Semiconductor device manufacturing method, substrate processing apparatus, and non-transitory recording medium

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

loading a first substrate having an oxide film formed on the first substrate into a processing chamber, the first substrate supported by a susceptor;

supplying a process gas containing nitrogen atoms to the first substrate;

performing a preprocessing in which the process gas is excited in a state that a pressure within the processing chamber is at a first pressure and an electric potential of the first substrate is kept at a first electric potential by controlling a bias voltage of the susceptor;

loading a second substrate having an oxide film formed on the second substrate into the processing chamber, the second substrate supported by the susceptor;

supplying the processing gas to the second substrate; and

performing a main processing in which the process gas is excited in a state that the pressure within the processing chamber is at a second pressure and an electric potential of the second substrate is kept at a second electric potential by controlling the bias voltage of the susceptor,

wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure and the first electric potential is greater than the second electric potential to facilitate oxygen adhering to one or more processing chamber surfaces, and

wherein the first substrate is a dummy substrate and the second substrate is a processing substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a time required in nitriding the oxide film formed on the first substrate in the preprocessing is longer than a time required in nitriding the oxide film formed on the second substrate in the main processing.

3. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber configured to load a first substrate having an oxide film formed on the first substrate or a second substrate having an oxide film formed on the second substrate, and including a susceptor, which supports the first substrate or the second substrate, installed in the processing chamber;

a gas supply unit configured to supply a nitrogen-containing process gas to the each of the first and second substrates loaded in the processing chamber;

a plasma generating unit configured to excite the process gas;

a substrate potential changing unit located within the susceptor, and configured to change an electric potential of each of the first and second substrates; and

a control unit configured to control the gas supply unit, the plasma generating unit and the substrate potential changing unit so as to perform: a preprocessing in which the process gas is excited in a state that an inside of the processing chamber is at a first pressure and the electric potential of the first substrate is kept at a first electric potential by controlling the bias voltage of the susceptor; and a main processing in which the process gas is excited in a state that the inside of the processing chamber is at a second pressure and the electric potential of the second substrate is kept at a second electric potential,

wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure and the first electric potential is greater than the second electric potential to facilitate oxygen adhering to one or more processing chamber surfaces, and

wherein the first substrate is a dummy substrate and the second substrate is a processing substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to control a time required in exciting the process gas in the preprocessing to be longer than a time required in exciting the process gas in the main processing.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process gas is excited in the preprocessing with a first electric power and the process gas is excited in the main processing with a second electric power, the first electric power being higher than the second electric power.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process gas comprises a mixture of N 2 gas and H 2 gas.