JP7467233B2 - Substrate Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus .

A substrate processing apparatus is known that includes a processing vessel that houses a boat on which substrates are loaded, and an injector that extends vertically along the inner wall of the processing vessel near the processing vessel and has multiple gas holes in the longitudinal direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this substrate processing apparatus, the gas holes are oriented on the inner wall near the processing vessel.

JP 2019-186335 A

This disclosure provides technology that can suppress injector tilt.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a processing vessel having an approximately cylindrical shape, an injector extending vertically along the inside of an inner wall of the processing vessel, and a holding portion that holds the injector by pressing it against the inside of the inner wall, wherein the holding portion includes a regulating portion provided at a first height position that regulates movement of the injector relative to the processing vessel, and a pressing portion provided at a second height position lower than the first height position that presses the injector in a direction in which the movement of the injector relative to the processing vessel is regulated by the regulating portion .

This disclosure makes it possible to suppress injector tilt.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of an upper portion of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view (1) showing a portion of the upper part of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the upper part of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of a lower part of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 5 . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the pressing portion; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the pressing unit in FIG. 7 .

Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In all the attached drawings, the same or corresponding members or parts are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

[Substrate Processing Apparatus]
An example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of a part of an upper portion of the substrate processing apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a part of an upper portion of the substrate processing apparatus of Fig. 1, the cross-section being above the height at which the injectors are disposed and cut along a horizontal plane passing through an inner tube. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a part of an upper portion of the substrate processing apparatus of Fig. 1, the cross-section being cut along a horizontal plane passing through an injector. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of a part of a lower portion of the substrate processing apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of an area A in Fig. 5.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing vessel 10, a gas supply unit 20, an exhaust unit 30, a heating unit 40, a holding unit 100, and a control unit 90.

The processing vessel 10 contains a boat (not shown). The boat holds a plurality of substrates at a predetermined interval in the height direction. The substrates may be, for example, semiconductor wafers. The processing vessel 10 has an inner tube 11 and an outer tube 12. The inner tube 11 is also called an inner tube, and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a ceiling and an open lower end. The ceiling of the inner tube 11 is formed, for example, flat. The outer tube 12 is also called an outer tube, and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a ceiling and an open lower end that covers the outside of the inner tube 11. In other words, the upper part of the outer tube 12 is closed. The inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12 are arranged coaxially to form a double tube structure. The inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12 are formed of a heat-resistant material such as quartz.

On one side of the inner tube 11, an injector housing 13 that houses an injector is formed along its longitudinal direction (vertical direction). As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the injector housing 13 is formed by forming a convex portion 14 by protruding a part of the side wall of the inner tube 11 outward, and the inside of the convex portion 14 is formed as the injector housing 13. A rectangular opening (not shown) is formed along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) on the side wall of the inner tube 11 opposite the injector housing 13. The opening is a gas exhaust port formed so that gas inside the inner tube 11 can be exhausted. The vertical length of the opening is the same as the vertical length of the boat, or is formed so as to extend vertically longer than the length of the boat.

A gas outlet 15 is formed in the side wall of the outer tube 12. A lid (not shown) is attached to an opening 16 at the lower end of the outer tube 12 via a sealing member such as an O-ring. The lid can open and close the opening 16, and hermetically closes and seals the opening 16.

The gas supply unit 20 has multiple gas supply sources (not shown) and multiple (e.g., seven) injectors 21 to 27.

The multiple gas supply sources supply various process gases to the multiple injectors 21-27. The various process gases include, for example, a film forming gas for forming a film, an etching gas for etching and removing the film, a cleaning gas for cleaning the inside of the process vessel 10, and a purge gas for purging the inside of the process vessel 10.

The injectors 21-27 are arranged at intervals from one another in a row along the circumferential direction in the injector housing 13 inside the inner wall of the inner tube 11. Each injector 21-27 is formed of a quartz tube with a circular cross section, and discharges various process gases supplied from multiple gas supply sources into the inner tube 11. Each injector 21-27 is arranged inside the inner wall of the inner tube 11 along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the inner tube 11. Each injector 21-27 is bent in an L-shape at the bottom and extends through the side wall of the outer tube 12 to the corresponding gas supply source. Each injector 21-27 is folded back in a U-shape at the top and then extends downward. That is, each injector 21-27 is configured as a folded-back type injector. Hereinafter, the portions of the injectors 21-27 that are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the inner tube 11 will be referred to as the introduction sections 21a-27a, and the portions that extend downward after being folded back will be referred to as the discharge sections 21b-27b. In addition, the portions that connect the introduction sections 21a-27a and the discharge sections 21b-27b will be referred to as the bent sections 21c-27c, and the portions that are arranged horizontally and pass through the outer tube 12 will be referred to as the horizontal sections 21d-27d.

