Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

The following documents are mentioned as a prior art illustration:.

As one step in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a film having a desired thickness is formed on a substrate held by a substrate holder, and then the substrate is unloaded from the substrate holder.

The present disclosure is to provide a technique for avoiding a situation in which, when unloading a substrate from a substrate holder, the substrate and the substrate holder are fixed to each other by a formed film and accordingly, the substrate cannot be separated from the substrate holder.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a technique that includes:.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. All of the diagrams used in the following description are schematic, and dimensional relationships between elements, ratios between the elements, and the like illustrated in the diagrams do not necessarily match actual ones. The dimensional relationships between elements, the ratios between the elements, and the like do not necessarily match between a plurality of diagrams.

As shown in <FIG>, a substrate processing apparatus <NUM> is configured as a batch type vertical heat treatment apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> that is a pressure-resistant container. For example, a process furnace <NUM> is provided inside the housing <NUM>, and a controller <NUM> is provided outside the housing <NUM>. When transferring a wafer <NUM> serving as a substrate into and out of the housing <NUM>, a cassette <NUM> serving as a substrate transfer container is used. The cassette <NUM> is configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of (for example, <NUM>) wafers <NUM>. A cassette transfer port (not shown) for transferring the cassette <NUM> into and out of the housing <NUM> is provided in the housing <NUM>.

A cassette stage <NUM> (hereinafter, referred to as a stage <NUM>) serving as a cassette transfer table is provided in the housing <NUM>. The cassette <NUM> is loaded onto the stage <NUM> and unloaded from the stage <NUM> by an external transfer device (not shown).

A cassette shelf <NUM> for accommodating the cassette <NUM> is provided near the stage <NUM>. The cassette shelf <NUM> is configured to store at least one or more cassettes <NUM> in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. As a part of the cassette shelf <NUM>, a transfer shelf <NUM> for accommodating the cassette <NUM> to be transferred by a substrate transferrer <NUM>, which will be described later, is provided.

A spare cassette shelf <NUM> for storing a spare cassette <NUM> is provided above the stage <NUM>. Between the stage <NUM> and the cassette shelf <NUM>, a cassette elevator <NUM> (hereinafter, referred to as an "elevator <NUM>") capable of moving up and down while holding the cassette <NUM> and a cassette transferrer <NUM> (hereinafter, referred to as a "transferrer <NUM>") for transferring the cassette <NUM> are provided. The cassette <NUM> is transferred among the stage <NUM>, the cassette shelf <NUM>, and the spare cassette shelf <NUM> by the interlocking operation of the elevator <NUM> and the transferrer <NUM>.

The process furnace <NUM> is provided in the upper part of the inside of the housing <NUM>. A lower end of the process furnace <NUM> is configured to be opened and closed by a furnace opening shutter <NUM>. Below the process furnace <NUM>, a boat elevator <NUM> (hereinafter, referred to as an elevator <NUM>) for moving a boat <NUM> serving as a substrate holder up and down with respect to the process furnace <NUM> is provided. A seal cap <NUM> serving as a lid is horizontally mounted on an elevating member <NUM> serving as a connector connected to the elevating platform of the elevator <NUM>. The seal cap <NUM> is configured to be able to vertically support the boat <NUM> and close the lower end of the process furnace <NUM>. Below the process furnace <NUM>, a waiting room <NUM> where loading and unloading of the wafer <NUM>, separation process of the wafer <NUM> to be described later, and the like are performed is provided.

The boat <NUM> includes a plurality of boat columns <NUM>. A plurality of substrate mounting tables <NUM> for mounting the wafer <NUM> are provided in the boat column <NUM> (see <FIG>), and the boat <NUM> is configured to support a plurality of (for example, <NUM> to <NUM>) wafers <NUM> in multiple stages.

As shown in <FIG>, the substrate transferrer <NUM> is provided between the elevator <NUM> and the cassette shelf <NUM>. The substrate transferrer <NUM> includes a predetermined number (for example, five) of tweezers <NUM> that hold the wafer <NUM> in a horizontal posture, and is attached to a substrate transferrer elevator <NUM> (hereinafter, referred to as an elevator <NUM>) for moving the substrate transferrer <NUM> up and down. By the interlocking operation of the elevator <NUM>, the substrate transferrer <NUM>, and the tweezers <NUM>, the wafer <NUM> is loaded onto the substrate mounting table <NUM> of the boat <NUM> and unloaded from the substrate mounting table <NUM>. The substrate transferrer <NUM> includes a sensor <NUM> for detecting the success or failure of the separation process, which will be described later (see <FIG>).

A cleaner <NUM> for supplying clean air, which is a purified atmosphere, is provided above the cassette shelf <NUM>. The cleaner <NUM> includes a supply fan and a dust filter (both not shown), and is configured to circulate clean air inside the housing <NUM>.

