Film deposition apparatus, substrate processor, film deposition method, and computer-readable storage medium

• US 8,840,727 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Hitoshi, Honma, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Karla
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ford, Nathan K
• Application Number:
  US12/550,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20100055319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 118/719, 118/730
• US Class Current: 118/719
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• 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

Abstract

A film deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate by feeding at least two kinds of reaction gases in a vacuum chamber includes a turntable; a substrate placement part on the turntable; a first and a second reaction gas feed part provided apart from each other to feed a first and a second reaction gas into a first and a second process region, respectively, on the turntable; a separation region positioned between the first and second process regions and including a first separation gas feed part to feed a first separation gas and a ceiling surface; a center part region positioned inside the vacuum chamber and including an ejection opening for ejecting a second separation gas; an evacuation port; and a drive part to rotate the turntable so that the substrate passes through the first and second process regions at different angular velocities of the turntable.

Claims

1. A film deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate by stacking reaction products in layers by carrying out a cycle of successively feeding at least two kinds of reaction gases reacting with each other onto a surface of the substrate in a vacuum chamber, the film deposition apparatus comprising:

a turntable provided in the vacuum chamber;

a substrate placement part provided on a substrate-receiving surface of the turntable and configured to receive the substrate;

a first reaction gas feed part and a second reaction gas feed part provided apart from each other in a rotation direction of the turntable and configured to feed a first reaction gas and a second reaction gas into a first process region and a second process region, respectively, on a side of the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable;

a separation region positioned between the first process region and the second process region in the rotation direction of the turntable and configured to separate atmospheres of the first and second process regions, the separation region including a first separation gas feed part configured to feed a first separation gas thereinto so that the first separation gas flows toward the first and second process regions in the separation region, and a ceiling surface provided on each of sides of the first separation gas feed part in the rotation direction of the turntable in the separation region, wherein the ceiling surface has a width in the rotation direction of the turntable increasing toward a periphery of the ceiling surface, and wherein the separation region has a vertical height that is smaller, relative to the turntable, than respective vertical heights of the first and second process region;

a center part region positioned at a center part inside the vacuum chamber and configured to separate the atmospheres of the first and second process regions, the center part region including an ejection opening for ejecting a second separation gas toward the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable;

an evacuation port configured to evacuate the first separation gas diffused to each side of the separation region, the second separation gas ejected from the center part region, and the first and second reaction gases; and

a drive part configured to rotate the turntable so that the substrate passes through the first and second process regions at different angular velocities of the turntable.

2. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second separation gas feed part configured to feed the second separation gas from the center part region,

wherein the ceiling surface is opposed to the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable, and

the evacuation port is provided at a position lower than the turntable so as to evacuate the first separation gas diffused to each side of the separation region, the second separation gas ejected from the center part region, and the first and second reaction gases through a gap between a periphery of the turntable and an inner wall surface of the vacuum chamber.

3. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate placement part includes a depressed part formed on the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable so that a surface of the substrate received in the depressed part is level with or lower than the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable.

4. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transfer port configured to be opened and closed by a gate valve is provided in a sidewall of the vacuum chamber so as to allow the substrate to be transferred from outside to inside the vacuum chamber through the transfer port.

5. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a heating part configured to heat the turntable.

6. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the heating part is provided below the turntable.

7. The film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the heating part is provided above the turntable.

8. A substrate processor, comprising:

a vacuum transfer chamber having a substrate transfer part provided therein;

the film deposition apparatus as set forth in claim 1, the film deposition apparatus being connected hermetically to the vacuum transfer chamber; and

an auxiliary vacuum chamber connected hermetically to the vacuum transfer chamber, the auxiliary vacuum chamber being switchable between a vacuum atmosphere and an ambient atmosphere.

9. A film deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate by stacking reaction products in layers by carrying out a cycle of successively feeding at least two kinds of reaction gases reacting with each other onto a surface of the substrate in a vacuum chamber, the film deposition apparatus comprising:

a turntable provided in the vacuum chamber;

a substrate placement part provided on a substrate-receiving surface of the turntable and configured to receive the substrate;

a first reaction gas feed part and a second reaction gas feed part provided apart from each other in a rotation direction of the turntable and configured to feed a first reaction gas and a second reaction gas into a first process region and a second process region, respectively, on a side of the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable;

a separation region positioned between the first process region and the second process region in the rotation direction of the turntable and configured to separate atmospheres of the first and second process regions, the separation region including a first separation gas feed part configured to feed a first separation gas thereinto so that the first separation gas flows toward the first and second process regions in the separation region, and a ceiling surface provided on each of sides of the first separation gas feed part in the rotation direction of the turntable in the separation region, wherein the ceiling surface has a width in the rotation direction of the turntable increasing toward a periphery of the ceiling surface, and wherein the separation region has a vertical height that is smaller, relative to the turntable, than respective vertical heights of the first and second process region;

a center part region positioned at a center part inside the vacuum chamber and configured to separate the atmospheres of the first and second process regions, the center part region including an ejection opening for ejecting a second separation gas toward the substrate-receiving surface of the turntable;

an evacuation port configured to evacuate the first separation gas diffused to each side of the separation region, the second separation gas ejected from the center part region, and the first and second reaction gases;

a drive part configured to rotate the turntable; and

a control part configured to control the first and second reaction gas feed parts and the drive part so as to stop feeding the second reaction gas in the second reaction gas feed part at a time of feeding the first reaction gas through the first reaction gas feed part, stop feeding the first reaction gas in the first reaction gas feed part at a time of feeding the second reaction gas through the second reaction gas feed part, and rotate the turntable at different angular velocities at the time of feeding the first reaction gas through the first reaction gas feed part and at the time of feeding the second reaction gas through the second reaction gas feed part.