JP2009044058A - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
While preventing deformation of the wafer in the standby chamber and preventing movement of the wafer, an inert gas is supplied to increase the cooling effect, and the cooling time is shortened to increase the throughput.
[Solution]
A processing chamber 41 for storing and processing the substrate 1, a standby chamber 33 connected to the processing chamber, first gas ejection means 51 and 55 provided in the standby chamber for diffusing and ejecting a cooling gas, Second gas jetting means 52 and 56 provided in the standby chamber for jetting a cooling gas toward the substrate, and a cooling gas from the first gas jetting means when the substrate is carried out from the processing chamber to the standby chamber. And a controller 57 for controlling the first gas ejection means and the second gas ejection means so that the cooling gas is ejected by the second gas ejection means after a lapse of a predetermined time.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device by performing thin film formation, oxidation treatment, impurity diffusion, annealing treatment, etching and the like on a substrate such as a silicon wafer.

  As one of the substrate processing apparatuses, a processing furnace comprising a reaction tube, a heating device, etc. is provided, a required number of substrates are accommodated in the reaction tube, the substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating device, and a processing gas is contained in the reaction tube. To process the substrate.

  In a batch type substrate processing apparatus that processes a required number of substrates at a time, a required number of substrates (wafers) are loaded into a substrate holder (boat) in multiple horizontal stages, and the substrate holders are loaded into a processing furnace. Is heated while being held by the substrate holder and is subjected to the required processing.

  The boat has a plurality of pillars extending in the vertical direction, and grooves for holding a substrate are formed on the pillars at a required pitch. Wafers are inserted into the grooves and are held in multiple stages in a horizontal posture.

  Further, the substrate processing apparatus includes a standby chamber connected to the processing furnace, the substrate is loaded into the boat in the standby chamber, the boat is loaded into the processing furnace from the standby chamber, and the processing chamber enters the standby chamber. The boat is pulled out, and processed wafers are discharged from the boat.

  When a processed substrate (hereinafter, processed substrate) is dispensed, it is necessary to cool the substrate to a predetermined temperature. As a method for cooling the substrate after processing, the substrate is cooled in a processing furnace or taken out from the processing furnace and cooled. There is a way. Although taking out from a processing furnace and cooling a processed substrate has the advantage that it can be cooled in a short time, the substrate after processing is hot and natural oxidation becomes a problem when it is taken out of the furnace. The formation of a natural oxide film must be avoided because it degrades the processing quality and reduces the yield of semiconductor device manufacturing.

  For this reason, as shown in Patent Document 1, an inert gas is supplied to the standby chamber, and the standby chamber can be evacuated, the standby chamber is set to an inert gas atmosphere, and the processed wafer is cooled in the inert gas atmosphere. Thus, the formation of an oxide film is prevented.

  Further, Patent Document 1 shows an inert gas supply nozzle installed upright in the standby chamber. The inert gas supply nozzle is connected to a nitrogen gas supply source, has a number of discharge ports in the vertical direction, discharges nitrogen gas from the jet port in the horizontal direction, and exhausts the standby chamber.

  By making the standby chamber an inert gas atmosphere, the processed wafer is prevented from being oxidized, and the inert gas is exhausted while being supplied, so that the heat of the standby chamber is exhausted together with the inert gas. . Therefore, the supply and discharge of the inert gas also functions as a cooling means.

  The processed wafer is at a high temperature (for example, 600 ° C.) and has a large temperature difference from the standby chamber (for example, room temperature). For this reason, when the processed wafer is pulled out to the standby chamber, the wafer is warped due to a temperature difference. In particular, due to the recent increase in the diameter of wafers, this warpage tends to occur remarkably. In the warped state, the wafer and the groove holding the wafer are in a point contact state, and the wafer may move with a slight external force. When the wafer moves, the friction between the wafer and the groove occurs. May generate particles. Further, when the wafer is rapidly cooled, the wafer is warped and the return of the warpage is promoted, and a gap is generated between the groove and the wafer during the deformation process of the wafer, which also causes generation of particles.

  When the inert gas is discharged horizontally toward the wafer, it is rapidly cooled locally, and air pressure is applied to the wafer. Therefore, nitrogen gas discharge from the inert gas supply nozzle is It was supposed not to act.

  For this reason, the supply flow rate of the inert gas is limited, and the cooling action is also suppressed.

