JP4834883B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus and method having a substrate entrance that is opened and closed when the substrate is loaded / unloaded in a process chamber.

  Usually, in an apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal substrate, the semiconductor wafer or the liquid crystal substrate is taken in and out through a substrate inlet / outlet which is a substrate transfer passage provided in a process chamber. It has a gate valve that opens and closes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gate valve 20 is provided on one side wall 13 of the process chamber 10, and opens and closes the substrate inlet / outlet 12 that is a substrate transfer passage of the process chamber 10. With the above structure, the substrate W is carried into or out of the process chamber 10 through the substrate inlet / outlet 12 formed on one side of the process chamber 10.

  In the conventional process chamber as described above, the following problems occur.

  Since the conventional gate valve 20 is coupled to the outside of the process chamber 10 and selectively opens and closes the substrate inlet / outlet 12 formed on one side of the process chamber 10, a spatial asymmetry inside the process chamber 10 occurs. When performing plasma processing on the substrate W, non-uniformity occurs. In other words, the substrate entrance / exit 12 formed in the process chamber 10 and the one side surface 13 causes spatial non-uniformity as much as the thickness of the chamber partition wall, and uniform processing is performed when plasma processing or the like is performed inside the process chamber 10 according to this. The problem that becomes difficult occurs. In particular, there is a plasma density difference between the left and right edge portions (a portion and b portion) of the substrate, which lowers the uniformity of substrate processing.

  On the other hand, in order to improve such a problem, a method of preventing such a problem by operating the slits only inside the door is also used. However, in this method, it is necessary to provide a movable member in the process chamber that causes an error or causes generation of fine particles.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and method capable of minimizing a plasma and gas density difference due to a spatial imbalance in a process chamber internal space.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and method capable of providing a uniform plasma density and performing uniform substrate processing when performing plasma processing or the like inside a process chamber.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the substrate processing apparatus provides a process space in which a substrate processing step is performed, and a substrate entrance for entering and exiting the substrate is provided on one side surface. A process chamber having a gate valve that opens and closes the substrate entrance and exit, and a substrate support member that is provided at the bottom of the process chamber and on which the substrate that has entered through the substrate entrance is placed. And a gas distribution plate provided on the upper side of the process chamber and having a plurality of gas injection channels for distributing plasma and process gas in the process space.
The diameter of the gas injection channel formed in the region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet is larger than the diameter of the gas injection channel formed in a region other than the region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a plasma source for generating plasma on the gas distribution plate.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the size of the gas injection flow path formed in the region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet is 1% to 1000% larger than the size of the gas injection flow channel formed in the other region. .

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, in an apparatus for performing an ashing process on a substrate, a process space in which the substrate processing process is performed is provided, and a substrate is placed on one side for entering and exiting. A process chamber having a substrate inlet / outlet; a plurality of substrate support members provided inside the process chamber for supporting the substrate during the process; a power application device for applying power to each of the substrate support members; and generating plasma. A plasma generating member that supplies plasma inside the process chamber, an exhaust member that exhausts gas in the process chamber, a process space in the process chamber in which the substrate support member is provided, and an exhaust space of the exhaust member A partition member to be partitioned, and a substrate side provided on each of the substrate support members, which is provided above the process space in the process chamber And a gas distribution plate for distributing plasma and process gases. The gas distribution plate has a region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet. The diameter of the gas injection channel formed in the region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet is larger than the diameter of the gas injection channel formed in the region other than the region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the gas distribution plate, the size of the gas injection channel formed in the region adjacent to the exhaust member is larger than the size of the gas injection channel formed in the other region. .

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust member discharges the gas in the process space through an exhaust port formed in an annular shape with respect to the center of each of the substrate support members on the lower wall of the process chamber. The partition member includes an exhaust pipe, and the partition member partitions the process space inside the process chamber, and an exhaust space in the common exhaust pipe so that gas exhausted from each of the process spaces is independently exhausted. And partition walls.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall partitions the process space so as to be symmetrical about a line parallel to the partition wall through the center of the support member, and the partition wall includes the partition wall. The exhaust space is partitioned so as to be symmetrical at the center.

  According to the present invention, the difference in plasma and gas distribution due to the spatial imbalance of the process chamber internal space can be minimized. The present invention provides a uniform plasma density when performing plasma processing or the like inside a process chamber, and enables uniform substrate processing.

  Hereinafter, an ashing device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The present invention is not limited to one embodiment described herein, and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the spirit and characteristics of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, each device is schematically illustrated for clarity of the invention. In addition, each device may include various various additional devices not described in detail in this specification. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same components.

