IP Library Granted Patent US 7,950,348
Granted Patent B2
US 7,950,348 · App. 10/592,348 · Granted May 31, 2011

Substrate processing apparatus and semiconductor device producing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,950,348
App. No.
10/592,348
Granted
May 31, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus is provided with a reaction chamber ( 201 ), a substrate rotating mechanism ( 267 ) for rotating a wafer ( 200 ), and a gas supplying part for supplying the wafer ( 200 ) with gas. At least two types of gases A and B are alternately supplied a plurality of times, and a desired film is formed on the wafer ( 200 ). A control part ( 321 ) is provided to control a rotation cycle of the wafer ( 200 ) so as not to synchronize a gas supply cycle, which is prescribed by a period between a time when the gas A is flowed and a time when the gas A is flowed subsequently, with the rotation cycle of the wafer ( 200 ), at least for a time the alternate gas supply is performed prescribed times. The thickness uniformity of a film formed by an ALD method within the substrate plane is prevented from deteriorating.

Claims (61)

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate;

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate, at least two kinds of gases A and B being alternately supplied a plurality of times to form a desired film on the substrate; and

a controller for controlling a rotation period of the substrate or a gas supply period defined as a time period between an instant when the gas A is made to flow and an instant when the gas A is made to flow next time such that the rotation period and the gas supply period are not brought into synchronization with each other at least while the alternate gas supply is carried out predetermined times.

2. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period of the substrate such that the gas supply period and the rotation period of the substrate do not come into synchronization with each other while the alternate gas supply is carried out predetermined times.

3. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period of the substrate or the gas supply period such that the gas supply period and the rotation period of the substrate do not come into synchronization with each other while the alternate gas supply is carried out at least 10 cycles.

4. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period of the substrate or the gas supply period such that the gas supply period and the rotation period of the substrate do not come into synchronization with each other while the alternate gas supply is carried out at least 60 cycles.

5. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein

the gas supply unit supplies the gas from a peripheral direction of the substrate toward a center direction of the substrate to supply the gas to the substrate.

6. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate;

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate, at least two kinds of gases A and B being alternately supplied a plurality of times to form a desired film on the substrate; and

a controller for controlling a rotation period of the substrate or gas supply time such that the alternate supplying operation of the gases A and B is carried out predetermined times between the instant when the gas A is supplied to an arbitrary location of the substrate and the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location of the substrate next time.

7. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period of the substrate such that the alternate supply of the gases A and B is carried out predetermined times during time between the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location of the substrate and the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location next time.

8. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period of the substrate or the gas supply time such that the alternate supply of the gases A and B is carried out at least 10 cycles during time between the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location of the substrate and the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location next time.

9. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period of the substrate or the gas supply time such that the alternate supply of the gases A and B is carried out at least 60 cycles during time between the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location of the substrate and the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location next time.

10. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate;

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate, at least two kinds of gases A and B being alternately supplied a plurality of times to form a desired film on the substrate; and

a controller for controlling a rotation period P of the substrate or a gas supply period T defined by a time period between the instant when the gas A is made to flow and the instant when the gas A is made to flow next time such that the gas supply period T and the rotation period P satisfy the following equation (1):

|mP−nT|>≠0(n and m are natural numbers)  (1)

(wherein >≠0 means that truly greater than 0, and ∥ represents an absolute value).

11. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period P or the gas supply period T such that the above equation (1) is satisfied at least when n≦10.

12. A substrate processing apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein

the controller controls the rotation period P or the gas supply period T such that the above equation (1) is satisfied for all time during which the gas for forming a film on the substrate is supplied.

13. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate;

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate; and

a controller for controlling the rotating mechanism and the gas supply system such that a supply cycle of the reaction gas and a rotation period of the substrate do not come into synchronization with each other more than a given time when the reaction gas is supplied to the reaction chamber periodically.

14. A producing method of a semiconductor device, comprising

providing a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate; and

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate, at least two kinds of gases A and B being alternately supplied a plurality of times to form a desired film on the substrate, wherein

the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a controller for controlling a rotation period of the substrate or a gas supply period defined as a time period between an instant when the gas A is made to flow and an instant when the gas A is made to flow next time such that the rotation period and the gas supply period are not brought into synchronization with each other at least while the alternate gas supply is carried out predetermined times, and

processing the substrate using the substrate processing apparatus.

15. A producing method of a semiconductor device, comprising

providing a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate; and

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate, at least two kinds of gases A and B being alternately supplied a plurality of times to form a desired film on the substrate, wherein

the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a controller for controlling a rotation period of the substrate or gas supply time such that the alternate supplying operation of the gases A and B is carried out predetermined times between the instant when the gas A is supplied to an arbitrary location of the substrate and the instant when the gas A is supplied to the arbitrary location of the substrate next time,

processing the substrate using the substrate processing apparatus.

16. A producing method of a semiconductor device, comprising using providing a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

processing chamber for processing a substrate;

a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate; and

a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the substrate, at least two kinds of gases A and B being alternately supplied a plurality of times to form a desired film on the substrate, wherein

the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a controller for controlling a rotation period P of the substrate or a gas supply period T defined by a time period between the instant when the gas A is made to flow and the instant when the gas A is made to flow next time such that the gas supply period T and the rotation period P satisfy the following equation (1):

| mP−nT|>≠ 0(n and m are natural numbers)  (1)

(wherein >≠0 means that truly greater than 0, and ∥ represents an absolute value), processing the substrate using the substrate processing apparatus.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2018
From: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048008/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2007
From: SAKAI, MASANORI; YOSHIMURA, TOMOHIRO
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 019556/0856 →