JP-A-8-31909

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention increases the cooling effect by supplying an inert gas while preventing deformation of the wafer in the standby chamber and preventing movement of the wafer, and further shortening the cooling time. This is intended to increase the throughput.

  The present invention includes a processing chamber for storing and processing a substrate, a standby chamber connected to the processing chamber, a first gas ejection means provided in the standby chamber for diffusing and ejecting a cooling gas, and the standby A second gas jetting unit that is provided in the chamber and jets a cooling gas toward the substrate; and when the substrate is unloaded from the processing chamber to the standby chamber, the cooling gas is jetted from the first gas jetting unit, The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus including the first gas ejection unit and a control unit that controls the second gas ejection unit so that the cooling gas is ejected by the second gas ejection unit after a lapse of time.

  According to the present invention, a processing chamber for storing and processing a substrate, a standby chamber connected to the processing chamber, a first gas ejection means provided in the standby chamber for diffusing and ejecting a cooling gas, A second gas jetting means provided in the standby chamber for jetting a cooling gas toward the substrate; and when the substrate is carried from the processing chamber to the standby chamber, the cooling gas is jetted from the first gas jetting means. And a control unit that controls the first gas ejection means and the second gas ejection means so that the cooling gas is ejected by the second gas ejection means after a predetermined time has elapsed. In a state where the entire chamber is cooled, the deformation of the substrate is promoted, the wind pressure on the substrate is prevented from acting, the generation of particles is prevented, and the substrate is further cooled to prevent the generation of particles. The cooling gas is blown out toward Increasing the cooling effect of achieving a reduction of cooling time, while suppressing the generation of particles, which exhibited an excellent effect that the throughput can be improved.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, the substrate processing apparatus in which the present invention is implemented will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the following description, a vertical substrate processing apparatus that performs oxidation, diffusion processing, CVD processing, and the like will be described as an example of the substrate processing apparatus.

  A wafer 1 made of a substrate such as silicon is stored in a substrate storage container (hereinafter referred to as a pod) 2 and carried in / out.

  A pod loading / unloading port (substrate storage container loading / unloading port) 5 is opened on the front wall 4 of the housing 3 so as to communicate with the inside and outside of the housing 3, and the pod loading / unloading port 5 has a front shutter (substrate The storage container loading / unloading opening / closing mechanism 6 is opened and closed.

  A load port (substrate storage container transfer table) 7 is installed on the front front side of the pod loading / unloading port 5, and the load port 7 is configured such that the pod 2 is placed and aligned. The pod 2 is loaded onto the load port 7 by an in-process transfer device (not shown) and unloaded from the load port 7.

  A rotary pod shelf (substrate storage container mounting shelf) 8 is installed in an upper portion of the casing 3 at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. The rotary pod shelf 8 includes a plurality of pods 2. It is configured to store. That is, the rotary pod shelf 8 is composed of a support column 9 which is set up vertically and intermittently rotates in a horizontal plane, and a plurality of shelf plates which are radially supported by the support column 9 at four positions on the upper and lower sides. (Substrate storage container mounting table) 11, and the shelf plate 11 is configured to hold the pod 2 in a state where a plurality of pods 2 are respectively mounted.

  A pod transfer device (substrate storage container transfer device) 12 is installed between the load port 7 and the rotary pod shelf 8 in the housing 3, and the pod transfer device 12 is a pod transfer device. Pod elevator (substrate storage container elevating mechanism) 13 that can be moved up and down while holding 2 and a pod transfer mechanism (substrate storage container transfer mechanism) 14 as a transfer mechanism, and the pod transfer device 12 is the pod elevator. 13 and the pod transport mechanism 14 are configured to transport the pod 2 between the load port 7, the rotary pod shelf 8, and the pod opener (substrate container lid opening / closing mechanism) 15. Has been.

  A sub-housing 16 is provided over the rear end of the lower portion of the housing 3 at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. A pair of wafer loading / unloading ports (substrate loading / unloading ports) 18 for loading / unloading the wafer 1 into / from the sub-casing 16 are provided on the front wall 17 of the sub-casing 16 in two vertical stages. The pod openers 15 and 15 are installed in the upper and lower wafer loading / unloading exits 18 and 18, respectively.

