CN113808971B - Purge method of substrate processing equipment and gas supply piping - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a purging method of a gas supply piping that can suppress corrosion in a supply piping and more safely open a processing chamber to the atmosphere. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a gas supply pipe, a processing gas pipe, a purge gas pipe, and an interlocking opening. The processing chamber is a processing chamber capable of processing a substrate with a corrosive processing gas inside. The gas supply pipe is connected to the processing chamber and communicates with the inside of the processing chamber. The processing gas pipe is connected to the gas supply pipe via the first valve, and the processing gas is introduced into the gas supply pipe. The purge gas piping is connected to the gas supply piping on the processing chamber side of the first valve via the second valve, and the purge gas is introduced into the gas supply piping. The interlocking opening part opens the second valve in conjunction with the introduction of air into the processing chamber while the first valve is closed.

Description

Purge method of substrate processing equipment and gas supply piping

Technical field

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a purging method of a gas supply pipe.

Background technique

In a substrate processing apparatus, in order to perform processing related to element formation, corrosive processing gas is often supplied to the processing chamber through a supply pipe. During regular maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus, the cover of the processing chamber is opened to expose the inside of the processing chamber to the atmosphere. At this time, the atmosphere also enters the supply pipe communicating with the processing chamber, and the processing gas remaining in the supply pipe reacts with moisture in the atmosphere to generate corrosive substances such as HCl. This corrosive substance corrodes the inside of the supply pipe and causes particles to form. In order to suppress corrosion in the supply piping, a technique has been proposed in which a purge gas is allowed to flow before the cover of the processing chamber is opened and the atmosphere is released.

existing technical documents

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-092310

Contents of the invention

The technical problem to be solved by the invention

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a purging method of a gas supply piping that can suppress corrosion in a supply piping and more safely open a processing chamber to the atmosphere.

Technical solutions for solving technical problems

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a processing chamber, a gas supply pipe, a processing gas pipe, a purge gas pipe, and an interlocking opening portion. The processing chamber is a processing chamber capable of processing a substrate with a corrosive processing gas inside. The gas supply pipe is connected to the processing chamber and communicates with the inside of the processing chamber. The processing gas pipe is connected to the gas supply pipe via the first valve, and the processing gas is introduced into the gas supply pipe. The purge gas piping is connected to the gas supply piping on the processing chamber side of the first valve via the second valve, and the purge gas is introduced into the gas supply piping. The interlocking opening part opens the second valve in conjunction with the introduction of air into the processing chamber while the first valve is closed.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, corrosion in the supply piping can be suppressed, and the processing chamber can be opened to the atmosphere more safely.

Description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the purge jig in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the purge flow rate for each shower plate.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of purge processing.

Explanation of reference signs

1 Substrate processing device

10 Main body

20 Control devices

30 processing chamber

31 cover

31a partition wall

32 subject

32a Processing Room

33 Spray plate

34 Gas supply piping

35 first valve

36 Process gas piping

40 Process gas supply department

41 Second valve

42 Purge gas piping

43 flange

44 Purge fixture

45 mechanical valve

49 Drive piping

50 Purge gas supply piping

51 Purge gas supply section

60 antenna

61, 71 Matcher

62, 72 high frequency power supply

70 loading platform

G substrate.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosed substrate processing apparatus and gas supply pipe purging method will be described in detail based on the drawings. In addition, the disclosed technology is not limited by the following embodiments.

During the maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus, in order to suppress corrosion in the supply piping, when the purge gas is supplied into the supply piping before the cover of the processing chamber is opened and the atmosphere is released, there is a possibility that the pressure in the processing chamber becomes positive and the processing chamber The cover is opened and the purge gas inside is suddenly ejected, which is not safe in terms of safety. On the other hand, if the purge gas is supplied to the supply piping after the lid of the processing chamber is opened, atmospheric air may enter the supply piping, causing corrosion in the supply piping. Therefore, there is a demand for a technology that can suppress corrosion in the supply piping and more safely open the processing chamber to the atmosphere.

[Structure of substrate processing apparatus 1]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 in this embodiment is, for example, a plasma processing apparatus that generates inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and uses the generated plasma to perform plasma such as etching, ashing, and film formation on the rectangular substrate G. deal with. In this embodiment, the substrate G is, for example, a glass substrate for FPD (Flat Panel Display).

