IP Library Granted Patent US 12,668,878
Granted Patent B2
US 12,668,878 · App. 17/587,650 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Substrate processing apparatus

Inventors: Satoshi Takano (Toyama, JP); Shun Matsui (Toyama, JP)
Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
C23C16/45551C23C16/045C23C16/45517C23C16/45534C23C16/45574C23C16/52C23C16/45548C23C16/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,668,878
App. No.
17/587,650
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein is a technique capable of forming a film so as to fill a recess of a substrate. According to one aspect thereof, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a substrate mounting table on which a substrate is placed; an adsorption inhibiting gas supplier configured to supply an adsorption inhibiting gas onto a surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table; and a source gas supplier configured to supply a source gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table, wherein a distance D 1 between a gas supply port provided in the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the substrate is greater than a distance D 2 between a gas supply port provided in the source gas supplier and the substrate.

Claims (54)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate mounting table on which a substrate with a recess formed on the surface thereof is placed;

an adsorption inhibiting gas supplier configured to supply an adsorption inhibiting gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table;

a source gas supplier configured to supply a source gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table;

an elevator configured to elevate or lower the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier without elevating or lowering the source gas supplier to change a distance D 1 between a gas supply port provided in the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the substrate, in a state where the distance D 1 is greater than a distance D 2 between a gas supply port provided in the source gas supplier and the substrate; and

a controller configured to control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to: perform a cycle a predetermined number of times wherein the cycle comprises (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate; and stop a supply of the adsorption inhibiting gas but continue a supply of the source gas when the recess is filled to meet a predetermined condition.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

first inert gas suppliers provided on both sides of the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and configured to supply an inert gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table,

wherein a distance P 1 between a gas supply port provided in the first inert gas suppliers and the substrate is smaller than the distance D 1 .

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

second inert gas suppliers provided on both sides of the source gas supplier and configured to supply an inert gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table,

wherein a distance P 2 between a gas supply port provided in the second inert gas suppliers and the substrate is smaller than the distance D 2 .

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to change the distance D 1 while the film-forming process is being performed.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to increase the distance D 1 while the film-forming process is being performed.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to control the elevator to adjust the distance D 1 in accordance with a depth of the recess formed on the surface of the substrate or a width of an opening of the recess.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier to supply an inert gas through the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier when the supply of the adsorption inhibiting gas is stopped but the supply of the source gas is continued.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator such that, during a period of performing the film-forming process, the distance D 1 is smaller at an initial stage of the cycle than at a final stage of the cycle.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to set the distance D 1 such that a pressure at which the adsorption inhibiting gas is supplied is greater at an initial stage of the cycle than at a final stage of the cycle.

10 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to set the distance D 1 such that the adsorption inhibiting gas supplied at an initial stage of the cycle reaches closer to a bottom of the recess than the adsorption inhibiting gas supplied at a final stage of the cycle.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate with a and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to set the distance D 1 such that, during a period of performing the film-forming process, the adsorption inhibiting gas is not adsorbed on a bottom of the recess.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to set the distance D 1 such that, during a period of performing the film-forming process, the adsorption inhibiting gas supplied at a final stage of the cycle reaches a location of the recess more shallow than a location of the recess reached by the adsorption inhibiting gas supplied at an initial stage of the cycle.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to: control the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the source gas supplier to perform a film-forming process in which a cycle comprising (a) supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and (b) supplying the source gas to the substrate is performed a predetermined number of times; and control the elevator to set the distance D 1 such that, during a period of performing the film-forming process, the distance D 1 gradually increases from an initial stage to a final stage of the cycle.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

a cartridge head comprising

the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier; and

an adsorption inhibiting gas exhauster configured to exhaust the adsorption inhibiting gas,

wherein the elevator is further configured to change the distance D 1 by elevating or lowering the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier while the adsorption inhibiting gas exhauster is not being elevated or lowered by the elevator.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

a cartridge head comprising

the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier; and

an inert gas supplier provided on both sides of the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and configured to supply an inert gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table,

wherein the elevator is further configured to change the distance D 1 by elevating or lowering the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier while the inert gas supplier is not being elevated or lowered by the elevator.

16 . A substrate processing method, comprising:

(a) placing a substrate with a recess formed on the surface thereof on a substrate mounting table;

(b) supplying an adsorption inhibiting gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table;

(c) supplying a source gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table;

(d) changing a distance D 1 between a gas supply port provided in an adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the substrate in a state where the distance D 1 is greater than a distance D 2 between a gas supply port provided in a source gas supplier and the substrate, by elevating or lowering the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier while the source gas supplier is not being elevated or lowered; and

(e) performing a cycle a predetermined number of times wherein the cycle comprises supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and supplying the source gas to the substrate, and stopping a supply of the adsorption inhibiting gas but continuing a supply of the source gas when the recess is filled to meet a predetermined condition.

17 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the method of claim 16 .

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes, by a computer, a substrate processing apparatus to perform:

(a) placing a substrate with a recess formed on the surface thereof on a substrate mounting table;

(b) supplying an adsorption inhibiting gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table;

(c) supplying a source gas onto the surface of the substrate from above the substrate mounting table;

(d) changing a distance D 1 between a gas supply port provided in an adsorption inhibiting gas supplier and the substrate in a state where the distance D 1 is greater than a distance D 2 between a gas supply port provided in a source gas supplier and the substrate, by elevating or lowering the adsorption inhibiting gas supplier while the source gas supplier is not elevated or lowered; and

(e) performing a cycle a predetermined number of times wherein the cycle comprises supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the substrate and supplying the source gas to the substrate, and stopping a supply of the adsorption inhibiting gas but continuing a supply of the source gas when the recess is filled to meet a predetermined condition.