Patent Publication Number: US-2016230282-A1

Title: Heater member and substrate processing apparatus having the same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more specifically relates to a substrate processing apparatus having a heater member. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In a deposition process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, an atomic layer deposition method has been introduced to improve conformability of a deposition layer. The atomic layer deposition method forms a deposition layer with desired thickness by repeating units of a reaction cycle by which a layer is deposited at about atomic layer thickness, but the atomic layer deposition method is lower than a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method or a sputtering method in deposition rate and requires a lot of time for growing a layer of desired thickness, thereby productivity is deteriorated. 
     Particularly, temperature uniformity of a susceptor is one of essential factors which determines thickness uniformity of the layer deposited on a substrate. However, a temperature declining phenomenon is occurred by a heat loss and an increase of substrate amount processed on the susceptor. In additional, corrosion of heater is occurred by a process gas permeation and performance deterioration of heater is occurred by an oxide deposition. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM 
     Embodiments of the inventive concepts provide heater member capable of improving temperature uniformity and a substrate processing apparatus having the same. 
     Embodiments of the inventive concepts also provide a heater member which prevents a heating wire from drooping and twisting by thermal expansion of the heating wire and a substrate processing apparatus having the same. 
     Embodiments of the inventive concepts further provide a heater member which prevents heating wire corrosion by a process gas during processing and a substrate processing apparatus having the same. 
     Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the inventive concept. 
     Technical Solution 
     According to embodiments of the inventive concepts, a substrate processing apparatus may include a process chamber; a substrate susceptor installed in the process chamber and connected with a rotation axis to be rotated, wherein a plurality of substrates are laid at the same level on the susceptor; a heater member disposed on a lower surface of the substrate susceptor; and a splay member splaying gas on an entire processing surface of the substrates from locations corresponding to the plurality of the substrates, wherein the heater member has an interior space, and heating wires for heating the substrate susceptor are arranged in a plurality rows of horizontality and verticality on concentric circles around the rotation axis in the interior space. 
     The heater member may further comprise heating wire supporters sustaining the heating wire to prevent the heating wire from drooping and twisting by thermal expansion of the heating wire. 
     The heating wire supporter may comprise concave support surface formed along a latitudinal direction of the heating wire to secure flexibility for the thermal expansion of the heating wire. 
     The heating wire supporter may comprise a support block; and a support bar having bar shape and formed on an upper surface of the support block. The support bar may be in point contact with the heating wire to minimize contact area with the heating wire, thereby preventing heat loss and preventing the heating wire supporter from broken by high heat of the heating wire. 
     The support bar may be formed of the same material as the heating wire. 
     The support bar may be provided along the latitudinal direction of the heating wire. 
     The heater member may further comprise a housing provided by an upper wall, a lower wall and sidewalls to isolate the interior space where the heating wire is arranged from an interior of the process chamber. 
     The heater member may further comprise a supply port provided to the lower wall and supplying purge gas into the interior space to prevent the process gas from permeating into the interior space. 
     The heater member may further comprise an exhaust port provided to the lower wall. The purge gas supplied into the interior space through the supply port may be exhausted through the exhaust port. 
     The heater member may comprise side holes provided to the sidewall of the housing. The purge gas supplied into the interior space through the supply port may be exhausted through the side holes. 
     The upper wall may be formed of quartz material capable of transmitting a radiant heat emitted from the heating wire. 
     A radiant heat transmission. space is formed between the substrate susceptor and the heater member to transmit heat of the heating wire by a radiation mode. 
     According to embodiments of the inventive concepts, a heat member may include a housing having an interior space provided by an upper wall, a lower wall and sidewalls an isolated from an exterior environment; and heating wires for heating the substrate susceptor arranged in plurality rows of horizontality and verticality on the concentric circle around a center of the substrate susceptor in the interior space. 
     The heater member may further comprise heating wire supporters sustaining the heating wire to prevent the heating wire from drooping and twisting by thermal expansion of the heating wire. The heating wire supporter may comprise a concave support surface formed along a latitudinal direction of the heating wire to secure flexibility for the thermal expansion of the heating wire. 
     The heater member may further comprise heating wire supporters sustaining the heating wire to prevent the heating wire from drooping and twisting by thermal expansion of the heating wire. The heating wire supporter may comprise a support block; and a support bar having bar shape and formed on an upper surface of the support block. The support bar may be in point contact with the heating wire to minimize contact area with the heating wire, thereby preventing heat loss and preventing the heating wire supporter from broken by high heat of the heating wire. 
     The heater member may further comprise a supply port supplying purge gas into the interior space to prevent the process gas from permeating into the interior space; and an exhaust port where the purge gas supplied into the interior space through the supply port is exhausted. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to an embodiment of the inventive concepts, a variation of temperature distribution can be minimized. 
     According to an embodiment of the inventive concepts, thermal efficiency can be elevated. 