The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a main body 10 and a control device 20 . The main body 10 has, for example, a prism-shaped airtight processing chamber 30 made of a conductive material such as aluminum, the inner wall surface of which is anodized. Processing chamber 30 is grounded. In the processing chamber 30 , an upper cover 31 and a lower main body 32 are divided by a partition wall 31 a having a plurality of shower plates 33 . The partition wall 31a has a dielectric window or a metal window. The space surrounded by the partition wall 31a and the main body 32 becomes a processing chamber 32a. The cover 31 and the main body 32 are normally sealed, but can be separated on the A-A plane. During maintenance, the cover 31 is moved laterally, for example upward, and separated, thereby opening the main body 32 (processing chamber 32a) to the atmosphere.

Each shower plate 33 is connected to a gas supply pipe 34 respectively. Each gas supply pipe 34 is a pipe for introducing gas supplied from the outside of the processing chamber 30 to each shower plate 33 . The gas supplied to the shower plate 33 from the gas supply pipe 34 is diffused in a diffusion chamber (not shown) in the shower plate 33 and is supplied to the processing chamber 32a from the gas release hole 33a.

The gas supply pipe 34 is connected to the process gas pipe 36 via the first valve 35 . That is, the gas supply pipe 34 communicates from the outside of the processing chamber 30 to the shower plate 33 inside the processing chamber 30 . The processing gas piping 36 is connected to the processing gas supply unit 40 via an FRC (Flow Ratio Control) 37 , a cover side valve 38 , and a main body side valve 39 . The FRC 37 distributes the flow rate determined by a flow controller such as a MFC (Mass Flow Controller) in the process gas supply unit 40 into a predetermined ratio. That is, although not shown in the figure, there is, for example, one processing gas pipe 36 before reaching the cover side valve 38 , and it branches into a plurality of processing gas pipes 36 from the cover side valve 38 to the FRC 37 . Each branched processing gas pipe 36 is provided with an FRC 37 and a first valve 35 , and a gas supply pipe 34 is connected to each first valve 35 . Each gas supply pipe 34 is connected to the shower plate 33 located in a different area of the partition wall 31a. By adjusting the gas distribution of each FRC 37, the supply distribution of the processing gas can be controlled. The cover side valve 38 and the main body side valve 39 are valves for dividing the process gas pipe 36 into the cover 31 side and the main body 32 side by closing the cover 31 when the cover 31 is open.

The processing gas supply unit 40 includes a gas supply source, a flow controller such as an MFC, and a valve. The flow controller controls the flow rate of the processing gas supplied from the gas supply source while the valve is open, and supplies the processing gas with the controlled flow rate to the processing gas pipe 36 . The processing gas is, for example, a chlorine-based gas (corrosive gas) such as O ₂ gas, Cl ₂ gas, BCl ₃ gas, or a mixed gas thereof. In addition, the processing gas supply unit 40 similarly supplies inert gas such as N ₂ gas to the processing gas pipe 36 .

Each gas supply pipe 34 on the shower plate 33 side of each first valve 35 is connected to each purge gas pipe 42 via a second valve 41 . Each purge gas pipe 42 is connected to the purge jig 44 via a flange 43 . The second valve 41 switches the supply/stop of the purge gas supplied from the purge gas pipe 42 to the gas supply pipe 34 . In addition, the second valve 41 is an air-driven valve and is connected to the drive pipe 49 via the mechanical valve 45 . The driving pipe 49 is connected to the purge jig 44 . The flange 43 is used to connect each purge gas pipe 42 in a separable manner. Each purge gas pipe 42 can be divided into the processing chamber 30 side and the purge jig 44 side by the flange 43 . That is, the flange 43 is a maintenance gas port that is connected to the purge jig 44 and supplies purge gas during maintenance.

The mechanical valve 45 is a valve whose opening and closing can be controlled by mechanical operation. The mechanical valve 45 has a valve part 46 and a detection part 47. The valve unit 46 controls the opening and closing of the second valve 41 by switching the supply/stop of the purge gas introduced from the driving pipe 49 . The detection unit 47 is a switch that controls opening and closing of the valve unit 46 and is provided on the cover 31 side. A block portion 48 for pressing down the detection portion 47 is provided at a position opposite to the detection portion 47 on the main body 32 side. When the cover 31 is closed, the detection part 47 is in contact with the block part 48 and is pressed down, and the valve part 46 is closed. On the other hand, when the cover 31 is opened (the cover 31 is detached from the main body 32), the detection part 47 is separated from the block part 48 and is not pressed down, and the valve part 46 is opened. In addition, although the valve part 46 and the detection part 47 are illustrated as being spaced apart in FIG. 1 , the valve part 46 and the detection part 47 are integrated, and the valve part 46 and the detection part 47 are mechanically connected. . In addition, the drive pipe 49 and the mechanical valve 45 are detachably connected.

