closer to said substrate transferring in-out position than said cover plate holding portion by said substrate moving member, said cover plate is held by said cover plate holding portion, and

a discharge buffer space is constituted below said cover plate by said cover plate, a sidewall of said substrate moving member, a sidewall of said chamber and said cover plate holding portion, wherein

after said processing gas has flowed above and on said substrate, a majority of said processing gas flows into said discharge buffer space through said clearance and flows out from said gas discharge port.