Injectors 21 to 27 include injectors with different vertical lengths.

The injectors 21-23, 27 have the same vertical length for the introduction sections 21a-23a, 27a. The injectors 21-23, 27 also have the same vertical length for the discharge sections 21b-23b, 27b. The vertical length of the discharge sections 21b-23b, 27b is the same as the vertical length of the boat, or is formed to extend vertically longer than the length of the boat. The discharge sections 21b-23b, 27b have multiple gas holes at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction, and are configured to supply various process gases to all areas of the boat in the vertical direction.

The injectors 24-26 have introduction sections 24a-26a whose vertical lengths are longer in that order, and discharge sections 24b-26b are disposed at the bottom, center, and top of the processing vessel 10, respectively. Discharge sections 24b-26b have multiple gas holes at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction, and are configured to supply various processing gases to the bottom, center, and top of the processing vessel 10, respectively. Note that the vertical length of each injector 21-27 is not limited to this.

The multiple gas holes are oriented toward the inner wall side near the inner tube 11. Each of the discharge sections 21b to 27b discharges various process gases horizontally toward the inner wall side near the inner tube 11 through the respective gas holes. After being reflected by the inner wall near the inner tube 11, the various discharged process gases are supplied while diffusing horizontally toward the center side (substrate side) of the inner tube 11.

Here, referring to FIG. 4, the orientation angle of the gas hole 22h opened in the discharge portion 22b of the injector 22 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the gas hole 22h is arranged at an angle θ on the introduction portion 22a side with respect to the radial line L4 passing through the center of the inner tube 11 and the center C of the discharge portion 22b of the injector 22 in a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As a result, various processing gases discharged horizontally through the gas hole 22h are reflected by the inner wall of the inner tube 11 and then supplied while diffusing horizontally toward the center side of the inner tube 11. In addition, various processing gases discharged horizontally through the gas hole 22h are reflected by the inner wall of the inner tube 11 and then further reflected by the injector 22 itself and the adjacent injectors 21, 23, etc., and are supplied while diffusing horizontally toward the center side of the inner tube 11. The angle θ may be, for example, in the range of 0 degrees to 60 degrees. In addition, the gas hole 22h may be arranged at an angle on the opposite side of the introduction portion 22a with respect to the radial line L4 in a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In this case, the angle may be in the range of 0 degrees to 60 degrees, for example. The gas holes in the discharge portions 21b, 23b to 26b of the injectors 21, 23 to 26 may also have the same orientation angle as the gas hole 22h.

The exhaust section 30 has an exhaust passage 31, a pressure adjustment valve 32, and a vacuum pump 33. The exhaust passage 31 is connected to the gas outlet 15. The pressure adjustment valve 32 and the vacuum pump 33 are interposed in the exhaust passage 31, and exhaust the gas in the inner tube 11 that is discharged from the opening through the space between the inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12.

The heating unit 40 heats the substrate housed in the processing vessel 10. The heating unit 40 is formed, for example, on the outer periphery of the outer tube 12 in a substantially cylindrical shape so as to cover the outer tube 12. From the viewpoint of being able to control the temperature independently in the vertical direction, it is preferable that the heating unit 40 includes multiple heaters divided in the vertical direction. However, the heating unit 40 may be composed of a single heater that is not divided.

The holding units 100 are provided corresponding to each of the injectors 21 to 27, and by holding each of the injectors 21 to 27, they prevent each of the injectors 21 to 27 from tilting. Details of the holding units 100 will be described later.