The cassette <NUM> loaded with the wafers <NUM> in a vertical posture is mounted on the stage <NUM> by an external transfer device so that the wafer loading/unloading port of the cassette <NUM> faces upward. Thereafter, the cassette <NUM> is rotated by <NUM>° by the stage <NUM> so that the wafers <NUM> are in a horizontal posture.

Then, the cassette <NUM> is temporarily stored by being transferred from the stage <NUM> to the designated shelf position of the cassette shelf <NUM> or the spare cassette shelf <NUM> by the interlocking operation of the elevator <NUM> and the transferrer <NUM>, and is then transferred to the transfer shelf <NUM>. Alternatively, the cassette <NUM> is directly transferred from the stage <NUM> to the transfer shelf <NUM> by the interlocking operation of the elevator <NUM> and transferrer <NUM>.

When the cassette <NUM> is transferred to the transfer shelf <NUM>, the wafer <NUM> is picked up from the cassette <NUM> by the tweezer <NUM> provided in the substrate transferrer <NUM> and loaded onto the substrate mounting table <NUM> provided in the boat <NUM>. After transferring the wafer <NUM> to the boat <NUM>, the substrate transferrer <NUM> returns to the cassette <NUM> and loads the next wafer <NUM> onto the substrate mounting table <NUM> of the boat <NUM>.

When a predetermined number (for example, <NUM> to <NUM>) of wafers <NUM> are loaded onto the substrate mounting table <NUM> of the boat <NUM>, the furnace opening shutter <NUM> closing the lower end of the process furnace <NUM> is opened to open the lower end of the process furnace <NUM>. Then, the boat <NUM> holding the group of wafers <NUM> is loaded into the process furnace <NUM> by the lifting operation of the elevator <NUM>, and the lower portion of the process furnace <NUM> is closed with the seal cap <NUM>.

After loading, the wafer <NUM> is subjected to predetermined processing. After processing, the wafer <NUM> and the cassette <NUM> are ejected to the outside of the housing <NUM> in the reverse order described above.

As shown in <FIG>, the process furnace <NUM> has a heater <NUM> serving as a temperature regulator (heater). The heater <NUM> has a cylindrical shape, and is vertically mounted by being supported by a holding plate. The heater <NUM> also functions as an activator (exciter) that thermally activates (excites) the gas.

Inside the heater <NUM>, a reaction tube <NUM> is provided concentrically with the heater <NUM>. The reaction tube <NUM> is formed of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO<NUM>) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. Below the reaction tube <NUM>, a manifold <NUM> is provided concentrically with the reaction tube <NUM>. The manifold <NUM> is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The upper end of the manifold <NUM> engages the lower end of the reaction tube <NUM>, and is configured to support the reaction tube <NUM>. An O-ring 220a serving as a seal member is provided between the manifold <NUM> and the reaction tube <NUM>. The reaction tube <NUM> is vertically mounted in the same manner as the heater <NUM>. A process container (reaction container) is mainly configured by the reaction tube <NUM> and the manifold <NUM>. A process chamber <NUM> is formed in a cylindrical hollow portion of the process container. The process chamber <NUM> is configured to be able to accommodate the wafer <NUM> serving as a substrate. The wafer <NUM> is processed in the process chamber <NUM>.

In the process chamber <NUM>, nozzles 249a and 249b serving as first and second suppliers are provided so as to pass through the side wall of the manifold <NUM>. The nozzles 249a and 249b are also referred to as a first nozzle and a second nozzle, respectively. The nozzles 249a and 249b are formed of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. Gas supply pipes 232a and 232b are connected to the nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively. The nozzles 249a and 249b are provided adjacent to each other.

In the gas supply pipes 232a and 232b, mass flow controllers (MFCs) 241a and 241b that are flow rate controllers and valves 243a and 243b that are opening/closing valves are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. A gas supply pipe 232c is connected to the downstream side of the valve 243a of the gas supply pipe 232a. In the gas supply pipe 232c, an MFC 241c and a valve 243c are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. A gas supply pipe 232d is connected to the downstream side of the valve 243b of the gas supply pipe 232b. In the gas supply pipe 232d, an MFC 241d and a valve 243d are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. The gas supply pipes 232a to 232d are formed of a metal material such as SUS.

As shown in <FIG>, the nozzles 249a and 249b are provided in an annular space in plan view between the inner wall of the reaction tube <NUM> and the wafer <NUM> along the upper part from the lower part of the inner wall of the reaction tube <NUM> so as to rise upward in the arrangement direction of the wafers <NUM>. That is, the nozzles 249a and 249b are provided along a wafer arrangement region where the wafers <NUM> are arranged in a region horizontally surrounding the wafer arrangement region on the lateral side of the wafer arrangement region. Gas supply holes 250a and 250b for supplying gas are provided on the side surfaces of the nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively. Each of the gas supply holes 250a and 250b is open toward the center of the wafer <NUM> in plan view, so that it is possible to supply gas toward the wafer <NUM>. A plurality of gas supply holes 250a and 250b are provided from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube <NUM>.

