SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS
Cleaning processing of each of the inside of a shower head and the inside of a processing space can be sufficiently or appropriately performed even when gas supply is performed via the shower head. A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing space for processing a substrate, a shower head buffer chamber disposed adjacent to the processing space with a dispersion plate having through-holes therebetween, an inert gas supply system configured to supply an inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber to form a gas curtain in the shower head buffer chamber, a first cleaning gas supply system configured to supply a cleaning gas into the processing space, and a control member configured to control the inert gas supply system and the first cleaning gas supply system to concurrently supply the cleaning gas into the processing space and the inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber.
1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
(a) loading a substrate into a processing space and processing the substrate;
(b) unloading the substrate from the processing space; and
(c) concurrently supplying: an inert gas via a dispersion plate having through-holes into a shower head buffer chamber adjacent to the processing space so as to form a gas curtain therein; and a cleaning gas into the processing space.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas curtain is formed between the dispersion plate and a gas guide having a diameter increasing from a gas inlet hole disposed at a ceiling of the shower head buffer chamber and configured to supply the inert gas therethrough toward the dispersion plate.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising: (d) supplying the cleaning gas into the shower head buffer chamber by a buffer chamber cleaning gas supply system, and
wherein (c) comprises supplying the cleaning gas into the processing space by a processing space cleaning gas supply system and the inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber by an inert gas supply system.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein a first valve of a first gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gas in the shower head buffer chamber is closed and a second valve of a second gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gas in the processing space, in (d), and
the first valve is open and the second valve is closed in (c).
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein (c) and (d) are alternately repeated.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein (c) and (d) are alternately repeated.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: (e) supplying the cleaning gas into the shower head buffer chamber by a buffer chamber cleaning gas supply system, and
wherein (c) comprises supplying the cleaning gas into the processing space by a processing space cleaning gas supply system; and the inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber by an inert gas supply system.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a first valve of a first gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gas in the shower head buffer chamber is closed and a second valve of a second gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gas in the processing space, in (e), and
the first valve is open and the second valve is closed in (c).
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein (c) and (e) are alternately repeated.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein (c) and (e) are alternately repeated.