(One embodiment)
In this embodiment, a plasma ashing apparatus that removes unnecessary photosensitive agent remaining on a substrate after a photolithography process using plasma will be described. However, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to all other types of apparatuses that process a semiconductor substrate using plasma.

  In the present embodiment, the microwave is used as an energy source for generating plasma, but various other energy sources such as a high-frequency power source can be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention uses a radical generated by a plasma source to form a surface of a semiconductor device manufacturing substrate (hereinafter referred to as a substrate). Is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for ashing.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a process chamber 110, a substrate support member 120, an exhaust member 150, a partition member 160, a plasma generation member 140, and a first chamber that provide a predetermined sealed atmosphere. 2 includes a gas supply member 130 having gas distribution plates 170a, 170b.

  The process chamber 110 provides a process space for performing an ashing process. The process chamber 110 has a structure capable of processing two substrates simultaneously. That is, the process space of the process chamber 110 is partitioned by the first space a and the second space b. Each of the first space a and the second space b is a space in which an ashing process is performed on a single substrate received during the process. A substrate inlet / outlet 112 is formed on one side wall of the process chamber 110 to allow the substrate to enter and exit from the first space a and the second space b. The substrate entrance 112 is opened and closed by an opening / closing door 114 such as a gate valve.

  The lower wall of the process chamber 110 is provided with an exhaust port 116 through which the gas in the process chamber 110 is exhausted. The exhaust port 116 is formed in an annular shape around each substrate support member 120. In the present embodiment, the process chamber 110 having two spaces has been described as an example, but the number of partition spaces in the process chamber 110 may be three or more.

  The first space a and the second space b of the process chamber 110 are provided with substrate support members 120 that support the substrate during the process. An electrostatic chuck can be used as the substrate support member 120. Further, the substrate support member 120 is heated at a preset process temperature with the substrate W fixed thereto during the process. For this purpose, the substrate support member 120 includes a heater for heating the substrate at a constant temperature, a lift assembly (not shown) that drives the substrate up and down in such a manner that the substrate is easily supported by the robot. It has a normal configuration. The substrate support member 120 is maintained at an appropriate temperature of 200 to 400 ° C. at which the photoresist on the substrate W can be removed. Although not shown, a normal lift assembly includes a lift pin that supports and supports the bottom surface of the substrate W that is a loading position by a robot (not shown) by opening the substrate entrance 112, and lifts the lift pin (up position) / A driving unit for lowering (down position) may be included. The substrate W is moved between an up position separated from the upper surface of the substrate support member by lift pins and a down position placed on the upper surface of the substrate support member. A power applicator 122 is connected to the substrate support member 120. The power applicator 122 applies a preset bias power to the substrate support member 120.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust member 150 is for forming the inside of the process chamber 110 in a vacuum state and discharging reaction byproducts generated during the ashing process.

  The exhaust member 150 includes a common exhaust pipe 152, a main exhaust pipe 154, and a pressure reducing member 156. The common exhaust pipe 152 exhausts the process chamber 110 internal gas to the outside. The common exhaust pipe 152 is connected to the exhaust port 116 of the process chamber 110 so as to exhaust all the gas in the first and second spaces a and b. Here, the exhaust member 150 may further include a single exhaust pipe 152a for more effective separation exhaust. The single exhaust pipe 152a extends annularly downward from the exhaust port 116. The single exhaust pipe 152 a allows the gas exhausted from the first and second spaces a and b through the exhaust port 116 during the process to have a uniform flow and be moved to the common exhaust pipe 152. The single exhaust pipe 152a prevents backflow and non-uniform flow of the gas exhausted through the exhaust port 116. The common exhaust pipe 152 exhausts the gas exhausted from the exhaust pipes 152a connected to the single first and second spaces a and b between the single exhaust pipes 152a. The main exhaust pipe 154 is connected to the common exhaust pipe 152. The decompression member 156 is provided in the main exhaust pipe 154. The decompression member 156 forcibly sucks the gas in the first and second spaces a and b so as to reduce the internal pressure of the process chamber 110. A vacuum pump can be used as the decompression member 156.

  The partition member 160 includes a partition wall 162 and a partition wall 164. The partition wall 162 partitions the inside of the process chamber 110 so that the first space a and the second space b have an equivalent structure. The partition wall 162 is provided vertically in the center inside the process chamber 110. At this time, the partition wall 162 partitions the inside of the process chamber 110 so that the first space a and the second space b are symmetrical with respect to the lines X2 and X3. The line X2 is a virtual line that crosses the center of the substrate support member 120 in the first space a, and the line X3 is a virtual line that crosses the center of the substrate support member 120 in the second space. At this time, the lines X2 and X3 are parallel to the line X1 that vertically crosses the partition wall 162. The outer surface 162a of the partition wall 162 is manufactured in a shape that is symmetrical to the inner surface 111 of the process chamber 110 with respect to the lines X2 and X3.

