IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,727,438
Granted Patent B2
US 12,727,438 · App. 17/580,793 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Substrate processing apparatus, susceptor assembly, method of manufacturing semiconductor device and substrate processing method

Inventors: Yasutoshi Tsubota (Toyama, JP); Takeshi Yasui (Toyama, JP); Tetsuaki Inada (Toyama, JP)
Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
H10P72/7611H10P72/0436H10P72/7612H10P72/7616
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,727,438
App. No.
17/580,793
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one aspect of the technique in the disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is accommodated; a susceptor configured to support the substrate in the process chamber; and a susceptor cover provided on an upper surface of the susceptor, wherein the susceptor includes: a heating element; and a first through-hole located so as to avoid the heating element, and the susceptor cover includes a second through-hole communicating with the first through-hole and having a diameter greater than a diameter of the first through-hole.

Claims (44)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a process chamber in which a substrate is accommodated;

a substrate support comprising:

a susceptor at least comprising an upper surface portion and a lower surface portion, and configured to support the substrate in the process chamber, and

a susceptor cover provided on an upper surface of the upper surface portion, made of material different from at least that of the upper surface portion and formed smaller than the susceptor; and

a substrate lift pin,

wherein the susceptor further comprises:

a first through-hole penetrating the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion, and

a heating element provided between the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion, and configured to heat the substrate,

wherein the susceptor cover comprises a second through-hole communicating with the first through-hole and having a diameter greater than a diameter of the first through-hole, and the upper surface portion is partially exposed through the second through-hole,

wherein the heating element is located so as to avoid but be directed toward the first through-hole, is folded back immediately before the first through-hole, and surrounds the first through-hole along an outer periphery of each folded-back portion of the heating element, and overlaps with a region vertically below the second through-hole,

wherein the substrate lift pin is located so as to avoid an overlap with the heating element when viewed from vertically above the heating element, and is configured to be capable of supporting the substrate in a state where both of the first through-hole and the second through-hole are penetrated by an upper end of the substrate lift pin,

wherein a diameter of the upper end of the substrate lift pin is smaller than that of the first through-hole, and

wherein the substrate is placed on the susceptor cover to be heated by the heating element via the susceptor cover.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first through-hole and the second through-hole are arranged such that indirect radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the susceptor heated by the heating element is incident onto the substrate through the second through-hole.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating element and the second through-hole are arranged such that direct radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the heating element is incident onto the substrate through the second through-hole.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

a substrate elevator configured to elevate or lower the substrate above the susceptor,

wherein the substrate elevator is configured to be capable of locating the upper end of the substrate lift pin below the upper surface of the susceptor.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the substrate elevator is configured to be capable of locating the upper end of the substrate lift pin below a lower surface of the susceptor.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the heating element and the second through-hole are arranged such that direct radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the heating element is incident onto the substrate through the second through-hole while the upper end of the substrate lift pin is located below the lower surface of the susceptor.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first through-hole and the second through-hole are arranged such that indirect radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the susceptor heated by the heating element is incident onto the substrate through the second through-hole while the upper end of the substrate lift pin is located below the upper surface of the susceptor.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor is made of a material capable of being transmitted through by direct radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the heating element.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor cover is made of a material capable of shielding both of indirect radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the susceptor heated by the heating element and direct radiation which is electromagnetic radiation from the heating element.

10 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an opening diameter of the second through-hole on an upper surface of the susceptor cover and an opening diameter of the second through-hole on a lower surface of the susceptor cover facing the susceptor are greater than the diameter of the first through-hole on the upper surface of the susceptor.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an opening diameter of the second through-hole on a lower surface of the susceptor cover facing the susceptor is equal to an opening diameter of the second through-hole on an upper surface of the susceptor cover.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the second through-hole is equal to or greater than 1.5 times the diameter of the first through-hole and less than 2 times the diameter of the first through-hole.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the second through-hole is equal to or greater than 12 mm and less than 15 mm.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor cover is arranged such that the first through-hole and the second through-hole are aligned along a same axis.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises a concave portion comprising a protrusion protruding toward a center of the first through-hole, and configured to surround the first through-hole along the outer periphery of each folded-back portion of the heating element, and

wherein a part of the concave portion overlaps with the region vertically below the second through-hole.

16 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second through-hole is configured such that the direct electromagnetic radiation from the part of the concave portion of heating element is transmitted therethrough.

17 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating element and the second through-hole are arranged such that, in a state where the upper end of the substrate lift pin is located above the upper surface of the susceptor, direct electromagnetic radiation from the heating element is incident onto the substrate via the second through-hole.

18 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate lift pin is located below the second through-hole while the substrate is being processed.

19 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a process vessel constituting the process chamber,

wherein the process vessel comprises an upper vessel and a lower vessel, and a lower end of the substrate lift pin is installed at a bottom of the lower vessel.

20 . A susceptor assembly comprising:

a susceptor configured to support a substrate and comprising an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a first through-hole penetrating the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion, and a heating element provided between the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion and configured to heat the substrate; and

a susceptor cover made of material different from at least that of the upper surface portion, formed smaller than the susceptor, installed on an upper surface of the upper surface portion, and comprising:

a second through-hole communicating with the first through-hole and having a diameter greater than a diameter of the first through-hole, wherein a surface of the upper surface portion is partially exposed through the second through-hole,

wherein the heating element is located so as to avoid but be directed toward the first through-hole, is folded back immediately before the first through-hole, and surrounds the first through-hole along an outer periphery of each folded-back portion of the heating element, and overlaps with a region vertically below the second through-hole,

wherein the substrate is placed on the susceptor cover to be heated by the heating element via the susceptor cover, and

wherein the diameter of the second through-hole is equal to or greater than 1.5 times the diameter of the first through-hole and less than 2 times the diameter of the first through-hole.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2022
From: TSUBOTA, YASUTOSHI; YASUI, TAKESHI; INADA, TETSUAKI
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058726/0268 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2019036404 · Sep 17, 2019
Related Publication 20220139760A1 · May 5, 2022
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