Patent Publication Number: US-2015083821-A1

Title: Nozzle unit and substrate-processing system including the nozzle unit

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The inventive concept relates to a substrate treating equipment and, more particularly, to a nozzle unit and a batch type substrate treating equipment having the same. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Thin film deposition methods reducing impurities and having excellent step coverage are being demanded as devices become more highly integrated. The deposition methods for the thin film include various methods such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. The CVD and ALD methods are being used well. 
     However, nozzles of substrate treating equipments may be formed of quartz and may be heated by a radiant heat of a heater for heating a substrate. Thus, a reaction gas provided through the nozzle to the substrate may also be heated, such that the heated reaction gas may be pyrolyzed to be supplied to the substrate. 
     In a general low pressure (LP)-CVD method, a cool reaction gas may be pre-heated by the pyrolysis phenomenon described above. Thus, the above phenomenon may usefully act on a gas chemical reaction. However, if a reaction gas should directly react with a surface of a high temperature substrate for formation of a thin film in the state that decomposition of the reaction gas is suppressed, the pyrolysis phenomenon occurring at the nozzle may reduce a concentration and a lifetime of the reaction gas supplied to the substrate to deteriorate quality of the thin film. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     Embodiments of the inventive concept may provide a nozzle unit capable of stably supplying a gas (e.g., ozone gas) weak in heat and a substrate treating equipment having the same. 
     Embodiments of the inventive concept may also provide a nozzle unit capable of reducing or preventing a temperature rise of a nozzle and a substrate treating equipment having the same. 
     Technical Solution 
     In one aspect, a nozzle unit may include: a first pipe having nozzle-holes; and a heat reflecting member blocking and reflecting thermal energy transmitted toward the inside of the first pipe. 
     In an embodiment, the heat reflecting member may be a silica-based coating layer provided on at least one of an inner side surface and an outer side surface of the first pipe. 
     In an embodiment, the heat reflecting member may include a cover-plate partially surrounding the first pipe; and the cover-plate may be formed of a silica-based material. 
     In an embodiment, the nozzle unit may further include: a second pipe surrounding the first pipe, the second pipe having through-holes corresponding to the nozzle-holes, respectively; and a jetting pipe connecting each of the nozzle-holes to the through-hole corresponding thereto. 
     In an embodiment, the heat reflecting film may be further coated on at least one of an inner side surface and an outer side surface of the second pipe. 
     In another aspect, a substrate treating equipment may include: a process tube receiving a boat in which a plurality of substrates are loaded; a heater assembly installed to surround the process tube; and a nozzle unit supplying a process gas for forming a thin film on surfaces of the substrates into the process tube. The nozzle unit may include: a heating reflecting member blocking and reflecting thermal energy provided from the heater assembly. 
     In an embodiment, the heating reflecting member may include a heating reflecting film. 
     In an embodiment, the nozzle unit may further include: a first pipe having nozzle-holes and providing a first passage through which the process gas is supplied; and the heating reflecting member may include a cover-plate partially surrounding the first pipe. The cover-plate may be formed of a silica-based material. 
     In an embodiment, the nozzle unit may further include: a first pipe having nozzle-holes and providing a first passage through which the process gas is supplied; a second pipe having through-holes corresponding to the nozzle-holes, respectively, the second pipe surrounding the first pipe for preventing a temperature rise of the process gas, and a cooling gas flowing through the second pipe; and a jetting pipe connecting each of the nozzle-holes to the through-hole corresponding thereto. The process gas supplied into the first pipe may be jetted through the jetting pipes. 
     In an embodiment, the heat reflecting member may be a heat reflecting film coated on at least one of inner side surfaces and outer side surfaces of the first and second pipes. 
     In an embodiment, the heating reflecting film may be a silica-based coating film. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to embodiments of the inventive concept, the radiant heat provided from the heater assembly is reflected and blocked by the heat reflecting film coated on the nozzle unit or the cover-plate. Thus, the temperature rise of the inside of the nozzle unit may be suppressed. 
     Additionally, the heat reflecting film may be coated on the second pipe as well as the first pipe to sufficiently block and reflect the radiant heat. Thus, it is possible to prevent the gas jetted through the first pipe from being pyrolyzed before reaching the substrate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The inventive concept will become more apparent in view of the attached drawings and accompanying detailed description. 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a nozzle unit according to example embodiments of the inventive concept; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate heat reflecting members of a heat reflecting film form; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates that a heat reflecting film blocks and reflects thermal energy; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a heat reflecting member of a cover-plate form; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a substrate treating equipment according to example embodiments of the inventive concept; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a nozzle unit in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a nozzle unit in  FIGS. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a plan view of a nozzle unit in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The inventive concept will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. The advantages and features of the inventive concept and methods of achieving them will be apparent from the following exemplary embodiments that will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the inventive concept is not limited to the following exemplary embodiments, and may be implemented in various forms. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are provided only to disclose the inventive concept and let those skilled in the art know the category of the inventive concept. In the drawings, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited to the specific examples provided herein and are exaggerated for clarity. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular terms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. 