  The pod opener 15 includes a mounting table 19 on which the pod 2 is placed, and a cap attaching / detaching mechanism (lid attaching / detaching mechanism) 21 for attaching / detaching a cap (lid) to the pod 2. The pod opener 15 is configured to open and close the wafer inlet / outlet of the pod 2 by attaching / detaching the cap of the pod 2 placed on the mounting table 19 by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 21.

  The sub housing 16 constitutes a transfer chamber 22 that is fluidly isolated from the installation space of the pod transfer device 12 and the rotary pod shelf 8. A wafer transfer mechanism (substrate transfer mechanism) 23 is installed in the front region of the transfer chamber 22.

  The wafer transfer mechanism 23 includes a wafer transfer device (substrate transfer device) 24 capable of rotating and linearly moving the wafer 1 in the horizontal direction, and a wafer transfer device elevator (substrate) for raising and lowering the wafer transfer device 24. Transfer device lifting mechanism) 25.

  The wafer transfer device 24 includes a tweezer (substrate holder) 26, the wafer 1 is placed on the tweezer 26, and the wafer transfer device elevator 25 and the wafer transfer device 24 cooperate to support the substrate. The wafer 1 is loaded (charging) and unloaded (discharged) from the boat 27 which is a holder.

  A clean unit 28 is installed at the right end of the transfer chamber 22 opposite to the wafer transfer apparatus elevator 25 side. The clean unit 28 is composed of a supply fan and a dustproof filter, and has a cleaned atmosphere. Alternatively, clean air 29, which is an inert gas, is supplied.

  Between the wafer transfer device 24 and the clean unit 28, a notch alignment device 31 is installed as a substrate alignment device for aligning the circumferential position of the wafer 1.

  The clean air 29 blown out from the clean unit 28 is circulated through the notch aligning device 31 and the wafer transfer device 24 and then sucked in by a duct (not shown) to be exhausted outside the housing 3. Alternatively, it is circulated to the primary side (supply side) that is the suction side of the clean unit 28, and is again blown into the transfer chamber 22 by the clean unit 28.

  In the rear region of the transfer chamber 22, a casing (hereinafter referred to as a pressure-resistant casing) 32 having a confidential performance capable of maintaining a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure (hereinafter referred to as negative pressure) is installed. A load lock chamber 33 which is a load lock type standby chamber having a capacity capable of accommodating the boat 27 is formed by the pressure-resistant housing 32.

  A wafer loading / unloading opening (substrate loading / unloading opening) 35 is formed in the front wall 34 of the pressure-resistant housing 32, and the wafer loading / unloading opening 35 is opened and closed by a gate valve (substrate loading / unloading opening / closing mechanism) 36. It is like.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an exhaust pipe 38 for exhausting the load lock chamber 33 to a negative pressure is connected to the side wall of the pressure-resistant casing 32, and the load lock chamber 33 is not connected to the exhaust pipe 38. A gas supply pipe 37 for supplying an active gas, for example, nitrogen gas, communicates therewith.

  The load lock chamber 33 is provided with a first gas supply nozzle 51 and a second gas supply nozzle 52. The gas supply pipe 37 is branched into a first branch pipe 53 and a second branch pipe 54, a first branch pipe 53 is connected to the first gas supply nozzle 51, and a second branch pipe 54 is connected to a second branch pipe 54. A gas supply nozzle 52 is connected.

  The first gas supply nozzle 51 ejects an inert gas through a porous filter, and the ejected gas has no directionality and diffuses in all directions. Further, it is preferable that the position of the first gas supply nozzle 51 is such that the gas to be ejected does not directly touch the boat 27 and the wafer 1 held on the boat 27. The first gas supply nozzle 51 may be configured to eject gas radially.

  The second gas supply nozzle 52 has a vertically extending nozzle tube, and the nozzle tube is formed with a spout at a required pitch, and the center of the spout is directed to the boat 27 in the lowered state. The gas to be ejected is ejected toward the boat 27 in the horizontal direction.

  The first branch pipe 53 is provided with a first flow rate control valve 55, the second branch pipe 54 is provided with a second flow rate control valve 56, and the first flow rate control valve 55 and the second flow rate control valve are provided. A gas flow rate control unit 57 is electrically connected to 56, and the gas flow rate control unit 57 controls opening / closing and flow rate adjustment of the first flow rate control valve 55 and the second flow rate control valve 56. Yes.

  The first gas supply nozzle 51, the first flow rate control valve 55, etc. constitute first gas ejection means, and the second gas nozzle 52, the second flow rate control valve 56, etc. constitute second gas ejection means.