The control unit 90 controls the overall operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 90 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU executes the desired heat treatment according to a recipe stored in a storage area such as the RAM. The recipe sets control information for the apparatus with respect to the process conditions. The control information may be, for example, gas flow rate, pressure, temperature, and process time. The recipe and the program used by the control unit 90 may be stored, for example, in a hard disk or semiconductor memory. The recipe, etc. may be set in a predetermined position and read out while being stored in a portable computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD. The control unit 90 may be provided separately from the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[Holding part]
An example of a holder that is provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and holds the injectors 21 to 27 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The holding portion 100 is provided on each of the multiple injectors 21 to 27. The holding portion 100 holds each of the injectors 21 to 27 by pressing them against the inner wall near the inner tube 11. The holding portion 100 includes a restricting portion 110, a protruding portion 120, and a pressing portion 130.

The restricting portion 110 is provided at a first height position and restricts the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10. The first height position may be, for example, the upper part of the processing vessel 10 as shown in FIG. 2. The restricting portion 110 includes a first hook 111 and an engagement portion 112.

The first hook 111 has an L-shape that extends from the inner wall near the inner tube 11 toward the center of the inner tube 11 at the first height position and bends toward the injectors 21-27 (discharge portions 21b-27b) on the center side. The first hook 111 is made of the same material as the inner tube 11, for example, quartz, and is welded and fixed to the inner wall near the inner tube 11.

The engaging portion 112 is provided at the first height position, extending from the injectors 21-27 toward the first hook 111 so as to be able to engage with the first hook 111. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the engaging portion 112 has a tapered surface 112a that is inclined so as to enter the inside of the L-shape of the first hook 111 as it approaches the first hook 111. As a result, when the injectors 21-27 are pressed toward the first hook 111, the engaging portion 112 engages with the first hook 111, the injectors 21-27 are pressed against the inner wall near the inner tube 11, and the protruding portion 120 described later comes into contact with the inner wall near the inner tube 11. In this way, the inner tube 11 and the injectors 21-27 contact each other at two points: contact point P1 between the first hook 111 and the engagement portion 112, and contact point P2 between the inner wall near the inner tube 11 and the protrusion 120, restricting the movement of the injectors 21-27. As a result, it is possible to suppress tilting of the injectors 21-27 due to reaction forces generated by gas discharge from the gas holes opened in the discharge portions 21b-27b of the injectors 21-27 and rotation due to the weight of the injectors 21-27.

The protrusion 120 is provided at a position higher than the first height position, for example, on the inner wall side near the inner tube 11 at the bent portions 21c to 27c of the injectors 21 to 27. However, the protrusion 120 may be provided at, for example, the first height position, or at a position lower than the first height position. In this case, the protrusion 120 may be provided at the inlet portions 21a to 27a, the outlet portions 21b to 27b, or both the inlet portions 21a to 27a and the outlet portions 21b to 27b. The protrusion 120 has a hemispherical shape protruding from the surface of the injectors 21 to 27 and contacts the inner wall near the inner tube 11. When the engagement portion 112 engages with the first hook 111 and the injectors 21 to 27 are pressed against the inner wall near the inner tube 11, the protrusion 120 contacts the inner wall near the inner tube 11. For example, the injectors 21-27 are formed such that the bending angle of the L-shaped bent portion (the connection portion between the introduction portion 21a-27a and the horizontal portion 21d-27d) at the lower end is slightly smaller than 90 degrees (acute angle). The injectors 21-27 are attached to the inner tube 11 by fixing the horizontal portions 21d-27d with a nut or the like while pressing the protruding portion 120 against the inner wall near the inner tube 11. Since the injectors 21-27 are fixed at two points in this manner, it is possible to prevent the injectors 21-27 from tilting. Furthermore, since the protruding portion 120 is provided, the injectors 21-27 and the inner tube 11 come into contact with each other at a point, and therefore it is possible to prevent the injectors 21-27 from sticking to the inner tube 11 due to film formation. On the other hand, if the protrusion 120 is not provided, the injectors 21-27 and the inner tube 11 will come into contact with each other in a line or surface, and the injectors 21-27 may stick to the inner tube 11 due to film formation.

The pressing portion 130 is provided at a second height position that is lower than the first height position, and the restricting portion 110 presses the injectors 21-27 in a direction that restricts the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10. The pressing portion 130 includes a second hook 131 and a stopper 132.