  The partition 164 partitions the exhaust space inside the common exhaust pipe 152 so that the gas exhausted from the first space a and the second space b is separated and exhausted. The partition wall 164 extends vertically downward from the partition wall 162. The partition wall 164 preferably extends to a portion where the common exhaust pipe 152 and the main exhaust pipe 154 are connected. The partition 164 partitions the common exhaust pipe 152 so that the first exhaust space c from which the gas in the first space a is exhausted and the second exhaust space d from which the gas in the second space b is exhausted have the same structure. To do.

  The partition member 160 is provided for separating and exhausting the first space a and the second space b. In addition, the partition member 160 is configured so that the power applied to the substrate support member 120 in the first space a and the power applied to the substrate support member 120 in the second space b are not affected by each other. Two spaces b are partitioned. Therefore, the material of the partition member 160 is preferably an insulator.

  In the present embodiment, the partition member 160 includes the integrated partition wall 162 and the partition wall 164 to partition the process chamber 110 and the common exhaust pipe 152. However, the structure and shape of the partition member are described. The installation method can be variously changed and modified. For example, the partition member 160 may have a structure in which the partition wall 162 and the partition wall 164 can be separated from each other, and the partition wall 162 and the partition wall 164 may include a plurality. Alternatively, the partition wall 162 of the partition member 160 is fixed to the process chamber 110, and the partition wall 166 is fixed to the common exhaust pipe 152, and the partition wall and the partition wall are fastened together when assembling the substrate processing apparatus 100. Can be.

  The plasma generating member 140 generates plasma during the process and supplies the plasma in the process chamber 110. As the plasma generating member 140, a remote plasma generator is used. The plasma generation member 140 includes a first generation member 142 and a second generation member 144. The first generation member 142 supplies plasma with the first supply member 132 during the process, and the second generation member 144 supplies plasma with the second supply member 134 during the process. Each of the first and second generation members 142 and 144 includes magnetrons 142a and 144a, waveguides 142b and 144b, and gas supply tubes 142c and 144c. The magnetrons 142a and 144a generate microwaves for plasma generation during the process. The waveguide 142b guides the microwave generated by the magnetron 142a to the gas supply pipe 142c, and the waveguide 144b guides the microwave generated by the magnetron 144a to each gas supply pipe 144c. The gas supply pipes 142c and 144c supply reaction gas during the process. At this time, plasma is generated from the reaction gas supplied through the gas supply pipes 142c and 144c by the microwaves generated by the magnetrons 142a and 144b. The plasma generated by the plasma generation member 140 is supplied by the gas supply member 130 during the ashing process.

  The first supply member 132 and the second supply member 134 of the gas supply member 130 inject plasma and gas in the first space a and the second space b of the process chamber 110 during the process. The first supply member 132 is provided in the upper portion of the first space a of the process chamber 110, and has a lid 136 a that provides a tunnel-shaped channel connected to the first generation member 142, and is opposed to the substrate W in the lower portion of the lid 136 a. A first gas distribution plate (GDP) 170a is provided. The second supply member 134 is provided in the upper part of the second space b of the process chamber 110, a lid 136 b that provides a tunnel-shaped flow path that is connected to the second generation member 144, and a substrate W in the lower part of the lid 136 b. The second gas distribution plate 170b is provided.

  The first supply member 132 injects plasma and process gas toward the substrate W fixed to the substrate support member 120 in the first space a during the process, and the second supply member 134 transmits the second space during the process. Plasma and process gas are sprayed toward the substrate W fixed to the substrate support member 120 of b.