The purge jig 44 is connected to the purge gas supply part 51 via the purge gas supply pipe 50 . The purge gas supply unit 51 includes a gas supply source, a flow controller such as an MFC, and a valve. The flow controller controls the flow rate of the purge gas supplied from the gas supply source while the valve is open, and supplies the purge gas with the controlled flow rate to the purge gas supply pipe 50 . For example, dry air can be used as the purge gas. In addition, in order to clean the inside of the processing chamber 30, the purge jig 44 may also be provided to be able to supply water vapor.

Here, the purge jig 44 will be described using FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the purge jig in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2 , the purge jig 44 has a manual valve 52 , a regulator 53 , a plurality of flow meters 55 , a plurality of needle valves 56 and a plurality of filters 57 in order from the purge gas supply pipe 50 side. The flange 43 on the outside of the sweep jig 50 is connected to each purge gas pipe 42 . Moreover, the piping 49a is branched from the piping connected between the manual valve 52 and the regulator 53, and is connected to the driving piping 49 outside the purge jig 44. In addition, the purge jig 44 is installed when the cover 31 is opened for maintenance, and connects the purge gas pipes 42 on the processing chamber 30 side and the purge gas pipes 42 on the purge jig 44 side via the flange 43 . In addition, during maintenance, the drive pipe 49 is also connected to the mechanical valve 45 . In addition, even under normal conditions, the purge jig 44 may be provided as a part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 .

The manual valve 52 is a valve that manually opens and closes the purge gas supplied from the purge gas supply unit 51 via the purge gas supply pipe 50 . After the purge jig 44 is installed and the connection between each purge gas pipe 42 and the driving pipe 49 is confirmed, the operator opens the manual valve 52 . The regulator 53 adjusts the pressure of the purge gas supplied to each purge gas pipe 42 . Pressure gauge 54 measures the pressure in regulator 53 . The piping 42a on the output side of the regulator 53 is branched and connected to a plurality of flow meters 55 respectively. Each flow meter 55 measures the flow rate of the purge gas output to each purge gas pipe 42 . The needle valve 56 adjusts the flow rate of each purge gas pipe 42 . The filter 57 is a filter for removing particles and the like in the purge gas.

Here, an example of the flow rate of the purge gas for each shower plate 33 will be described using FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the purge flow rate for each shower plate 33 . The gas supply pipe 34a shown in FIG. 3 is one of the plurality of gas supply pipes 34 extracted. The gas supply pipe 34a further branches into a plurality of gas supply pipes 34b connected to each shower plate 33. In the example of FIG. 3 , when a purge gas of, for example, 52 L/min is supplied to the gas supply pipe 34 a , the purge gas is evenly distributed to each gas supply pipe 34 b. Each gas supply pipe 34b supplies a purge gas of 6.5 L/min to each shower plate 33. When dry air is used as the purge gas, if each shower plate 33 can be purged with dry air at a rate of 5 L/min or more, the intrusion of atmospheric air into the gas supply pipe 34 can be suppressed. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3 , corrosion in the gas supply pipes 34 , 34 a , and 34 b and in the shower plate 33 can be suppressed.

Return to the description of Figure 1. An antenna 60 is provided inside the cover 31 . The antenna 60 is made of a highly conductive metal such as copper and has an arbitrary shape such as a ring shape or a spiral shape. The antenna 60 is spaced apart from the partition wall 31a by a spacer (not shown).

The antenna 60 is connected to the high-frequency power supply 62 via the matching device 61 . The high-frequency power supply 62 supplies high-frequency power with a frequency of, for example, 13.56 MHz to the antenna 60 via the matching device 61 . Thereby, an induced electric field is formed in the processing chamber 32a located below the antenna 60. The processing gas supplied from the shower plate 33 is converted into plasma by the induced electric field formed in the processing chamber 32a, and inductively coupled plasma is generated in the processing chamber 32a. The high-frequency power supply 62 and the antenna 60 are examples of plasma generating means.