A raw material gas, which is one of the film-forming gases, is supplied from the gas supply pipe 232a into the process chamber <NUM> through the MFC 241a, the valve 243a, and the nozzle 249a.

A dopant gas, which is one of the film-forming gases, is supplied from the gas supply pipe 232b into the process chamber <NUM> through the MFC 241b, the valve 243b, and the nozzle 249b.

An inert gas is supplied from the gas supply pipes 232c and 232d into the process chamber <NUM> through the MFCs 241c and 241d, the valves 243c and 243d, the gas supply pipes 232a and 232b, and the nozzles 249a and 249b. The inert gas acts as purge gas, carrier gas, diluent gas, and the like.

A film-forming gas supply system (raw material gas supply system, dopant gas supply system) is mainly formed by the gas supply pipes 232a and 232b, the MFCs 241a and 241b, and the valves 243a and 243b. An inert gas supply system is mainly formed by the gas supply pipes 232c and 232d, the MFCs 241c and 241d, and the valves 243c and 243d.

The supply systems described above may be configured as an integrated supply system <NUM> in which the valves 243a to 243d, the MFCs 241a to 241d, and the like are integrated. The integrated supply system <NUM> is connected to each of the gas supply pipes 232a to 232d, and the operation of supplying various substances (various gases) into the gas supply pipes 232a to <NUM>, that is, the opening and closing operations of the valves 243a to 243d, the flow rate regulating operations of the MFCs 241a to 241d, and the like are controlled by the controller <NUM>, which will be described later. The integrated supply system <NUM> is configured as an integrated or divided integrated unit, and can be attached and detached to and from the gas supply pipes 232a to 232d or the like in units of integrated units. Therefore, maintenance, replacement, expansion, and the like of the integrated supply system <NUM> can be performed in units of integrated units.

Below the side wall of the reaction tube <NUM>, an exhaust port 231a for exhausting the atmosphere inside the process chamber <NUM> is provided. The exhaust port 231a may be provided along the upper part from the lower part of the inner wall of the reaction tube <NUM>, that is, along the wafer arrangement region. An exhaust pipe <NUM> is connected to the exhaust port 231a. The exhaust pipe <NUM> is formed of a metal material such as SUS. A vacuum pump <NUM> serving as a vacuum exhaust is connected to the exhaust pipe <NUM> through a pressure sensor <NUM> serving as a pressure detector for detecting the pressure in the process chamber <NUM> and an auto pressure controller (APC) valve <NUM> serving as a pressure regulator. The APC valve <NUM> can perform vacuum exhaust and vacuum exhaust stop in the process chamber <NUM> by opening and closing the valve in a state in which the vacuum pump <NUM> is operated, and can regulate the pressure in the process chamber <NUM> by adjusting the degree of valve opening based on pressure information detected by the pressure sensor <NUM> in a state in which the vacuum pump <NUM> is operated. An exhaust system is mainly formed by the exhaust pipe <NUM>, the APC valve <NUM>, and the pressure sensor <NUM>. The vacuum pump <NUM> may be considered to be included in the exhaust system.

Below the manifold <NUM>, the seal cap <NUM> serving as a furnace opening lid capable of hermetically closing the lower end opening of the manifold <NUM> is provided. The seal cap <NUM> is formed of a metal material such as SUS, and is formed in a disc shape. An O-ring 220b serving as a seal member in contact with the lower end of the manifold <NUM> is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap <NUM>. A rotator <NUM> for rotating the boat <NUM> is provided below the seal cap <NUM>. A rotating shaft <NUM> of the rotator <NUM> is formed of a metal material such as SUS, and passes through the seal cap <NUM> and is connected to the boat <NUM>. The rotator <NUM> is configured to rotate the wafer <NUM> by rotating the boat <NUM>. The seal cap <NUM> is configured to be vertically moved up and down by the elevator <NUM> provided outside the reaction tube <NUM>.

The boat <NUM> serving as a substrate holder includes a plurality of substrate mounting tables <NUM> for supporting the wafer <NUM>, and is configured to support, for example, <NUM> to <NUM> wafers <NUM> in multiple stages while the wafers <NUM> are arranged in the vertical direction in a horizontal posture and in a state in which the centers of the wafers <NUM> are aligned with each other, that is, such that the wafers <NUM> are arranged at intervals. The boat <NUM> is formed of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. At the lower part of the boat <NUM>, a heat insulating plate <NUM> formed of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC is supported in multiple stages.

A temperature sensor <NUM> serving as a temperature detector is provided in the reaction tube <NUM>. By adjusting the supply of power to the heater <NUM> based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor <NUM>, the temperature inside the process chamber <NUM> has a desired temperature distribution. The temperature sensor <NUM> is provided along the inner wall of the reaction tube <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the controller <NUM> is configured as a computer including a central processing unit (CPU) 124a, a random access memory (RAM) 124b, a memory 124c, and an I/O port 124d. The RAM 124b, the memory 124c, and the I/O port 124d are configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from the CPU 124a through an internal bus 124e. An input/output device <NUM> configured as, for example, a touch panel or the like is connected to the controller <NUM>. An external memory <NUM> can be connected to the controller <NUM>.

