Conductor treating single-wafer type treating device and method for semi-conductor treating

• US 7,235,137 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kitayama, Hirofumi, Matsushima, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): MACARTHUR, SYLVIA
• Application Number:
  US10/466,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 118/724, 118/712, 361/234, 156/345.53
• US Class Current: 118/724
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 31/14 Substrate holders or susceptors
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 31/16 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection

Abstract

A single-substrate processing apparatus (20) has a worktable (40) disposed in a process chamber (24), which accommodates a target substrate (W). The worktable (40) has a thermally conductive mount surface (41) to place the target substrate (W) thereon. The worktable (40) is provided with a flow passage (50) formed therein, in which a thermal medium flows for adjusting temperature of the target substrate (W) through the mount surface (41). The flow passage (50) is connected to a thermal medium supply system (54), which selectively supplies a cooling medium and a heating medium.

Claims

1. A single-substrate processing apparatus for a semiconductor process, comprising:

a process chamber configured to accommodate a target substrate;

an exhaust system configured to vacuum-exhaust the process chamber;

a gas supply system configured to supply a process gas into the process chamber;

a worktable disposed in the process chamber and having a thermally conductive mount surface configured to place the target substrate thereon, the worktable including a lower block and an upper block;

a flow passage formed in the upper block of the worktable, in which a thermal medium flows for adjusting temperature of the target substrate through the mount surface;

an auxiliary flow passage formed in the lower block of the worktable a first thermal medium supply system including a first cooler and a heater connected in parallel to a supply line connected to the flow passage and configured to selectively supply a first cooling medium and a heating medium into the flow passage;

a second thermal medium supply system including a second cooler connected to the auxiliary flow passage and configured to supply a second cooling medium into the auxiliary flow passage when the first cooling medium is supplied into the flow passage;

and a thermally conductive gas supply system configured to supply a thermally conductive gas between the upper block and the lower block, wherein the thermally conductive gas is supplied from the thermally conductive gas supply system to increase thermal conductivity between the upper block and the lower block when the first and second cooling mediums are supplied into the flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage, respectively, while supply of the thermally conductive gas from the thermally conductive gas supply system is configured to stop when the heating medium is supplied into the flow passage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first cooler and the heater are connected in parallel with each other to the flow passage, and the first cooling medium and the heating medium are respectively formed by selectively supplying a common gas to the first cooler and the heater.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second cooler supplies a cooling liquid as the thermal medium into the auxiliary flow passage to accelerate cooling of the worktable.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an exciting mechanism configured to turn at least part of the process gas into plasma.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the exciting mechanism comprises a remote plasma chamber disposed on the process chamber at a position where plasma generated therein does essentially not reach the target substrate on the worktable, and a member configured to supply energy for exciting and turning gas into plasma in the remote plasma chamber.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage are flow passages formed to circulate in the worktable.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the worktable is provided with through holes formed therein, in which lifter pins move up and down.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling medium is supplied into the auxiliary flow passage when cooling the target substrate.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage is connected to a supply line and an exhaust line respectively via first and second through holes formed in the lower block, such that the thermal medium is supplied from the supply line, flows through the flow passage, and is exhausted into the exhaust line.

10. A single-substrate processing method for use in a single-substrate processing apparatus for a semiconductor process including a process chamber configured to accommodate a target substrate;

an exhaust system configured to vacuum-exhaust the process chamber;

a gas supply system configured to supply a process gas into the process chamber;

a worktable disposed in the process chamber and having a thermally conductive mount surface configured to place the target substrate thereon, the worktable including a lower block and an upper block;

a flow passage formed in the upper block of the worktable, in which a thermal medium flows for adjusting temperature of the target substrate through the mount surface;

an auxiliary flow passage formed in the lower block of the worktable;

a first thermal medium supply system including a first cooler and a heater connected in parallel to a supply line connected to the flow passage and configured to selectively supply a first cooling medium and a heating medium into the flow passage;

a second thermal medium supply system including a second cooler connected to the auxiliary flow passage and configured to supply a second cooling medium into the auxiliary flow passage when the first cooling medium is supplied into the flow passage; and