     According to and embodiment of the inventive concepts, temperature uniformity can be improved. 
     According to an embodiment of the inventive concepts, it can be prevented that drooping and twisting of a heating wire by thermal expansion of the heating wire. 
     According to an embodiment of the inventive concepts, it can be prevented that corrosion of the heating wire by process gas. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the inventive concepts. 
         FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b    are a perspective view and a cross sectional view illustrating a spay member of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a substrate susceptor of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an important part view of a substrate processing apparatus illustrating a heater member. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates heating wires sustained by a heating wire supporter. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a heating wire before and after thermal expansion. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the heating wire supporter. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The inventive concepts will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive concepts are shown. The advantages and features of the inventive concepts and methods of achieving them will be apparent from the following embodiments that will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, embodiments of the inventive concepts exaggerated or simplified for clarity. In denoting reference numerals to elements of each drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same elements though the elements are shown in different drawings. In describing embodiments of the inventive concepts, descriptions for universally known elements or functions may be left out when the descriptions make obscure essential points of the inventive concepts. 
     Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the inventive concepts.  FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b    are a perspective view and a cross sectional view illustrating a spay member of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a substrate susceptor of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the atomic layer deposition apparatus  10  may include a process chamber  100 , a substrate susceptor  200  which is a support member, a splay member  300 , a supply member  400  and a heater member  800 . 
     A gate  112  may be provided to a side of the process chamber  100 . Substrates W may be loaded in and out through the gate  112  for processes. The process chamber  100  may include an exhaust duct  120  and an exhaust pipe  114  on the edge of its lower portion to exhaust reaction gas and purge gas supplied to the process chamber and a byproduct produced in an atomic layer deposition process. The exhaust duct  120  may be formed of ring shape which locates at the outside of the substrate susceptor  200 . Not shown in drawings, it is obvious that the exhaust pipe  114  may be connected with a vacuum pump, and a pressure control valve and flow control valve may be equipped with the exhaust pipe  114 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 2   b , the splay member  300  may splay gas to each of four substrates disposed on the substrate susceptor  200 . First and second reaction gas and purge gas may be provided to the splay member  300  from the supply member  400 . The splay member  300  may include a head  330  with a first through a fourth baffles  320   a  through  320   d  and a shaft  330  supporting the head  310 . The first through the fourth baffles  320   a  through  320   d  locates at positions corresponding to each substrate to splay supplied gas on an entire process surface of the substrates, and the shaft  330  is equipped through the upper center portion of the process chamber  100 . The head  310  may have disk shape. The first through forth baffles  320   a  through  320   d  have discrete spaces therein for containing each of the gases. The first through the forth baffles  320   a  through  320   d  have fan shape divided at 90 degree intervals around the center of the head  310 . Gases are supplied from the supply member  400  to each discrete spaces of the first through the forth baffles  320   a  through  320   d.  These gases are splayed through gas nozzles, thereby providing with the substrates. The first reaction gas may be supplied to the first baffle  320   a,  the second reaction gas may be supplied to the third baffle  320   c,  the purge gas for blocking mixture of the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas and purging unreacted gas is supplied to the second baffle  320   b  and the third baffle  320   d  between the first and the third baffles  320   a  and  320   c.    
     For example, the first through the forth baffles  320   a  through  320   d  of the head  310  are formed as fan shape and disposed at 90 degree intervals. The inventive concepts are not limited to this, however, the first through the forth baffles  320   a  through  320   d  may be formed at 45 degree intervals or 180 degree intervals and the size of baffles may be different from each other according to purpose or feature of the process. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the supply member  400  may include a first gas supply member  410   a,  a second gas supply member  410   b  and a purge gas supply member  420 . The first gas supply member  410   a  may supply the first reaction gas for forming a predetermined thin layer on the substrate W to the first baffle  320   a,  the second gas supply member  410   b  may supply the second gas to the third baffle  320   c  and the purge gas supply member  420  may supply the purge gas to the second and the forth baffles  320   b  and  320   d.  The purge gas supply member  420  constantly supplies the purge as at regular flow rate, but the first gas supply member  410   a  and the second supply member  410   b  may flush the reaction gas filled in a high pressure finable tank (not shown) in a short time to spread on the substrate. 
     In this embodiment, two difference reaction gases are supplied using two gas supply members. However, a plurality of gas supply members may be applied to supply more than three different reaction gases according to feature of the process. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the substrate susceptor  200  may be installed at an interior space of the process chamber  100 . For example, the substrate susceptor  200  may be formed of batch type where four substrates are disposed. The substrate susceptor may be formed of disk shape having an upper surface where a first through a fourth stage  212   a  through  212   d  is formed. The first and the fourth stages  212   a  through  212   d  formed at the substrate susceptor  200  may be formed of circular shape similar with shape of the substrates. The first through the fourth stages  212   a  through  212   d  may be formed on a concentric circle at 90 degree intervals around the center of the substrate susceptor  200 . 