The memory 124c is configured of, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and the like. In the memory 124c, a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus <NUM>, a process recipe describing procedures and conditions for substrate processing, which will be described later, and the like are stored in a readable manner. The process recipe is a combination that allows the controller <NUM> to cause the substrate processing apparatus <NUM> to execute each procedure in substrate processing, which will be described later, and to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, the control program, and the like are also collectively and simply referred to as a program. The process recipe is also simply referred to as a recipe. Cases where the term "program" is used in this specification include a case where only a recipe is included, a case where only a control program is included, and a case where both the recipe and the control program are included. The RAM 124b is configured as a memory area (work area) in which programs, data, and the like read by the CPU 124a are temporarily stored.

The I/O port 124d is connected to the MFCs 241a to 241d, the valves 243a to 243d, the pressure sensor <NUM>, the APC valve <NUM>, the vacuum pump <NUM>, the temperature sensor <NUM>, the heater <NUM>, the rotator <NUM>, the elevator <NUM>, the furnace opening shutter <NUM>, and the like.

The CPU 124a can read a control program from the memory 124c and execute the control program, and can read a recipe from the memory 124c according to the input of an operation command from the input/output device <NUM> or the like. According to the content of the read recipe, the CPU 124a can control the operations of regulating the flow rates of various substances (various gases) by the MFCs 241a to 241d, the opening and closing operations of the valves 243a to 243d, the opening and closing operation of the APC valve <NUM> and the pressure regulating operation of the APC valve <NUM> based on the pressure sensor <NUM>, starting and stopping of the vacuum pump <NUM>, the operation of regulating the temperature of the heater <NUM> based on the temperature sensor <NUM>, the operation of adjusting the rotation and rotation speed of the boat <NUM> by the rotator <NUM>, the up-and-down operation of the boat <NUM> by the elevator <NUM>, and the like.

The controller <NUM> can be configured by installing the above-described program stored in the external memory <NUM> into the computer. Examples of the external memory <NUM> include a magnetic disk such as an HDD, an optical disk such as a CD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, and a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or an SSD. The memory 124c or the external memory <NUM> is configured as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. Hereinafter, these are also collectively and simply referred to as a recording medium. Cases where the term "recording medium" is used in this specification include a case where only the memory 124c is included, a case where only the external memory <NUM> is included, and a case where both the memory 124c and the external memory <NUM> are included. The program may be provided to the computer by using communication means, such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without using the external memory <NUM>.

Next, a substrate processing process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. In the following description, the operation of each unit forming the substrate processing apparatus <NUM> is controlled by the controller <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a polycrystalline silicon film (poly-Si film, polycrystalline Si film) is formed on the wafer <NUM> by supplying a silane-based gas to the wafer <NUM> as a raw material gas, which is one of the film-forming gases, and supplying a gas containing phosphorus (P), which is a kind of dopant, to the wafer <NUM> as a dopant gas, which is one of the film-forming gases.

In the present embodiment, a case of forming a polycrystalline silicon film having a thickness of <NUM> on the wafer <NUM> as a film having a desired thickness will be described as an example. Setting the "desired thickness" to <NUM> is merely an example, and a polycrystalline silicon film having a thickness other than <NUM> as a desired thickness is not excluded.

The term "wafer" used in this specification may mean the wafer itself, or may mean a laminate of a wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. The term "wafer surface" used in this specification may mean the surface of the wafer itself or the surface of a predetermined layer or the like formed on the wafer. In this specification, the term "form a predetermined layer on a wafer" means that a predetermined layer is formed directly on the surface of the wafer itself or that a predetermined layer is formed on a layer or the like formed on the wafer. The use of the term "substrate" in this specification is synonymous with the use of the term "wafer".

The wafer <NUM> is loaded from the cassette <NUM> on the transfer shelf <NUM> to the boat <NUM> in the waiting room <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM> (wafer charge). Specifically, for example, five wafers <NUM> are simultaneously loaded from the cassette <NUM> on the transfer shelf <NUM> onto the substrate mounting table <NUM> of the boat <NUM> by the five tweezers <NUM>. This process continues until the scheduled wafers <NUM> (for example, <NUM> to <NUM> wafers <NUM>) are loaded to the boat <NUM>.

Thereafter, the furnace opening shutter <NUM> is moved to open the lower end opening of the manifold <NUM> (shutter open). Then, as shown in <FIG>, the boat <NUM> holding the wafer <NUM> is lifted by the elevator <NUM> and loaded into the process chamber <NUM> (boat loading). In this state, the seal cap <NUM> seals the lower end of the manifold <NUM> through the O-ring 220b. In this manner, the wafer <NUM> is supplied into the process chamber <NUM>.