  In particular, the first and second gas distribution plates 170a and 170b may include a plurality of gases formed asymmetrically so that the process gas and plasma density provided in the first and second spaces a and b are uniformly formed. It has injection flow paths 172a and 172b. Specifically, the first and second gas distribution plates 170a and 170b are formed on the first edge portion k1 where the gas injection flow path 172a having the same size is formed and the first edge portion k1 adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet 112. It has asymmetric gas injection flow paths 172a and 172b that can be divided into second edge portions k2 in which a gas injection flow path 172b that is relatively larger than the formed gas injection flow path 172a is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the process chamber 110 has a shape in which one side surface 111a is recessed by a substrate entrance / exit 112 where a substrate enters and exits. That is, the substrate inlet / outlet 112 generates spatial non-uniformity as thick as one side surface of the process chamber 110, so that gas and plasma flows that are different from other regions in the process chamber 110 at the substrate inlet / outlet 112 portion. This causes a problem that uniform processing of the substrate processing process becomes difficult. Therefore, there is a need to improve the gas and plasma distribution structure in order to prevent density imbalance due to gas and plasma flow changes through the substrate inlet / outlet 112. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first and second gas distribution plates 170a and 170b of the present invention are spaces adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet 112 through the gas injection flow path 172b formed in the second edge portion k2. Then, a relatively larger amount of plasma and process gas than that provided by the first edge portion k1 is provided. The first and second gas distribution plates 170a and 170b having the asymmetric gas injection flow paths 172a and 172b have more asymmetrical space structure of the process chamber 110 and are near the substrate inlet / outlet 112 having a low density. By distributing the plasma, the plasma density formed on the edge of the substrate W is made uniform to improve the ashing uniformity. The size of the gas injection flow path 172b formed in the second edge portion k2 is 1% smaller than the gas injection flow path 172a formed in the first edge portion k1, and the maximum is 1000%. It is preferable to have an area difference. For reference, the gas injection flow path 172c formed in the central portion k3 is formed symmetrically, and the size thereof is relatively smaller than the gas injection flow path 172b formed in the second edge portion k2. preferable. On the other hand, like the gas distribution plate 170d shown in FIG. 9, the gas injection flow path 172b formed in the second edge portion k2 may be formed in a slot shape.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing a modified gas distribution plate, and FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view showing an example in which the gas distribution plate shown in FIG. 8 is applied to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the exhaust flow in the first and second spaces a and b of the process chamber 110 is seen, the exhaust port 116 side (region adjacent to the partition wall) directly connected to the common exhaust pipe 152 is seen. Compared with other regions in the first and second spaces, the gas and plasma flow are made faster, so a gas and plasma density difference is generated. Therefore, there is a need to improve the gas and plasma distribution structure to prevent density imbalance due to gas and plasma flow changes due to the influence of the common exhaust pipe 152. 7 and 8, the third gas distribution plate 170c is provided at the first edge portion k1 in the space adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet 112 through the gas injection flow path 172b formed at the second edge portion k2. A relatively larger amount of plasma and process gas are provided, and in particular, the first in the space adjacent to the common exhaust pipe 152 through the gas injection flow path 172d formed in the third edge portion k4 adjacent to the common exhaust pipe 152. More plasma and gas are provided than the amount provided by the edge portion k1. The third gas distribution plate 170c having such asymmetric type gas injection flow paths 172a, 172b, and 172d is formed near the substrate inlet / outlet 112 and the common exhaust pipe 152 near the low density of the asymmetric space structure of the process chamber 110. By distributing a lot of plasma and gas, the plasma density formed on the edge of the substrate W is made uniform to improve the ashing uniformity.

  The ashing process in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the process of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is disclosed, the substrate W is loaded onto the substrate support member 120 through the substrate inlet / outlet 112. When the substrate W is loaded on the substrate support member 120, the substrate W is heated to a preset temperature by a heater provided to the substrate support member 120. The power applicator 122 applies bias power to each substrate support member 120. The decompression member 156 forcibly sucks the air inside the process chamber 110 to reduce the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 to a preset pressure.

  If process conditions such as process pressure and temperature inside the process chamber 110 satisfy preset conditions, the plasma generating member 140 generates plasma and supplies the plasma by the gas supply member 130, and the exhaust member 150 passes through the process chamber 110. Maintain a constant pressure. The plasma sprayed through the gas supply member 130 removes unnecessary resist on the surface of the substrate W. The exhaust member 150 exhausts the plasma and process gas supplied inside the process chamber 110 at a constant flow rate, and maintains the internal pressure of the process chamber 110. If the resist is removed from the surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is unloaded from the substrate support member 120 and then unloaded from the process chamber 110 through the substrate inlet / outlet 112.

  During the process of removing the resist on the surface of the substrate W (ashing process), the distribution of plasma and gas to the first and second spaces a and b becomes asymmetric. That is, the plasma density formed at the edge of the substrate W is made uniform by distributing more plasma and gas in the vicinity of the substrate inlet / outlet 112 where the density is low in the asymmetrical space structure of the process chamber 110, and the ashing uniformity. To improve.