     The number of stages may be assigned the substrate susceptor  200  three or more than four instead of four. 
     The substrate susceptor  200  may be rotated by a drive member  290  which is connected with a rotation axis  280 . The drive member  290  for rotating the substrate susceptor  200  may be a stepping motor in which an encoder capable of controlling rotational frequency and revolution speed of a drive motor is installed. The time of one cycle process (the first reaction. gas-the purge gas-the second reaction gas-the purge gas) of the splay member  300  may be controlled by the encoder. 
     Not shown in drawings, the substrate susceptor  200  may have a plurality of lift pins which lift up and down the substrates W from each of the stages. The lift fin lifts up and down the substrate W to separate the substrate W from the stage or put down the substrate W on the stage. 
       FIG. 4  is an important part view of a substrate processing apparatus illustrating a heater member,  FIG. 5  illustrates heating wires sustained by a heating wire supporter and  FIG. 6  illustrates a heating wire before and after thermal expansion. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the heater member  800  may be located under the substrate susceptor  200 . The heater member  800  may apply heat to the substrate susceptor  200  to elevate temperture of the substrate up to a predetermined temperature which is process temperature. A gap of a few millimeters may be provided between the heater member  800  and the substrate susceptor  200 . Thermal energy of the heater member may be transferred to the substrate susceptor by radiant mode not by conductive mode to improve temperature uniformity of the substrate susceptor  200 . 
     The heater member  800  may include a housing  810 , heating wires  820  and a heating wire supporter  830 . 
     The housing  810  may have an interior space  802  isolated from an external environment, i.e., a process space of the process chamber. The interior space  802  may be provided by an upper wall  812 , a lower wall  814  and sidewalls  816 . The heating wires  820  may be installed at the interior space  802 . The upper wall  812  may be formed of quartz material capable of transmitting a radiant heat from the heating wire  820 . 
     A supply port  852  and an exhaust port  854  may be provided to the lower wall  814  of the housing  810 . The supply port  852  may be connected with a supply line  853  which supplies the purge gas. Inner pressure of the housing may be maintained higher than pressure of the process chamber by the purge gas supplied through the supply port  852  to prevent the process gas from permeating into the interior space of the housing  810  during the process. The exhaust port  854  may be connected with an exhaust line  855 . The purge gas supplied to the interior space through the supply port  852  may be exhausted to the exhaust line  855  through the exhaust port  854 . 
     The exhaust of the purge gas in the housing  810  may be implemented through side holes  858  which are formed at the sidewall  816 . The side holes  858  may be connected with an exhaust. duct  120 . In this embodiment, the exhaust of the purge gas may be implemented through one of the exhaust port  854  or the side holes  858 . 
     The heating wire  820  is a heating element. The heating wires  820  may be arranged in a plurality rows of verticality and horizontality on concentric circles around a rotation center of the substrate susceptor  200 . The heating wire are arranged in a plurality rows of verticality and horizontality at the interior space  802  to remedy temperature falloff of the substrate susceptor  200  caused by pumping of a chamber edge portion. In this embodiment, the heating wires  820  may be arranged in two vertical direction and in five horizontal direction. 
     The heater member  800  may discretely control the heating wires  820  by each sector to maintain temperature uniformity of the substrate susceptor  200 . The temperature control by sectors for the heating wires  820  may be performed in accordance with temperature value of temperature sensors installed on an inner surface of the substrate susceptor  200 . 
     The heating wire supporters  830  are members for sustaining the heating wire  820 , and are provided for preventing the heating wire  820  from drooping and twisting by thermal expansion of the heating wire  820 . 
     The heating wire supporter  830  may be formed for the heating wire  820  at regular lengths or regular angles. The heating wire supporter  830  may have a concave support surface  832  which is formed along a latitudinal direction of the heating wire  820  to secure flexibility for thermal expansion of the heating wire  820 . Length of the support surface  832  may be twice or three times of the heating wire diameter. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the heating wire supporter  830  can stably sustain the heating wire  820  even if a radius of the heating wire  830  is enlarged by thermal expansion of the heating wire  820 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the heating wire supporter. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the heating wire supporter  840  may include a support block  842  and a support bar  844  installed on an upper surface of the support block  842 . The support bar  844  may be formed of bar shape in point contact with the heating wire  820  to minimize contact area with the heating wire  820  and prevent the heating wire supporter  840  from broken by high heat of the heating wire. The support bar  844  may be formed of the same material as the heating wire  820 . 
     As the above description is just for illustratively describing the inventive concepts, it will be available to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirits and scopes of the inventive concepts. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limiting but illustrative. The scopes of the inventive concepts shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing description. The scopes of the inventive concepts are to be determined by following claims, and it should be understood that the inventive concepts within their equivalents scope may belong to the scopes of the inventive concepts.