  A processing furnace 41 is provided above the load lock chamber 33. The lower end of the processing furnace 41 is configured to be opened and closed airtight by a furnace port gate valve (furnace port opening / closing mechanism) 42. A furnace port gate valve cover 43 that accommodates the furnace port gate valve 42 when the furnace port of the processing furnace 41 is opened is attached to the upper end portion of the front wall 34.

  A boat elevator (substrate holder lifting mechanism) 44 for raising and lowering the boat 27 is installed in the pressure-resistant housing 32. A seal cap 46 as a lid is horizontally installed on the arm 45 connected to the boat elevator 44, and the seal cap 46 supports the boat 27 vertically and closes the lower end of the processing furnace 41. It is configured as possible.

  The boat 27 is provided with a plurality of support columns 47, and a holding groove into which the wafer 1 is loaded is formed in the support column 47, and the wafer 1 is held in a state of being inserted into the holding groove. The boat 27 holds a required number (for example, about 50 to 125) of wafers 1 in a horizontal multi-stage with the centers thereof aligned in the vertical direction.

  Next, the processing furnace 41 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The processing furnace 41 includes a heater 61 and a reaction tube 63 as a heating mechanism. The heater 61 has a cylindrical shape, and is erected on a heater base 62 as a holding plate (in FIG. 4, the ceiling portion of the pressure-resistant casing 32 is shown to also serve as the heater base 62).

  Inside the heater 61, the reaction tube 63 is disposed concentrically with the heater 61. The reaction tube 63 includes an internal reaction tube 64 and an external reaction tube 65 provided outside the internal reaction tube 64. It is composed of

  The internal reaction tube 64 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. The internal reaction tube 64 defines a cylindrical processing chamber 66, and the boat 27 is accommodated in the processing chamber 66. The external reaction tube 65 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, has a cylindrical shape, and is provided concentrically with the internal reaction tube 64.

  A manifold 67 is disposed below the processing chamber 66 concentrically with the external reaction tube 65. The manifold 67 is made of, for example, stainless steel and has a cylindrical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. The manifold 67 is provided so as to support the internal reaction tube 64 and the external reaction tube 65, and the manifold 67 and the external reaction tube 65 are airtightly joined via a seal member. A reaction vessel is formed by the reaction tube 63 and the manifold 67.

  A nozzle 68 as a gas introduction part is connected to the seal cap 46 so as to communicate with the processing chamber 66, and a gas supply pipe 69 is connected to the nozzle 68. A processing gas supply source and an inert gas supply source (not shown) are connected to the upstream side of the nozzle 68 of the gas supply pipe 69 via a gas flow rate controller 71. The gas flow rate controller 71 is electrically connected to the gas flow rate controller 71, and the gas flow rate control unit 57 is configured to supply the gas at a desired timing so that the flow rate of the supplied gas becomes a desired amount. The flow rate controller 71 is controlled.

  The manifold 67 is provided with an exhaust pipe 72 that exhausts the atmosphere of the processing chamber 66. The exhaust pipe 72 communicates with a lower end portion of a cylindrical space 73 formed by a gap between the internal reaction pipe 64 and the external reaction pipe 65. A vacuum exhaust device 76 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the exhaust pipe 72 via a pressure sensor 74 and a pressure adjusting device 75 toward the downstream side.

  A pressure control unit 77 is electrically connected to the pressure adjustment device 75 and the pressure sensor 74, and the pressure control unit 77 is controlled by the pressure adjustment device 75 based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 74. The vacuum exhaust device 76 is controlled at a desired timing so that the pressure in the processing chamber 66 becomes a desired pressure (degree of vacuum).

  The lower end opening of the manifold 67 constitutes a furnace opening, and the furnace opening is opened and closed by the seal cap 46. The seal cap 46 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disk shape. The seal cap 46 can be airtightly joined to the lower end of the manifold 67. A rotation mechanism 78 that rotates the boat 27 is installed below the seal cap 46. A rotating shaft 79 of the rotating mechanism 78 passes through the seal cap 46 in an airtight manner and is connected to a boat mounting table 81, and the boat 27 is mounted on the boat mounting table 81. The wafer 1 is rotated by rotating the boat mounting table 81 and the boat 27 by the rotating mechanism 78.