Thereafter, the inside of the process chamber <NUM>, that is, the space where the wafer <NUM> is located is vacuum-exhausted (decompression-exhausted) by the vacuum pump <NUM> so as to have a desired pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the process chamber <NUM> is measured by the pressure sensor <NUM>, and the APC valve <NUM> is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure information. The wafer <NUM> in the process chamber <NUM> is heated by the heater <NUM> so as to have a desired processing temperature. At this time, the supply of power to the heater <NUM> is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor <NUM> so that the inside of the process chamber <NUM> has a desired temperature distribution. The rotation of the wafer <NUM> by the rotator <NUM> is started. The valves 243c and 243d are opened to start supplying the inert gas into the process chamber <NUM> through the nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively. The exhaust in the process chamber <NUM>, the heating and rotation of the wafer <NUM>, and the supply of the inert gas are continued at least until the film forming process (S108), which will be described later, ends.

When the inside of the process chamber <NUM> reaches the desired pressure and temperature, the valve 243a is opened to allow the raw material gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 232a. At the same time, the valve 243b is opened to allow the dopant gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 232b. The flow rate of the raw material gas and the flow rate of the dopant gas are regulated by the MFCs 241a and 241b, respectively, and the raw material gas and the dopant gas are supplied into the process chamber <NUM> through the nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively, and exhausted through the exhaust port 231a. At this time, the film-forming gas (raw material gas, dopant gas) is simultaneously supplied to the wafer <NUM> from the lateral side of the wafer <NUM> (film-forming gas supply).

The process conditions when supplying the film-forming gas in this step are as follows.

In this specification, the expression of a numerical range such as "<NUM> to <NUM>" means that the lower limit and the upper limit are included in the range. Therefore, for example, "<NUM> to <NUM>" means "<NUM> or more and <NUM> or less". The same applies to other numerical ranges. In this specification, the process temperature means the temperature of the wafer <NUM> or the temperature inside the process chamber <NUM>, and the process pressure means the pressure inside the process chamber <NUM>. When <NUM> slm is included in the supply flow rate, <NUM> slm means a case where the gas is not supplied.

By supplying, for example, a silane-based gas as a raw material gas and a gas containing P as a dopant gas to the wafer <NUM> under the above process conditions, silicon (Si) containing P can be deposited on the surface of the wafer <NUM>. As a result, a polycrystalline silicon film <NUM> doped with P serving as a dopant (hereinafter, also referred to as a P-doped Si film or simply referred to as a Si film) can be formed on the wafer <NUM> (see <FIG>). As shown in <FIG>, the Si film <NUM> is formed not only on the wafer <NUM> but also on the substrate mounting table <NUM>, and the wafer <NUM> is bonded to the boat <NUM> by the Si film <NUM>. Here, "bonded" refers to a state in which the wafer <NUM> and the boat <NUM> are attached to each other by the Si film <NUM> but the wafer <NUM> is separated from the boat <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>, and refers to a state that has not reached the state of "fixed" described later.

As the raw material gas, for example, the above-described silane-based gas containing Si serving as a main element forming the film formed on the wafer <NUM> can be used. As the silane-based gas, for example, silicon hydride gases such as monosilane (SiH<NUM>) gas, disilane (Si<NUM>H<NUM>) gas, trisilane (Si<NUM>H<NUM>) gas, tetrasilane (Si<NUM>H<NUM>) gas, pentasilane (Si<NUM>H<NUM>) gas, and hexasilane (Si<NUM>H<NUM>) gas can be used. One or more of these can be used as the raw material gas. The same applies to a film forming process (S124) described later.

As the dopant gas, for example, a gas containing any one of group III elements (group <NUM> elements) and group V elements (group <NUM> elements) can be used. As the dopant gas, for example, a gas containing P as a group V element such as phosphine (PH<NUM>) gas and a gas containing arsenic (As) as a group V element such as arsine (AsH<NUM>) gas can be used. As the dopant gas, a gas containing boron (B) as a Group III element such as diborane (B<NUM>H<NUM>) gas and trichloroborane (BCl<NUM>) gas can be used. One or more of these can be used as the dopant gas. The same applies to a film forming process (S124) described later.

As the inert gas, for example, rare gases such as nitrogen (N<NUM>) gas, argon (Ar) gas, helium (He) gas, neon (Ne) gas, and xenon (Xe) gas can be used. One or more of these can be used as the inert gas. The same applies to a film forming process (S124) described later.