The second hook 131 has an L-shape at the second height position, extending from the inner wall near the inner tube 11 toward the center of the inner tube 11 and bending toward the injectors 21-27 (introductions 21a-27a) at the center. The second hook 131 is made of the same material as the inner tube 11, for example quartz, and is welded and fixed to the inner wall near the inner tube 11. The second hook 131 is provided on the opposite side of the first hook 111 in the circumferential direction of the inner tube 11, sandwiching the injectors 21-27 therebetween, and the bending direction of the second hook 131 is opposite the bending direction of the first hook 111.

The stopper 132 is inserted between the injectors 21-27 (introduction portions 21a-27a) and the second hook 131, and presses the injectors 21-27 in a direction to move them away from the second hook 131. As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper 132 includes a wide portion 132a, a narrow portion 132b, and a tapered portion 132c.

The wide portion 132a is formed with a constant width W61. The width W61 of the wide portion 132a is longer than the length L6 between the injectors 21-27 and the inside of the L-shape of the second hook 131 when the injectors 21-27 are attached to the processing vessel 10.

The narrow portion 132b is formed with a constant width W62. The width W62 of the narrow portion 132b is shorter than the length L6 between the injectors 21-27 and the inside of the L-shape of the second hook 131 when the injectors 21-27 are attached to the processing vessel 10.

The tapered portion 132c is formed between the wide portion 132a and the narrow portion 132b. The tapered portion 132c is formed so that its width continuously decreases from the width W61 of the wide portion 132a to the width W62 of the narrow portion 132b. In other words, the tapered portion 132c is formed so that it tapers from the top to the bottom.

When the stopper 132 is inserted between the injectors 21-27 and the second hook 131 from above the second height position downward, a force is applied to the injectors 21-27 in a direction away from the second hook 131. This causes the engagement portion 112 to engage with the first hook 111 at the first height position. Note that Figures 5 and 6 show a state in which the stopper 132 is inserted between the injectors 21-23, 26, 27 and the second hook 131, and the stopper 132 is not inserted between the injectors 24, 25 and the second hook 131.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the embodiment includes a holding unit 100 including a regulating unit 110 and a pressing unit 130. The regulating unit 110 is provided at a first height position and regulates the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10. The pressing unit 130 is provided at a second height position lower than the first height position and presses the injectors 21-27 in a direction that regulates the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10. As a result, the pressing unit 130 causes the regulating unit 110 to press the injectors 21-27 in a direction that regulates the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10, and the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10 is regulated by the regulating unit 110. As a result, it is possible to suppress the reaction force generated by gas discharge from the gas holes opened in the discharge portions 21b to 27b of the injectors 21 to 27, and the tilt of the injectors 21 to 27 caused by rotation due to the weight of the injectors 21 to 27, etc.

Modifications of the pressing unit will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the pressing unit. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the pressing unit in Figure 7.

The pressing portion 230 is provided at a second height position that is lower than the first height position, and the restricting portion 110 presses the injectors 21-27 in a direction that restricts the movement of the injectors 21-27 relative to the processing vessel 10. The pressing portion 230 includes a second hook 231 and a stopper 232.

The second hook 231 has an L-shape at the second height position, extending from the inner wall near the inner tube 11 toward the center of the inner tube 11 and bending toward the injectors 21-27 (introductions 21a-27a) at the center. The second hook 231 is made of the same material as the inner tube 11, for example quartz, and is welded and fixed to the inner wall near the inner tube 11. The second hook 231 is provided on the opposite side of the first hook 111 in the circumferential direction of the inner tube 11, sandwiching the injectors 21-27 therebetween, and the bending direction of the second hook 231 is opposite the bending direction of the first hook 111.

The stopper 232 is inserted between the injectors 21-27 (introduction portions 21a-27a) and the second hook 231, and presses the injectors 21-27 in a direction to move them away from the second hook 231. The stopper 232 includes a tapered portion 232a, a narrow width portion 232b, a notch 232c, and a fall prevention portion 232d. As shown in FIG. 8(a), when the stopper 232 is inserted between the injectors 21-27 and the second hook 231, the center of gravity G is located below the lower end of the second hook 231, for example, at the narrow width portion 232b.