A mounting base 70 on which the substrate G is mounted is arranged at the bottom of the main body 32 . The mounting table 70 is formed in a square plate shape or a square column shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate G. An electrostatic chuck (not shown) for holding the substrate G is formed on the upper surface of the mounting table 70 on which the substrate G is placed. The substrate G is fixed to the mounting table 70 during the plasma process. .

The mounting table 70 is connected to the matching device 71 and the high-frequency power supply 72 . The high-frequency power supply 72 supplies high-frequency power for biasing to the mounting table 70 via the matching device 71 . The high-frequency power supply 72 is an example of a bias power supply mechanism. By supplying bias high-frequency power to the mounting table 70 via the matching device 71 , ions are attracted to the substrate G placed on the mounting table 70 . The frequency of the high-frequency power supplied from the high-frequency power supply 72 to the mounting table 70 is, for example, a frequency in the range of 50 kHz to 10 MHz, for example, 6 MHz. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the mounting table 70 is provided with piping for supplying heat transfer gas, a temperature adjustment mechanism, a lift pin, and the like.

An opening and a shutter (not shown) for loading and unloading the substrate G are provided on the side surface of the main body 32 . In addition, a plurality of exhaust ports 73 are formed on the outer peripheral side of the bottom of the main body 32 . Each exhaust port 73 is connected to a vacuum pump 76 via an exhaust pipe 74 and an APC (AutoPressure Controller) valve 75 . The vacuum pump 76 evacuates the inside of the processing chamber 32a and adjusts the opening of the APC valve 75 to maintain the pressure in the processing chamber 32a at a predetermined pressure.

The control device 20 has a memory, a processor and an input/output interface. The processor in the control device 20 controls each part of the main body 10 via the input/output interface of the control device 20 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory in the control device 20 .

[Purge method for gas supply piping]

Next, the purging method of the gas supply pipe in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of purge processing. In FIG. 4 , a purge jig 44 is provided on the upper part of the cover 31 , the purge gas pipes 42 and the drive pipe 49 are connected to the processing chamber 30 side, and the purge gas supply pipe 50 is connected to the purge gas pipe 42 . The description of the state of the air supply unit 51 will begin.

The control device 20 supplies N ₂ gas from the processing gas supply unit 40 to the gas supply pipe 34 (step S1). The N ₂ gas is introduced into the gas supply pipe 34 via the process gas pipe 36 and the first valve 35 . Next, the control device 20 closes the first valve 35 (step S2) and stops the supply of N ₂ gas. That is, the N ₂ gas is sealed in the process gas pipe 36 . Furthermore, the control device 20 closes the cover side valve 38 and the main body side valve 39 . After that, the operator cuts off the power supply of the substrate processing apparatus 1 . At this time, the purge jig 44 is in a state of supplying purge gas to each of the purge gas pipes 42 and the drive pipe 49 .

With the substrate processing apparatus 1 powered off, the operator detaches the cover 31 from the main body 32 and introduces air into the processing chamber 30 . That is, the processing chamber 32a is opened to the atmosphere. The mechanical valve 45 detects the detachment of the cover 31 from the main body 32 by the detection part 47, and opens the valve part 46. The second valve 41 is opened by the purge gas supplied by opening the valve portion 46 . When the second valve 41 is opened, the purge gas in each purge gas pipe 42 is supplied to the gas supply pipe 34 . That is, the purge gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 34 in conjunction with the opening of the processing chamber 30 to the atmosphere (step S3).

Since the purge gas supplied to the gas supply pipe 34 is continuously released from the gas release hole 33 a of the shower plate 33 , the intrusion of the atmosphere into the gas supply pipe 34 can be prevented, and corrosion in the gas supply pipe 34 can be suppressed. In addition, since the supply of the purge gas to the gas supply pipe 34 is started without human intervention in conjunction with the opening of the processing chamber 30 to the atmosphere, the inside of the processing chamber 30 does not become a positive pressure when the atmosphere is opened. The processing chamber 30 can be opened to the atmosphere more safely.