     Similarly, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, the term “directly” means that there are no intervening elements. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,”, “includes” and/or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof 
     Additionally, the embodiment in the detailed description will be described with sectional views as ideal exemplary views of the inventive concept. Accordingly, shapes of the exemplary views may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and/or allowable errors. Therefore, the embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited to the specific shape illustrated in the exemplary views, but may include other shapes that may be created according to manufacturing processes. Areas exemplified in the drawings have general properties, and are used to illustrate specific shapes of elements. Thus, this should not be construed as limited to the scope of the inventive concept. 
     It will be also understood that although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, a first element in some embodiments could be termed a second element in other embodiments without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of aspects of the present inventive concept explained and illustrated herein include their complementary counterparts. The same reference numerals or the same reference designators denote the same elements throughout the specification. 
     Moreover, exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations and/or plane illustrations that are idealized exemplary illustrations. Accordingly, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, an etching region illustrated as a rectangle will, typically, have rounded or curved features. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of example embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a nozzle unit according to embodiments of the inventive concept. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a nozzle unit  300  includes a long nozzle pipe  304 . The nozzle pipe  304  has nozzle-holes  302 . The nozzle pipe  304  is formed of a quartz material. A heat reflecting member may be provided to the nozzle pipe  304 . The heat reflecting member may block and reflect thermal energy. The heat reflecting member may be provided in a coating film form to the nozzle pipe  304 . Alternatively, the heat reflecting member may be provided in a plate form surrounding the nozzle pipe  304 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the heat reflecting member may be a heat reflecting film  390  formed on an inner side surface and/or an outer side surface of the nozzle pipe  304 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the heat reflecting layer  390  is provided in order to block and reflect the thermal energy supplied from the outside of the nozzle pipe  304 . The heat reflecting film  390  is formed of a silica-based coating film. The nozzle unit  300  coated with the heat reflecting layer  390  may be very valuably used in a substrate treating equipment requiring stable supply of a gas (e.g., ozone gas) weak in heat during a thin film deposition process. 
     Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the heat reflecting member may be a cover-plate  390   a  having one of various shapes surrounding the nozzle pipe  304  having the nozzle-holes  302 . The cover-plate  390   a  has a space E in which the nozzle pipe  304  is located. The cover-plate  390   a  is formed of a silica-based material. The cover-plate  390   a  protects the nozzle pipe  304  from the thermal energy supplied from the outside. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a substrate treating equipment according to example embodiments of the inventive concept. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a substrate treating equipment  10  according to the inventive concept includes: a boat  200  in which a plurality of substrates W are loaded; a process tube  100  having an outer tube  104  and an inner tube  102  and receiving the boat  200 ; a heater assembly  110  surrounding the process tube  100 ; a seal cap  210  supporting the boat  200  and connected to a flange  120  of the process tube  100 ; and a nozzle unit  300   a  supplying gasses for depositing a thin film on a surface of the substrate into the process tube  100 . 
     [Process Tube] 
     The process tube  100  has a hollow cylindrical shape of a dome shape. The process tube  100  includes an inner space in which the boat  200  including the substrates W is loaded. A thin film deposition process is performed on the substrates W in the inner space of the process tube  100 . The process tube  100  may be formed of a material standing the heat of a high temperature, for example, quartz. 
     An exhaust port  122  may be installed at a side of the flange  120  of the process tube  100 . The exhaust port  122  is provided to forcibly inhaling air in the process tube  100  for decompressing the inner space of the process tube  100 . The nozzle unit  300   a  for supplying a process gas into the process tube  100  may be installed at another side of the flange  120  opposite to the exhaust port  122 . The exhaust port  122  is provided for exhausting the air in the process tube  100  to the outside of the process tube  100  when the deposition process is performed. The exhaust port  122  is connected to an exhaust line (not shown). The process gas supplied to the process tube  100  is exhausted through the exhaust port  122 , and the inner space of the process tube  100  is decompressed through the exhaust port  122 . 
     [Boat] 
     The boat  200  includes slots in which  50  or more substrates W (e.g., wafers) are inserted. The boat  200  is mounted on the seal cap  210 . The seal cap  210  may be loaded into the process tube  100  or be unloaded from the process tube  100  by a driving part  230  corresponding to an elevating device. If the boat  200  is loaded in the process tube  100 , the seal cap  210  is combined with the flange  120  of the process tube  100 . In an embodiment, a sealing member such as an  0 -ring may be provided in a contact region of the seal cap  210  and the flange  120  of the process tube  100  in order that the process gas is not leaked between the process tube  100  and the seal cap  210 . 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a nozzle unit in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 8  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a nozzle unit in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 9  is a plan view of a nozzle unit in  FIG. 7 . 
     [Nozzle Unit] 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 to 9 , the nozzle unit  300   a  includes a first pipe  310 , a second pipe  320 , and an exhaust pipe  330  in order that the gas (e.g., the ozone gas) weak in the heat maintains its properties. 