  Moreover, the exhaust of each of the first space a and the second space b is independent. That is, the plasma and process gas in the first space a are exhausted to the first exhaust space c in the common exhaust pipe 152 by the partition member 160, and the plasma and process gas in the second space b are exhausted to the common exhaust pipe 152 by the partition member 160. It is exhausted into the inner second exhaust space d. At this time, the backflow of the gas exhausted from the first and second spaces a and b is prevented by the single exhaust pipe 152a. Accordingly, the gases supplied to the first space a and the second space b are separated and exhausted independently of each other, and the plasma and gas flows in the first space a and the second space b have the same flow.

  As described in detail, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention distributes more plasma and gas in the vicinity of the substrate inlet / outlet 112 when processing the substrate in the process chamber 110 having a spatial structure that is asymmetric by the substrate inlet / outlet 112. By doing so, it is possible to make the plasma density formed on the substrate W uniform and improve the ashing uniformity. In addition, when a plurality of substrates are processed at the same time by providing a plurality of support members 120 in the process chamber 110, the process space in which each substrate is processed has the same size and structure, and is symmetrical about the support member. By partitioning the inside of the housing so as to have the following structure, uniform and equivalent process processing can be performed on each substrate.

  The above detailed description illustrates the invention. Also, the foregoing is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the present invention can be used in a variety of other combinations, modifications and environments. That is, changes or modifications can be made within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in the present specification, the scope equivalent to the disclosed disclosure, and / or the skill or knowledge of the industry. The above-described embodiment is for explaining the best state for carrying out the present invention, implementation in other states known in the art to utilize the same other invention as the present invention, and Various modifications required in specific application fields and uses of the invention are also possible. Accordingly, the above detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. It should also be analyzed that the appended claims include other implementations.

1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional ashing device. 1 is an external view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a front sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ on the cover of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ displayed in FIG. 4. It is a top view of the 1st gas distribution plate. FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view showing an example in which the gas distribution plate shown in FIG. 8 is applied to the present invention. 6 is a view showing a modified gas distribution plate. 6 is a view showing a gas distribution plate in which a slot-shaped gas injection flow path is formed at a second edge portion.

Explanation of symbols

110 Process chamber 120 Substrate support member 130 Gas supply member 140 Plasma generation member 150 Exhaust member 160 Partition member 170a First gas distribution plate 170b Second gas distribution plate

Claims (5)

In substrate processing equipment,
Provided a process space in which a substrate processing process is performed, and provided with a substrate inlet / outlet for entering / exiting a substrate on one side surface, an exhaust port provided therein, and a gate valve for opening / closing the substrate inlet / outlet A process chamber;
A substrate support member provided on the bottom side inside the process chamber and on which a substrate that has entered through the substrate entrance and exit is placed;
A gas distribution plate provided on the upper side of the process chamber and having a plurality of gas injection channels for distributing plasma and process gas in the process space;
The gas distribution plate has a region adjacent to the substrate port;
The diameter of the gas injection flow path formed in the area adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet is larger than the diameter of the gas injection flow path formed in an area other than the area adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet. apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes:
The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plasma source for generating plasma on the gas distribution plate. In an apparatus that performs an ashing process on a substrate,
A process chamber that provides a process space in which substrate processing steps are performed, and has a substrate inlet / outlet for loading / unloading a substrate on one side surface;
A plurality of substrate support members provided inside the process chamber for supporting the substrate during the process;
A power applicator for applying power to each of the substrate supports,
A plasma generating member for generating plasma and supplying plasma inside the process chamber;
An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the process chamber;
A partition member that partitions a process space in the process chamber in which the substrate support member is provided and an exhaust space of the exhaust member;
A gas distribution plate provided at an upper part of the process space in the process chamber, and having a plurality of gas injection flow paths for distributing plasma and process gas on the substrate side placed on each of the substrate support members. ,
The gas distribution plate has a region adjacent to the substrate inlet and outlet;
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein a diameter of the gas injection channel formed in a region adjacent to the substrate inlet / outlet is larger than a diameter of a gas injection channel formed in another region. The exhaust member is
A common exhaust pipe for exhausting the gas in the process space through an exhaust port formed in an annular shape with respect to the center of each of the substrate support members at a lower wall of the process chamber;
The partition member is
A partition wall that partitions the process space inside the process chamber;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a partition wall that partitions the exhaust space in the common exhaust pipe so that the gas exhausted from each of the process spaces is independently exhausted. The partition wall is
Partitioning the process space so as to be symmetrical about a line parallel to the partition wall through the center of the support member;
The partition is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the exhaust space is partitioned so as to be symmetrical about the partition wall.

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