  The seal cap 46 is connected to the boat elevator 44 as described above, and is configured to be lifted and lowered in the vertical direction by the boat elevator 44, and the boat 27 is carried into and out of the processing chamber 66 by lifting and lowering. It is possible.

  A drive control unit 82 is electrically connected to the rotation mechanism 78 and the boat elevator 44, and is configured to control at a desired timing so as to perform a desired operation.

  The boat 27 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, and a heat insulating plate 83 serving as a disk-shaped heat insulating member made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide is in a horizontal position at the lower portion. The heaters 61 are arranged in multiple stages so that the heat from the heater 61 is hardly transmitted to the manifold 67 side.

  A temperature sensor 84 is installed in the reaction tube 63. A temperature control unit 85 is electrically connected to the heater 61 and the temperature sensor 84, and the processing is performed by adjusting the power supply to the heater 61 based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 84. Control is performed at a desired timing so that the temperature of the chamber 66 has a desired temperature distribution.

  The gas flow rate control unit 57, the pressure control unit 77, the drive control unit 82, and the temperature control unit 85 also constitute an operation unit and an input / output unit, and are electrically connected to a main control unit 86 that controls the entire substrate processing apparatus. Connected. The gas flow rate control unit 57, the pressure control unit 77, the drive control unit 82, the temperature control unit 85, and the main control unit 86 are configured as a controller 87.

  Next, the operation of the processing apparatus of the present invention will be described.

  When the pod 2 is supplied to the load port 7, the pod loading / unloading port 5 is opened by the front shutter 6, and the pod 2 on the load port 7 is attached to the housing 3 by the pod transfer device 12. It is carried into the inside from the pod carry-in / out port 5.

  The loaded pod 2 is automatically transported and delivered by the pod transport device 12 to the designated shelf 11 of the rotary pod shelf 8 and temporarily stored. The pod opener 15 is transferred to the mounting table 19 or directly transferred to the pod opener 15 and transferred to the mounting table 19. At this time, the wafer loading / unloading port 18 of the pod opener 15 is closed by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 21, and clean air 29 is circulated and filled in the transfer chamber 22. For example, the transfer chamber 22 is filled with nitrogen gas as clean air 29 so that the oxygen concentration is set to 20 ppm or less, which is much lower than the oxygen concentration inside the housing 3 (atmosphere).

  The opening side end surface of the pod 2 placed on the mounting table 19 is pressed against the opening edge of the wafer loading / unloading port 18, and the cap is removed by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 21. The slot is opened. Further, when the wafer loading / unloading opening 35 of the load lock chamber 33 whose interior has been previously set to atmospheric pressure is opened by the operation of the gate valve 36, the wafer transfer device 24 causes the tweezer 26 to be connected to the pod 2. The wafer 1 is picked up and transferred to the notch aligning device 31. After the wafers 1 are aligned by the notch alignment device 31, the wafers are transferred into the load lock chamber 33 by the wafer transfer mechanism 23 and transferred to the boat 27. The wafer transfer device 24 that has transferred the wafer 1 to the boat 27 returns to the pod 2 and loads the next wafer 2 into the boat 27.

  During the transfer operation of the wafer 1 by the wafer transfer device 23, another pod 2 is transferred from the rotary pod shelf 8 or the load port 7 to the other pod opener 15 by the pod transfer device 12. For example, the wafer transfer mechanism 23 transfers the predetermined number of wafers continuously without pausing.

  When a predetermined number of wafers 1 are loaded into the boat 27, the wafer loading / unloading opening 35 is closed by the gate valve 36, and the load lock chamber 33 is evacuated from the exhaust pipe 38. The pressure is reduced.

  When the load lock chamber 33 is depressurized to the same pressure as that in the processing furnace 41, the furnace port portion of the processing furnace 41 is opened by the furnace port gate valve 42, and the furnace port gate valve 42 is It is accommodated in the mouth gate valve cover 43.

  Subsequently, the seal cap 46 is raised by the boat elevator 44 and the boat 27 is loaded into the processing furnace 41.

  After loading, the wafer 1 is subjected to the required processing in the processing furnace 41 as follows.

  The processing chamber 66 is evacuated by the evacuation device 76 so as to have a desired pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 66 is measured by the pressure sensor 74, and the pressure adjusting device 75 is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure. Further, the processing chamber 66 is heated by the heater 61 so as to reach a desired temperature. At this time, the power supply to the heater 61 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 84 so that the processing chamber 66 has a desired temperature distribution. Subsequently, the wafer 1 is rotated by rotating the boat 27 by the rotating mechanism 78. The in-plane uniformity of the wafer 1 is improved by rotating the wafer 1 during processing.

