IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,920,316
Granted Patent B2
US 10,920,316 · App. 16/431,972 · Granted Feb 16, 2021

Substrate processing apparatus

Inventor: Hitoshi Kato (Iwate, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
C23C16/45544C23C16/34C23C16/401C23C16/4412C23C16/4584C23C16/45536
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,920,316
App. No.
16/431,972
Granted
Feb 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber, and a turntable disposed in the process chamber. A surface of the turntable receives a substrate along a circumferential direction. A process gas supply part includes a process gas discharge surface configured to supply a process gas to the turntable. A space partition extends from the process gas discharge surface toward a downstream side of the process gas discharge surface in a rotational direction of the turntable and is configured to cover a part of the turntable and to form a lower space and an upper space. An exhaust duct is disposed downstream of the space partition and extends along a radial direction of the turntable. The exhaust duct has a lower exhaust opening in its lateral surface lower than the space partition. An upper exhaust opening is disposed higher than the space partition.

Claims (29)

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber;

a turntable disposed in the process chamber, a surface of the turntable receiving a substrate along a circumferential direction;

a process gas supply part including a process gas discharge surface configured to supply a process gas to the turntable;

a space partition extending from the process gas discharge surface toward a downstream side of the process gas discharge surface in a rotational direction of the turntable and configured to cover a part of the turntable and to form a lower space between the space partition and the turntable, and an upper space between the space partition and a ceiling surface of the process chamber;

an exhaust duct disposed downstream of the space partition in the rotational direction of the turntable and extending along a radial direction of the turntable, the exhaust duct having a lower exhaust opening in its lateral surface at a first position lower than the space partition; and

an upper exhaust opening disposed at a second position higher than the space partition.

2. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the process gas discharge surface includes a plurality of process gas discharge holes disposed along the radial direction of the turntable, and

wherein the lower exhaust opening includes a plurality of lower exhaust openings disposed along a lengthwise directions of the exhaust duct.

3. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the upper exhaust opening is disposed outside the turntable in a lateral direction, and wherein the exhaust duct extends from an outside of the turntable toward a center of the turntable.

4. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the upper exhaust opening and the exhaust duct are connected to a common exhaust passage disposed outside the turntable in the lateral direction.

5. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the process gas supply part is a process gas nozzle extending in the radial direction of the turntable, and

wherein the space partition is a nozzle cover including a current plate configured to cause a flow of the process gas supplied from the process gas nozzle to become approximately parallel to the surface of the turntable, and a nozzle housing configured to cover the process gas nozzle and connected to the current plate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 ,

wherein the current plate has a fan-like shape whose arc length increases from the center side toward the outer edge side, and

wherein the space partition includes a second current plate that extends upstream of the process gas supply nozzle.

7. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a purge gas supply part disposed upstream of the process gas supply part in the rotational direction of the turntable and configured to supply a purge gas to the turntable,

wherein the upper exhaust opening evacuates the purge gas flowing above the space partition more than the process gas, and

wherein the lower exhaust opening evacuates the process gas supplied to a location lower than the space partition more than the purge gas.

8. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the process gas supply part is a source gas supply part configured to supply a source gas.

9. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising;

a second purge gas supply part disposed downstream of the source gas source gas supply part in the rotational direction of the turntable and configured to supply a second purge gas to the turntable; and

a reaction gas supply part disposed downstream of the second purge gas supply part in the rotational direction of the turntable and configured to supply a reaction gas capable of producing a reaction product,

wherein a film is deposited on the substrate by ALD by causing the substrate to pass positions under the purge gas supply part, the source gas supply part, the second purge gas supply part, and the reaction gas supply part while the turntable is rotated.

10. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

a plasma gas supply part disposed between the reaction gas supply part and the purge gas supply part and configured to modify the reaction product produced by ALD by supplying a plasma processing gas to the turntable.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2019
From: KATO, HITOSHI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049376/0993 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-114827 · Jun 15, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190382894A1 · Dec 19, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,563,716