After starting the film forming process, the film forming process is interrupted until the Si film having a thickness of <NUM>, which is a desired thickness, is formed on the wafer <NUM>. More specifically, in a period from the start of the film forming process to the formation of the Si film having a thickness of <NUM>, which is a desired thickness, on the wafer <NUM>, before a film (Si film) having a critical thickness is formed on the wafer <NUM>, the film forming process is interrupted. The "critical thickness" is the thickness of the film beyond which the separation process by the substrate transferrer <NUM> is not possible. More specifically, the "critical thickness" is the thickness of the film (Si film) formed on the wafer <NUM>, beyond which the wafer <NUM> and the boat <NUM> are fixed to each other and accordingly the wafer <NUM> cannot be separated from the boat <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>. Here, the "separation process" is a process of lifting the wafer <NUM> mounted on the substrate mounting table <NUM> and then lowering the wafer <NUM> to its original position on the substrate mounting table <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>. "Fixed" refers to a state in which the wafer <NUM> and the boat <NUM> are firmly attached to each other by the Si film <NUM> and the wafer <NUM> cannot be separated from the boat <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, a case of interrupting the film forming process before the film (Si film) having a critical thickness is formed on the wafer <NUM>, for example, when the film having a thickness of <NUM> is formed on the wafer <NUM> assuming that the "film having a critical thickness" is a film having a thickness of <NUM> will be described as an example.

Thereafter, the seal cap <NUM> is lowered by the elevator <NUM> to open the lower end opening of the manifold <NUM>. Then, the boat <NUM> is moved from the process chamber <NUM> to the waiting room <NUM> (boat unloading). After boat unloading, the furnace opening shutter <NUM> is moved to seal the lower end opening of the manifold <NUM> with the furnace opening shutter <NUM> (shutter closing).

The unloaded wafer <NUM> is cooled down to a predetermined temperature in the waiting room <NUM> while being supported by the boat <NUM>.

Thereafter, the tweezer <NUM> of the substrate transferrer <NUM> is inserted below the wafer <NUM> mounted on the substrate mounting table <NUM> of the boat <NUM> to lift the wafer <NUM>. At this time, the wafer <NUM> and the boat <NUM> (substrate mounting table <NUM>) bonded to each other by the Si film <NUM> are separated from each other (see <FIG>). In the present embodiment, when the Si film <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> is formed on the wafer <NUM>, the supply of the film-forming gas is interrupted and the separation process is performed. Therefore, as will be described later, when forming a film having a desired thickness (for example, a Si film having a thickness of <NUM>) on the wafer <NUM>, it is possible to prevent the wafer <NUM> and the boat <NUM> from being fixed to each other even if the Si film is further formed on the wafer <NUM> by performing the film forming process (S108) again. Thereafter, the wafer <NUM> that has been separated from the substrate mounting table <NUM> is lowered by the substrate transferrer <NUM> to be mounted at its original position on the substrate mounting table <NUM> (see <FIG>). In the present embodiment, since the substrate transferrer <NUM> includes five tweezers <NUM>, the separation process is performed simultaneously on the five wafers <NUM>, for example. However, for the sake of convenience, a state in which one of the tweezers <NUM> performs the separation process is shown in <FIG>.

In this step (S116), the success or failure of the separation process is determined by the sensor <NUM> provided in the substrate transferrer <NUM>. The failure of the separation process refers to including at least one of a case where at least one of the boat <NUM>, the substrate transferrer <NUM>, and the wafer <NUM> is damaged and a case where the wafer <NUM> cannot be separated from the boat <NUM> with the predetermined torque of the substrate transferrer <NUM>, for example. When the sensor <NUM> detects a failure of the separation process, subsequent processes in the substrate processing process are interrupted, the tweezer <NUM> is withdrawn from the boat <NUM>, and an alarm is issued.

When the sensor <NUM> detects a failure of the separation process, the sensor <NUM> may perform a retry process, which is another separation process using the tweezer <NUM>. The retry process can be performed a predetermined number of times, one or more times. After performing the retry process, when the sensor <NUM> detects a success of the separation process in the retry process, the process proceeds to the next step (S118). When the sensor <NUM> detects a failure of the separation process in the retry process, the subsequent process may be interrupted, the tweezer <NUM> may be withdrawn from the boat <NUM>, and an alarm may be issued. In this case, it is preferable not to perform the next batch process. In the retry process, it is not always necessary to operate the five tweezers <NUM>. For example, only the number of tweezers <NUM> corresponding to the number of wafers <NUM> for which a failure in the separation process has been detected may be operated.

Here, the success of the separation process in the retry process means that the wafers <NUM>, which are targets of the retry process, can be separated from the boat <NUM> without being damaged, for example. The failure of the separation process in the retry process means that at least one wafer <NUM>, among the wafers <NUM> that are targets of the retry process, cannot be separated from the boat <NUM> or that the wafer <NUM> is damaged when the wafer <NUM> is separated, for example. When the failure of the separation process in the retry process is detected, for example, if one or more wafers <NUM> among the wafers <NUM> that are targets of the retry process can be separated from the boat <NUM>, the wafer <NUM>, the process proceeds to the next step (S118) for the one or more wafers <NUM>. At this time, the wafer <NUM> that has failed to be separated from the boat <NUM> may remain fixed to the boat <NUM>, or may be removed from the boat <NUM> by using a predetermined method.

