SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

1 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using an apparatus comprising: a processing container where a substrate is processed; a substrate support installed in the processing container; a first exhaust unit connected to the processing container; a shaft supporting the substrate support; a shaft support configured to support the shaft; an opening disposed at a bottom portion of the processing container and penetrated by the shaft; a flexible bellows disposed between the opening and the shaft support, wherein an inner space of the bellows is in communication with that of the processing container; a gas supply/exhaust unit comprising: a first inert gas supply unit connected to an inert gas supply hole disposed between an upper end of the bellows and the bottom portion of the processing container, wherein the first inert gas supply unit is configured to supply the inert gas into the inner space of the bellows; and a second exhaust unit in communication with the inner space of the bellows via a bellows side exhaust hole disposed below the inert gas supply hole, wherein the second exhaust unit is configured to exhaust the inner atmosphere of the bellows, the gas supply/exhaust unit configured to supply the inert gas into the inner space of the bellows while exhausting the inner atmosphere of the bellows; and a process gas supply unit comprising a source gas supply unit configured to supply a source gas and a second inert gas supply unit configured to supply the inert gas, the method comprising:

(a) placing the substrate on the substrate support supported by the shaft in the processing container;

(b) supplying the source gas into the processing container by the source gas supply unit; and

(c) purging the processing container by supplying the inert gas thereinto by the second inert gas supply unit,

wherein, in (b) and (c), the inert gas is supplied at a first flow rate and at a second flow rate less than the first flow rate, respectively, from the first inert gas supply unit to the inner space of the bellows, while the inert gas is exhausted from the inner atmosphere of the bellows via the bellows side exhaust hole.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second exhaust unit exhausts the inner atmosphere of the bellows via the bellows side exhaust hole disposed lower than a lower end of the bellows.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the inert is supplied from the inert gas supply hole while the inner atmosphere of the bellows is exhausted via the bellows side exhaust hole, when the substrate support is at a processing position.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first inert gas supply unit and the second exhaust unit are controlled such that a conductance of a space between the shaft and an inner wall of the opening is larger than that of the bellows side exhaust hole.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first inert gas supply unit and the second exhaust unit are controlled such that a conductance of a space between the shaft and an inner wall of the opening is larger than that of the bellows side exhaust hole.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert is supplied from the inert gas supply hole while the inner atmosphere of the bellows is exhausted via the bellows side exhaust hole, when the substrate support is at a processing position.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first inert gas supply unit and the second exhaust unit are controlled such that a conductance of a space between the shaft and an inner wall of the opening is larger than that of the bellows side exhaust hole.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first inert gas supply unit and the second exhaust unit are controlled such that a conductance of a space between the shaft and an inner wall of the opening is larger than that of the bellows side exhaust hole.