IP Library Patent Application 14856312
Patent Application
App. No. 14/856,312

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
14/856,312
Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing chamber housing a substrate, a vaporizer which vaporizes processing liquid and supply processing gas into the processing chamber, a reserve tank storing the processing liquid, a line switching unit connected to the reserve tank, a tank supply pipe connected to the line switching unit and supplies the processing liquid to the reserve tank, an exhausting unit connected to the line switching unit and exhausts the processing liquid in the reserve tank, and a controlling unit which controls the line switching unit to exhaust the processing liquid for exhausting the processing liquid from the reserve tank to the exhausting unit and exhaust the processing liquid in the pipe for supplying the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit before and/or after supplying the processing liquid from the processing liquid supplying pipe to the reserve tank.

Claims (51)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber configured to house a substrate;

a vaporizer configured to vaporize processing liquid and supply processing gas into the processing chamber;

a reserve tank configured to store the processing liquid;

a flow rate control unit configured to control a flow rate of the processing liquid from the reserve tank to the vaporizer;

a line switching unit configured to be connected to the reserve tank;

a tank supply pipe configured to be connected to the line switching unit and supply the processing liquid to the reserve tank;

an exhausting unit configured to be connected to the line switching unit and exhaust the processing liquid in the reserve tank; and

a controlling unit configured to control the line switching unit to exhaust the processing liquid from the reserve tank to the exhausting unit, and to exhaust the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit before and/or after a processing liquid replenishing of supplying the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the reserve tank.

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

the controlling unit controls the flow rate control unit so that the processing liquid is supplied to a heated vaporizing unit and vaporization is performed in the vaporizer.

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

the processing liquid includes hydrogen peroxide.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controlling unit controls the line switching unit to exhaust the processing liquid in the pipe before or after exhausting the processing liquid.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controlling unit controls the line switching unit to perform the processing liquid replenishing every time processing the substrate is performed for a predetermined number of times.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controlling unit controls the line switching unit to exhaust the processing liquid in the tank supply pipe after maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus.

7 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

(a) housing a substrate in a processing chamber;

(b) storing processing liquid in a reserve tank;

(c) supplying the processing liquid from the reserve tank to a vaporizer;

(d) vaporizing the processing liquid and supplying processing gas into the processing chamber;

(e) supplying the processing liquid from a tank supply pipe to the reserve tank; and

(f) performing a step of exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit and a step of exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit before and/or after the act of (e).

8 . The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 7 , further comprising:

controlling a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the vaporizer so that the processing liquid is supplied to a heated vaporizing unit and vaporization is performed in the vaporizer.

9 . The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 7 , wherein

exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit is performed before or after exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit.

10 . The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 7 , wherein

the act of (e) is performed after the act of (c) and (d) has been performed for a predetermined number of times.

11 . The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 7 , wherein

exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit and exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit are performed after maintenance.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for making a computer perform:

a procedure of housing a substrate in a processing chamber,

a procedure of storing processing liquid in a reserve tank,

a procedure of supplying the processing liquid from the reserve tank to the vaporizer,

a procedure of vaporizing the processing liquid and supplying processing gas in the processing chamber,

a procedure of supplying the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the reserve tank, and

a procedure of exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit and a procedure of exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit before and/or after the procedure of supplying the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the reserve tank.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a procedure of controlling a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the vaporizer so that the processing liquid is supplied to a heated vaporizing unit and vaporization is performed in the vaporizer.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein

the procedure of exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit is performed before or after the procedure of exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein

a procedure of supplying the processing liquid from the reserve tank to the vaporizer is performed after the procedure of supplying the processing liquid from the reserve tank to the vaporizer and the procedure of vaporizing the processing liquid has been performed for a predetermined number of times.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein

the procedure of exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit and the procedure of exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit are performed after a maintenance procedure.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein

the procedure of exhausting the processing liquid in the reserve tank from an exhausting unit and the procedure of exhausting the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the exhausting unit are performed before the procedure of supplying the processing liquid from the tank supply pipe to the reserve tank.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2018
From: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047995/0462 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2015
From: KONTANI, TADASHI; TATENO, HIDETO; UMEKAWA, ATSUSHI
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 036587/0369 →