When the wafer separation process (S116) ends, it is determined whether or not one cycle (the above-described series of processes (S104 to S116)) has been performed a predetermined number of times (twice), that is, it is determined whether or not the thickness of the formed film has reached <NUM> in the film forming process (S <NUM>). Then, if the one cycle has not been performed a predetermined number of times (twice), one cycle from the boat loading (S104) to the separation process (S116) is repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the one cycle has been performed a predetermined number of times, the process proceeds to the next step (S120).

Thereafter, the boat <NUM> is loaded into the process chamber <NUM> according to the same processing procedure as in the boat loading (S104) described above (boat loading: S120), and the pressure and temperature inside the process chamber <NUM> are regulated according to the same processing procedure and process conditions as in the pressure regulation and temperature regulation (S106) described above (pressure and temperature regulation: S122).

Thereafter, a film-forming gas (raw material gas, dopant gas) is supplied to the wafer <NUM> according to the same processing procedure as in the film forming process (S108) described above.

Raw material gas and dopant gas supply time: <NUM> to <NUM> minutes. Other process conditions can be the same as the process conditions when supplying the film-forming gas in the film forming process (S108).

As described above, the Si film having a thickness of <NUM> is already formed on the wafer <NUM>. Therefore, in order to form a Si film having a desired thickness of <NUM>, the film-forming gas is supplied to the wafer <NUM> under the above-described conditions to form a remaining Si film having a thickness of <NUM> and adjust the film thickness in this step.

Thereafter, the boat <NUM> is moved from the process chamber <NUM> into the waiting room <NUM> according to the same processing procedure as in the boat unloading (S112) described above (boat unloading: S126), and the processed wafer <NUM> is cooled to a predetermined temperature in the waiting room <NUM> according to the same processing procedure and process conditions as in the wafer cooling (S114) described above (wafer cooling: S128).

Thereafter, the processed wafer <NUM> is unloaded (wafer discharge) from the substrate mounting table <NUM> provided in the boat <NUM> in the waiting room <NUM> into the cassette <NUM> on the transfer shelf <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>. Specifically, for example, five wafers <NUM> are simultaneously transferred from the substrate mounting table <NUM> of the boat <NUM> into the cassette <NUM> on the transfer shelf <NUM> by the five tweezers <NUM>. This process continues until the scheduled wafers <NUM> (for example, <NUM> to <NUM> wafers <NUM>) are unloaded from the boat <NUM>. Then, the substrate processing process ends.

According to the present embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

The embodiment of the present disclosure has been specifically described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

In the above embodiment, an example of forming a film using the batch-type substrate processing apparatus <NUM> that processes a plurality of substrates at a time has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be appropriately applied to a case of forming a film using a single wafer type substrate processing apparatus that processes one or more substrates at a time, for example. When a film is formed using a single wafer type substrate processing apparatus, the separation process is preferably performed in the process container. Specifically, the film forming process is performed with a wafer mounted on the substrate mounting table (susceptor) provided in the process container. As shown in <FIG>, a substrate mover such as a lift pin for lifting a wafer mounted on the substrate mounting table and then lowering the wafer to its original position on the substrate mounting table is provided in the process container. After the film forming process is performed, a separation process is performed to lift the wafer mounted on the substrate mounting table and then lower the wafer to its original position on the substrate mounting table by using the substrate mover. By repeating the film forming process and the separation process a predetermined number of times, a film having a desired thickness can be formed on the wafer. By performing the separation process in the process container in this manner, it is possible to shorten the time required for the substrate processing process and improve the productivity.

In the above embodiment, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot wall type process furnace has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be appropriately applied to a case of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold wall type process furnace.

Even when these substrate processing apparatuses are used, each process can be performed according to the same processing procedure and process conditions as in the embodiment described above. Therefore, the same effects as in the embodiment described above can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the separation process is defined as a process of lifting the wafer <NUM> mounted on the substrate mounting table <NUM> and then lowering the wafer <NUM> to its original position on the substrate mounting table <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the separation process may be a process of shifting the wafer <NUM> mounted on the substrate mounting table <NUM> to move the wafer <NUM> on the substrate mounting table <NUM> and then shifting the wafer <NUM> again to return the wafer <NUM> to its original position on the substrate mounting table <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>. In the separation process (S116) described above, at least one of these separation processes can be used. Also in these cases, the same effects as in the embodiment described above can be obtained.

Similarly, the separation process may be a process of unloading the wafer <NUM> mounted on the substrate mounting table <NUM> and then loading the wafer <NUM> to its original position on the substrate mounting table <NUM> by the substrate transferrer <NUM>. In this case, the effects of the embodiment described above can be reliably obtained.