The tapered portion 232a is formed so that its width continuously decreases from a first width W81 to a second width W82. In other words, the tapered portion 232a is formed so that it tapers from top to bottom. The first width W81 is longer than a first length L81, which is the length between the injectors 21-27 and the inside of the L-shape of the second hook 231 when the injectors 21-27 are attached to the processing vessel 10. The second width W82 is shorter than the first length L81.

The narrow portion 232b is formed below the tapered portion 232a and continues from the tapered portion 232a. The narrow portion 232b is formed with a constant width W82.

The notch 232c is formed below the narrow portion 232b and continues from the narrow portion 232b. The notch 232c is formed with a constant width W83. The width W83 of the notch 232c is shorter than the second length L82, which is the length between the injectors 21-27 and the L-shaped tip of the second hook 231 when the injectors 21-27 are attached to the processing vessel 10. The height H83 of the notch 232c is higher than the height H81 of the second hook 231. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8B, by lifting the notch 232c to a height position where it overlaps with the second hook 231, the second hook 231 can be moved to the front side (toward the center of the inner tube 11), and the stopper 232 can be attached and detached.

The fall prevention portion 232d is formed below the notch portion 232c and continuous with the notch portion 232c. The fall prevention portion 232d is formed with a constant width W84. The width W84 of the fall prevention portion 232d is shorter than the first length L81 and longer than the second length L82. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(c), when the stopper 232 is lifted to the upper limit position, the second hook 231 and the fall prevention portion 232d overlap in a plan view from the center side of the inner tube 11, and the movement of the stopper 232 toward the center side of the inner tube 11 is restricted. Therefore, even if the stopper 232 is lifted to the upper limit position due to a gas flow or the like during processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1, the stopper 232 can be prevented from falling off toward the center side of the inner tube 11.

When the stopper 232 is inserted between the injectors 21-27 and the second hook 231 from above the second height position downward, a force is applied to the injectors 21-27 in a direction away from the second hook 231. This causes the engagement portion 112 to engage with the first hook 111 at the first height position.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

In the above embodiment, the injectors 21 to 27 are folded injectors, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, some or all of the injectors 21 to 27 may be non-folded injectors that are not folded at the top.

In the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 having seven injectors 21 to 27 has been described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the substrate processing apparatus may have only one injector. Also, the substrate processing apparatus may have two to six, or eight or more injectors.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Substrate processing apparatus 10 Processing vessel 21 to 27 Injector 100 Holding portion 110 Restricting portion 111 First hook 112 Engagement portion 112a Tapered surface 130 Pressing portion 131 Second hook 132 Stopper 132c Tapered portion 231 Second hook 232 Stopper 232a Tapered portion 232d Fall prevention portion

Claims (8)

A processing vessel having a substantially cylindrical shape;
an injector extending vertically along the inside of the inner wall of the processing vessel;
a holding portion that holds the injector by pressing it against the inside of the inner wall;
Equipped with
The holding portion is
a restricting portion provided at a first height position and configured to restrict movement of the injector relative to the processing vessel;
a pressing portion provided at a second height position lower than the first height position and configured to press the injector in a direction in which the movement of the injector with respect to the processing vessel is restricted by the restricting portion;
including,
Substrate processing equipment. The regulating portion is
a first hook having an L-shape that extends from an inner wall of the processing vessel toward a center of the processing vessel and is bent toward the injector at the center side;
an engaging portion extending from the injector toward the first hook and capable of engaging with the first hook;
including,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The engaging portion has a tapered surface that engages with the first hook.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 . The pressing portion is
a second hook having an L-shape that extends from an inner wall of the processing vessel toward a center of the processing vessel and is bent toward the injector at the center side;
a stopper that is inserted between the injector and the second hook and presses the injector in a direction away from the second hook;
including,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The stopper includes a tapered portion that tapers downward,
the tapered portion is inserted between the injector and the second hook;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The stopper includes a drop prevention portion that is located below the tapered portion and limits the movement of the stopper toward the center of the processing vessel.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 . The injector is a folded-back type injector that extends upward, is folded back at an upper portion, and then extends downward,
The restriction portion is provided at a portion extending downward from the injector,
The pressing portion is provided on a portion of the injector extending upward.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The injector is formed with a plurality of gas holes extending along a longitudinal direction thereof,
The gas holes are oriented toward an inner wall side near the processing vessel.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

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