a thermally conductive gas supply system configured to supply a thermally conductive gas between the upper block and the lower block, wherein the thermally conductive gas is supplied from the thermally conductive gas supply system to increase thermal conductivity between the upper block and the lower block when the first and second cooling mediums are supplied into the flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage, respectively, while supply of the thermally conductive gas from the thermally conductive gas supply system is configured to stop when the heating medium is supplied into the flow passage the method, comprising;

setting the process chamber in vacuum;

performing a first process while supplying the first cooling medium into the flow passage to set the target substrate at a first process temperature;

performing a second process while supplying the heating medium into the flow passage to set the target substrate at a second process temperature higher than the first process temperature wherein the first and second cooling mediums and the thermally conductive gas are not supplied; and

cooling down the target substrate while supplying the first and second cooling mediums into the flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage, respectively, and supplying the thermally conductive gas to increase thermal conductivity between the upper block and the lower block.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first process is a process of converting a semiconductor oxide film on the target substrate into an intermediate film, and, in the first process, the process chamber is supplied with a first process gas, which reacts with the semiconductor oxide film to convert the semiconductor oxide film into the intermediate film;

and the second process is a process of evaporating the intermediate film by thermal decomposition, and, in the second process, the process chamber is supplied with a second process gas, which assists removal of evaporated matters of the intermediate film.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first cooling medium is set at a temperature of −

5 to 40°

C., and the heating medium is set at a temperature of 100 to 400°

C.

13. A single-substrate processing apparatus for performing a first process of converting a semiconductor oxide film on a target substrate into an intermediate film, and a second process of evaporating the intermediate film by thermal decomposition, to remove the semiconductor oxide film, the apparatus comprising:

a process chamber configured to accommodate a target substrate;

an exhaust system configured to vacuum-exhaust the process chamber;

a gas supply system configured to supply the process chamber selectively with a first process gas, which reacts with the semiconductor oxide film to convert the semiconductor oxide film into the intermediate film in the first process, and a second process gas, which

assists removal of evaporated matters of the intermediate film in the second process;

a worktable disposed in the process chamber and having a thermally conductive mount surface configured to place the target substrate thereon, the worktable including a lower block and an upper block;

a flow passage formed in the upper block of the worktable, in which a thermal medium flows for adjusting temperature of the target substrate through the mount surface;

an auxiliary flow passage formed in the lower block of the worktable, a first thermal medium supply system including a first cooler and a heater connected in parallel to a supply line connected to the flow passage and configured to selectively supply a first cooling medium and a heating medium into the flow passage, wherein the first cooling medium is supplied into the flow passage in the first process, and the heating medium is supplied into the flow passage in the second process; and

a second thermal medium supply system including a second cooler connected to the auxiliary flow passage and configured to supply a second cooling medium into the auxiliary flow passage and

a thermally conductive gas supply system configured to supply a thermally conductive gas between the upper block and the lower block, wherein the thermally conductive gas is supplied from the thermally conductive as supply system to increase thermal conductivity between the upper block and the lower block when the first and second cooling mediums are supplied into the flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage, respectively, while supply of the thermally conductive gas from the thermally conductive gas supply system is configured to stop when the heating medium is supplied into the flow passage.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first cooling medium is set at a temperature of −

5 to 40°

C., and the heating medium is set at a temperature of 100 to 400°

C.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second cooler supplies a cooling liquid as the thermal medium into the auxiliary flow passage to accelerate cooling of the worktable after the second process.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first a cooler and the heater are connected in parallel with each other to the flow passage, and the first cooling medium and the heating medium are respectively formed by selectively supplying a common gas to the first cooler and the heater.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first process gas contains radicals.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising an exciting mechanism configured to turn at least part of the first process gas into plasma, so as to generate the radicals.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the exciting mechanism comprises a remote plasma chamber disposed on the process chamber at a position where plasma generated therein does essentially not reach the target substrate on the worktable, and a member configured to supply energy for exciting and turning gas into plasma in the remote plasma chamber.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first process gas contains a gas selected from the group consisting of NE₃ gas, SF₆ gas, and CF₄ gas, and contains N₂ gas and H₂ gas, and wherein the exciting mechanism turns the N₂ gas and H₂ gas into plasma.

21. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second cooling medium is supplied into the auxiliary flow passage when cooling the target substrate.

22. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the flow passage is connected to a supply line and an exhaust line respectively via first and second through holes formed in the lower block, such that the thermal medium is supplied from the supply line, flows through the flow passage, and is exhausted into the exhaust line.