  Next, the gas supplied from the processing gas supply source and controlled to have a desired flow rate by the gas flow rate controller 71 flows through the gas supply pipe 69 and is introduced from the nozzle 68 into the processing chamber 66. Is done. The introduced gas rises in the processing chamber 66, flows out from the upper end opening of the internal reaction tube 64 into the cylindrical space 73, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 72. When the gas passes through the processing chamber 66, it comes into contact with the surface of the wafer 1, and at this time, a thin film is deposited on the surface of the wafer 1 by a thermal CVD reaction.

  When a preset processing time elapses, an inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source, the processing chamber 66 is replaced with an inert gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 66 is returned to normal pressure. .

  Thereafter, the seal cap 46 is lowered by the boat elevator 44, the lower end of the manifold 67 is opened, and the processed wafer 1 is held by the boat 27, and the reaction tube is opened from the lower end of the manifold 67. It is carried out (boat unloading) outside 63 and stored in the load lock chamber 33. The furnace port portion is closed by the furnace port gate valve 42.

  As an example, as processing conditions when processing a wafer in the processing furnace of the present embodiment, for example, in the formation of a D-Poly-Si film, the processing temperature is 530 ° C. to 600 ° C. Examples are pressure 90 Pa to 300 Pa, gas type, gas supply flow rate silane gas SiH 4, 2000 sccm, phosphine gas PH 3, 10,000 sccm, and the wafer is processed by keeping each processing condition constant at a certain value within each range. The

  In the load lock chamber 33, nitrogen gas is supplied to the load lock chamber 33 from the gas supply pipe 37 and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 38, whereby the wafer 1 is cooled.

  Immediately after the substrate processing is completed, the wafer 1 is at a high temperature, and warpage due to thermal deformation also occurs in the state where it is accommodated in the load lock chamber 33. The cooling rate of the wafer 1 is proportional to the temperature difference between the temperature of the wafer 1 and the ambient temperature. Further, when the wafer 1 is at a high temperature, there is cooling by radiant heat. Therefore, at the initial stage of cooling, the second flow rate control valve 56 is closed, the first flow rate control valve 55 is opened, and the inert gas is supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 51.

  The gas ejected from the first gas supply nozzle 51 diffuses without directivity and spreads over the entire area of the load lock chamber 33, and is further exhausted from the exhaust pipe 38, so that the temperature in the load lock chamber 33 is increased. Suppresses the rise. By suppressing the increase in the ambient temperature of the wafer 1, the cooling effect of the wafer 1 is enhanced as a result.

  In addition, since rapid cooling of the wafer 1 is suppressed and the wind pressure of the cooling gas is not applied to the wafer 1, there is no change in warping of the wafer 1, movement of the wafer 1 with respect to the boat 27, and generation of particles is prevented.

  Next, when the wafer 1 is cooled to a required temperature, the first flow rate control valve 55 is closed, the second flow rate control valve 56 is opened, and the second gas supply nozzle 52 moves the cooling gas toward the boat 27. (See FIG. 5). Alternatively, the first flow rate control valve 55 may be left open, and the cooling gas may be ejected from both the second gas supply nozzle 52 and the first gas supply nozzle 51.

  In the state where the wafer 1 is cooled, the heat radiation to the surroundings is reduced and the cooling rate is lowered. Further, the warpage of the wafer 1 is eliminated or decreased. The cooling gas directly contacts the wafer 1 and flows, whereby the wafer 1 is forcibly cooled, and the cooling rate is increased by the forced cooling. Further, the movement of the wafer 1 due to the wind pressure is avoided, and the generation of the party is also prevented.

  The flow rate of the cooling gas ejected from the first gas supply nozzle 51 and the flow rate of the cooling gas ejected from the second gas supply nozzle 52 are controlled by the gas flow rate control unit 57, and the cooling flow to be ejected. The exhaust flow rate from the exhaust pipe 38 is also adjusted according to the gas flow rate.

  The switching timing from the first gas supply nozzle 51 to the second gas supply nozzle 52 is switched when a switching time is set in advance and the set time has elapsed. The set time is set on the basis of the acquired data of the cooling state of the processed wafer 1 in advance.