In the above embodiment, an example of forming a conductive polycrystalline silicon film doped with a dopant on the wafer <NUM> has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied to a case where a conductive amorphous silicon film (a-Si film, amorphous Si film) doped with a dopant is formed on the wafer <NUM> and a case where a conductive single crystal silicon film (single crystal Si film) doped with a dopant is formed on the wafer <NUM>. The present disclosure can also be applied to a case of forming a non-doped polycrystalline silicon film, a non-doped amorphous silicon film, and a non-doped single crystal silicon film on the wafer <NUM> without using a dopant gas. The present disclosure can also be applied to a case where multicomponent Si films, such as a silicon nitride film (SiN film), a silicon oxide film (SiO film), a silicon carbide film (SiC film), a silicon carbon nitride film (SiCN film), a silicon oxynitride film (SiON film), a silicon oxycarbide film (SiOC film), a silicon oxycarbonitride film (SiOCN film), a silicon borocarbonitride film (SiBCN film), and a silicon boronitride film (SiBN film), are formed on the wafer <NUM> by further using reactant gases, such as a nitrogen (N)-containing gas, an oxygen (O)-containing gas, a carbon (C)-containing gas, an N and C-containing gas, and a boron (B)-containing gas, as film-forming gases in addition to the raw material gas and the like. The processing procedures and the process conditions when supplying various film-forming gases can be the same as those described above, for example. Also in these cases, the same effects as in the embodiment described above can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, an example of adjusting the film thickness in the final (third) film forming process when forming a film having a desired thickness on the wafer <NUM> has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the film thickness may be adjusted in either the first film forming process or the second film forming process.

In the above embodiment, an example of performing a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, in which a plurality of types of film-forming gases are simultaneously and continuously supplied into the process chamber <NUM>, in the film forming process (S108, S124) has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a cyclic CVD process for intermittently supplying a film-forming gas may be performed. For example, an alternate supply process may be performed in which a step of alternately supplying the raw material gas and the reactant gas described above is repeated. That is, assuming that supply of raw material gas -> purge -> supply of reactant gas -> purge is one cycle, this cycle may be repeated a predetermined number of times. In these cases, for example, a cycle of growing a Si-containing layer to a thickness of <NUM> may be repeated <NUM> times to form a Si-containing film with a thickness of <NUM>.

In the case of a cyclic CVD process or an alternate supply process, assuming that vacuum exhaust is one cycle, this cycle may be repeated in the purge step. In this case, it is possible to obtain effects such as an improvement in wafer in-plane uniformity.

It is preferable that the recipe describing the above procedures, conditions, and the like and used in each process is individually prepared according to the contents of the process and stored in the memory 124c through the electric communication line or the external memory <NUM>. Then, when starting each process, it is preferable that the CPU 124a appropriately selects an appropriate recipe from a plurality of recipes stored in the memory 124c according to the content of the process. As a result, it is possible to form films having various film types, composition ratios, film qualities, and film thicknesses with good reproducibility by using one substrate processing apparatus. Since the burden on the operator can be reduced, it is possible to start each process quickly while avoiding an operation error.

The above-described recipe is not limited to a newly created one, and may be prepared by changing the existing recipe already installed in the substrate processing apparatus, for example. When changing the recipe, the changed recipe may be installed in the substrate processing apparatus through an electric communication line or a recording medium in which the recipe is recorded. Alternatively, an existing recipe already installed in the substrate processing apparatus may be directly changed by operating the input/output device <NUM> provided in the existing substrate processing apparatus.

The present invention may be summarized as follows: There is provided a technique that includes: a substrate holder provided with a substrate mounting table on which a substrate is mounted; a substrate transferrer configured to load or unload the substrate onto or from the substrate mounting table; a process container configured to accommodate the substrate holder holding the substrate; a film-forming gas supply system configured to supply a film-forming gas to the substrate in the process container; and a controller configured to be capable of controlling the substrate transferrer and the film-forming gas supply system to interrupt execution of a film forming process for supplying the film-forming gas to the substrate and perform a process for separating the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting table at least once until a film having a desired thickness is formed on the substrate after the film forming process is started.

Some embodiments may be considered as long as they belong to the scope of said invention.

The embodiments described above can be used in combination as appropriate as long as said combination belongs to the scope of said invention. The processing procedures and the process conditions at this time can be the same as the processing procedures and the process conditions in the embodiment described above, for example.

Claim 1:
A substrate processing apparatus (<NUM>), comprising:
a substrate holder (<NUM>) provided with a substrate mounting table (<NUM>) on which a substrate (<NUM>) is mounted;
a substrate transferrer (<NUM>) configured to load or unload the substrate onto or from the substrate mounting table;
a process container configured to accommodate the substrate holder holding the substrate;
a film-forming gas supply system (232a/232b/241a/241b/243a/243b) configured to supply a film-forming gas to the substrate in the process container; and
a controller (<NUM>) configured to be capable of controlling the substrate transferrer and the film-forming gas supply system to interrupt execution of a film forming process for supplying the film-forming gas to the substrate and perform a process for separating the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting table at least once until a film having a desired thickness is formed on the substrate after the film forming process is started.