     The first pipe  310  is disposed within the second pipe  320 . The first pipe  310  may sequentially jet a first gas and a second gas for forming the thin film to the substrates W loaded in the boat  200 . The first gas is provided for forming a precursor layer on the top surface of the substrate. The second gas is an oxidizer for oxidizing the precursor layer. The precursor layer is oxidized by the second gas to form a metal oxide layer. The ozone gas may be mainly used as the oxidizer. An external gas supply part  316  may sequentially provide the first gas xl and the second gas x2 into the first pipe  310 . The gases xl and x2 may be supplied into a first passage of the first pipe  310  to be jetted toward the substrate through jetting pipes  314 . The first passage is provided within the first pipe  310 . The jetting pipe  314  connects a nozzle-hole  319  of the first pipe  310  to a through-hole  329  of the second pipe  320 . 
     A heat reflecting film  390  is coated on an outer circumference surface of the first pipe  310 . The heat reflecting film  390  blocks and reflects thermal energy supplied from the heater assembly  110 . The heat reflecting film  390  may be a silica-based coating film. Even though not shown in the drawings, the heat reflecting film  390  may also be provided on an inner circumference surface of the first pipe  310 . For example, the second gas x2 may include at least one oxidizer including an activated oxidizer generating oxygen radicals. The activated oxidizer may include ozone (O3), plasma oxygen (O2), remote plasma oxygen (O2), and/or plasma nitrous oxide (N2O) which are formed by a plasma generator. Additionally, the second gas x2 may further include at least one of various reaction gases (e.g., SiH4, DCS, PH3, B2H6, TiCl4, and TSA) and various organic sources (e.g., TEMAZr, TEMAHf, and TMA). 
     In  FIG. 6 , a distance between the jetting pipes  314  of the first pipe  310  is greater than a distance between the substrates W. However, the inventive concept is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the jetting pipes  314  of the first pipe  310  may be densely arranged in order that the gasses are jetted between the substrates W as occasion demands. In this case, reactivity of the gases may be improved on the substrates, and the amount of the gases used in the process may be optimized to reduce unnecessary gas consumption. 
     The second pipe  320  is formed to surround the first pipe  310 . Even though not shown in the drawings, the second pipe  320  may include a first body and a second body which are assembled with each other for the convenience of the fabrication of the second pipe  320 . A second passage  322  may be provided between the second pipe  320  and the first pipe  310 . A cooling gas is supplied into the second passage  322  from the outside. The heat reflecting film  390  may also be coated on an outer circumference surface of the second pipe  320 . The heat reflecting film  390  of the second pipe  320  blocks and reflects the thermal energy provided from the heater assembly  110 . The heat reflecting film  390  may be further provided on an inner circumference surface of the second pipe  320 . The second pipe  320  prevents the first pipe  310  from being heated by a radiant heat provided from the heater assembly  110 . The heat reflecting film  390  coated on the outer circumference surface of the second pipe  320  may reflect or block the radiant heat, and the cooling gas supplied into the second passage  322  may absorb the radiant heat and then may be exhausted outside the process tube  100  through the separate exhaust pipe  330 . Nitrogen gas, argon gas, and/or helium gas may be used as the cooling gas. 
     A temperature rise of the gas flowing through the first pipe  310  may be minimized by the heating reflecting film  390  coated on the outer circumference surface of the second pipe  320 , the heating reflecting film  390  coated on the outer circumference surface of the first pipe  310 , and the cooling gas supplied into the second passage  322  of the second pipe  320 . A connection pipe  332  is connected between a top end portion of the second pipe  320  and a top end portion of the exhaust pipe  330 . The cooling gas that is supplied into the second passage  322  and then is heated may be exhausted to the outside of the nozzle unit  300   a  through the connection pipe  332  and the exhaust pipe  330 . 
     Even though not shown in the drawings, the nozzle unit  300   a  may not include the exhaust pipe  330 . In this case, the cooling gas may be supplied and exhausted through the second pipe  320 . 
     According to the nozzle unit  300   a  described above, even though the inner temperature of the process tube  100  reaches a high temperature by the radiant heat provided from the heater assembly  110 , the heat reflecting film  390  coated on the outer circumference surfaces of the first and second pipes  310  and  320  reflect and block the radiant heat and the cooling gas supplied into the second passage  322  absorbs the radiant heat provided to the first pipe  310 . As a result, the temperature rise of the first pipe  310  may be minimized or prevented. 
     As described above, the first and second pipes  310  and  320  having the heat reflecting film  390  and the cooling gas in the second pipe  320  suppress the temperature rise of the first pipe  310 , such that the second gas x2 jetted through the first pipe  310  may be prevented from being pyrolyzed before reaching the substrate. As a result, the quality of an oxide film formed on the substrate may be improved, and the amount of the process gas used in the process may be reduced to reduce fabricating costs of the oxide film. 
     Even though not shown in the drawings, the heat reflecting film may also be provided on the inner circumference surfaces as well as the outer circumference surfaces of the first and second pipes  310  and  320 . 
     While the inventive concept has been described with reference to example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limiting, but illustrative. Thus, the scope of the inventive concept is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing description.