As described above, according to each embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has the processing chamber 30, the gas supply pipe 34, the processing gas pipe 36, the purge gas pipe 42, and the interlocking opening part (mechanical valve 45). The processing chamber 30 is a processing chamber capable of processing the substrate G with a corrosive processing gas inside. The gas supply pipe 34 is connected to the processing chamber 30 and communicates with the inside of the processing chamber 30 . The processing gas pipe 36 is connected to the gas supply pipe 34 via the first valve 35 and introduces the processing gas into the gas supply pipe 34 . The purge gas pipe 42 is connected to the gas supply pipe 34 via the second valve 41 on the processing chamber 30 side of the first valve 35 and introduces the purge gas into the gas supply pipe 34 . The interlocking opening part opens the second valve 41 in conjunction with the introduction of air into the inside of the processing chamber 30 when the first valve 35 is closed. As a result, corrosion in the gas supply pipe 34 can be suppressed, and the processing chamber 30 can be opened to the atmosphere more safely.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the processing chamber 30 is hermetically constituted by the main body 32 and the lid 31 . Regarding the introduction of air, the cover 31 is detached from the main body 32 to introduce the air into the processing chamber 30 . As a result, the processing chamber 30 can be opened to the atmosphere when the cover 31 is detached from the main body 32 .

In addition, according to this embodiment, the interlocking opening portion opens the second valve 41 in response to the detachment of the cover 31 from the main body 32 . As a result, the purge gas can be supplied to the gas supply pipe 34 when the cover 31 is detached from the main body 32 .

In addition, according to this embodiment, the interlocking opening portion detects the separation of the cover 31 from the main body 32 through the mechanical valve 45 and uses the purge gas branched from the purge gas pipe 42 to the drive pipe 49 connected to the mechanical valve 45 . , causing the second valve 41 to open. As a result, the purge gas can be supplied to the gas supply pipe 34 even when the power supply of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is cut off.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the purge gas is dry air. As a result, corrosion in the gas supply pipe 34 can be suppressed. In addition, even if the purge gas is continued to be supplied when the atmosphere is open, there will be no impact on the operator.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the purging method of the gas supply pipe in the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the step of closing the first valve 35 of the processing gas pipe 36 connected to the gas supply pipe via the first valve 35 . The processing gas is introduced into the gas supply pipe 34 through the gas supply pipe 34 connected to the processing chamber 30 in which the substrate G can be processed with a corrosive processing gas; and in conjunction with the introduction of the atmosphere into the processing chamber 30 , a step of opening the second valve 41 of the purge gas pipe 42 connected to the gas supply pipe 34 via the second valve 41 on the processing chamber 30 side of the first valve 35 and introducing the purge gas into the gas supply pipe 34 . As a result, corrosion in the gas supply pipe 34 can be suppressed, and the processing chamber 30 can be opened to the atmosphere more safely.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the inductive coupling type substrate processing apparatus has been described as an example of the plasma source, but a substrate processing apparatus having other plasma sources may be used. Examples of plasma sources other than inductively coupled plasma include capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), microwave-excited surface wave plasma (SWP), electron cyclotron resonance plasma (ECP), and spiral wave-excited plasma ( HWP) etc.

It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in every respect and are not restrictive. The above-described embodiments can be omitted, replaced, or changed in various forms without departing from the scope and gist of the appended claims.

Claims (4)

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber which is hermetically formed by a main body and a lid and in which a substrate can be processed with a corrosive process gas;

a gas supply pipe connected to the process chamber and connected to the interior of the process chamber;

a process gas pipe connected to the gas supply pipe via a first valve, the process gas being introduced into the gas supply pipe;

a purge gas pipe connected to the gas supply pipe via a second valve on the process chamber side of the first valve, the purge gas pipe introducing a purge gas into the gas supply pipe; and

and a interlock opening unit configured to detect that the cover is separated from the main body in a state where the first valve is closed, and to open the second valve in association with the introduction of the atmosphere into the process chamber by the separation of the cover from the main body.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the interlocking opening section opens the second valve by a purge gas branched from the purge gas pipe to a drive pipe connected to the mechanical valve.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the purge gas is dry air.

4. A method for purging a gas supply pipe in a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a step of closing a first valve of a process gas pipe, wherein the process gas pipe is connected to a gas supply pipe connected to a process chamber capable of performing a process on a substrate with a corrosive process gas inside through the first valve, and the process gas is introduced into the gas supply pipe, and the process chamber is hermetically composed of a main body and a cover; and

and a step of opening a second valve of a purge gas pipe connected to the gas supply pipe via the second valve on the process chamber side of the first valve in conjunction with the introduction of the purge gas into the process chamber by the detachment of the cover from the main body, wherein the detachment of the cover from the main body is detected.