  Alternatively, a temperature detector is provided in the load lock chamber 33, and when the temperature of the load lock chamber 33 drops to a predetermined temperature based on the result of the temperature detector, the second gas is supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 51. Switching to the supply nozzle 52 is performed. The switching temperature is preferably switched at a temperature of 200 ° C. to 300 ° C. As a result, the throughput can be improved while minimizing the warpage of the wafer.

  When the wafer 1 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, the inside of the load lock chamber 32 is restored to atmospheric pressure, and the gate valve 36 is opened. After that, the wafer 1 and the pod 2 are discharged to the outside of the housing 3 in the reverse procedure to the above except for the wafer alignment process in the notch alignment device 31.

  In the above embodiment, the standby chamber is configured by the pressure-resistant casing 32. However, when the reaction chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure after the treatment, if the processing pressure is atmospheric pressure, the standby chamber is simply airtight. If you do.

(Appendix)
The present invention includes the following embodiments.

  (Appendix 1) A processing chamber for storing and processing a substrate, a standby chamber connected to the processing chamber, a first gas ejection means provided in the standby chamber for diffusing and ejecting a cooling gas, and the standby A second gas jetting unit that is provided in the chamber and jets a cooling gas toward the substrate; and when the substrate is unloaded from the processing chamber to the standby chamber, the cooling gas is jetted from the first gas jetting unit, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: the first gas ejection unit and a control unit that controls the second gas ejection unit so that the cooling gas is ejected by the second gas ejection unit after a lapse of time.

  (Supplementary note 2) A processing chamber for processing a substrate, a standby chamber connected to the processing chamber, a gas ejection means provided in the standby chamber for ejecting a cooling gas toward a portion other than the substrate, and provided in the standby chamber And a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a substrate processing apparatus comprising a gas supply means for ejecting a cooling gas toward the substrate, the step of processing the substrate in the processing chamber; A step of continuously ejecting a cooling gas from the gas ejection means for a predetermined time when the substrate is carried out to the standby chamber, and then ejecting the cooling gas from the gas supply means toward the substrate. Device manufacturing method.

  (Supplementary Note 3) A processing chamber for processing a substrate, a standby chamber connected to the processing chamber, a gas ejection means provided in the standby chamber for injecting a cooling gas toward other than the substrate, and provided in the standby chamber And a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a substrate processing apparatus comprising a gas supply means for ejecting a cooling gas toward the substrate, the step of processing the substrate in the processing chamber; When the substrate is carried out to the standby chamber, the cooling gas is continuously ejected from the gas ejecting means for ejecting the cooling gas toward the outside of the substrate for a predetermined time, and then the cooling gas is ejected from the gas supply means toward the substrate. And a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device.

  (Supplementary note 4) The substrate processing apparatus of Supplementary note 1, wherein the first gas ejection means ejects gas through a filter so as to supply cooling gas radially.

  (Supplementary Note 5) The second gas ejection means is erected so as to face a substrate holder that holds a plurality of substrates, and has a plurality of ejection ports in the longitudinal direction so as to supply gas from a plurality of locations toward the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus of appendix 1 which is a nozzle.

1 is a side sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a plane sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus. It is a sectional elevation view of a processing furnace used in the substrate processing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wafer 2 Pod 8 Rotating pod shelf 12 Pod transfer device 15 Pod opener 16 Sub-casing 19 Mounting table 23 Wafer transfer mechanism 27 Boat 32 Pressure-resistant housing 33 Load lock chamber 37 Gas supply pipe 38 Exhaust pipe 41 Processing furnace 44 Boat Elevator 51 First gas supply nozzle 52 Second gas supply nozzle 53 First branch pipe 54 Second branch pipe 55 First flow control valve 56 Second flow control valve 57 Gas flow control section 61 Heater 63 Reaction pipe

Claims (1)

  A processing chamber for storing and processing the substrate, a standby chamber connected to the processing chamber, a first gas ejection means provided in the standby chamber for diffusing and ejecting a cooling gas, and the standby chamber. A second gas jetting means for jetting a cooling gas toward the substrate; and when the substrate is carried from the processing chamber to the standby chamber, the cooling gas is jetted from the first gas jetting means, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: the first gas ejection unit and a control unit that controls the second gas ejection unit so that the cooling gas is ejected by the second gas ejection unit.

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