JPH03220716A - Manufacturing apparatus for semiconductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To stabilize the quality of a film by controlling pressure in a vacuum buffer adjacent to a vacuum processing chamber. CONSTITUTION:Vacuum processing chambers 3, 4 and vacuum buffers 1, 2, 5, 6 are provided to perform various processes in a vacuum atmosphere. In this case, pressure measuring means 9 in the buffers 5, 6 adjacent to the chamber 4, and pressure regulating means 7, 8 are provided, and its pressure is managed to be controlled. That is, in order to prevent a decrease in the quality of the film due to remaining gas, the remaining gases of the buffers 5, 6 adjacent to the chamber 4 must be checked, but since the analysis of the gas is not simple, the pressure for checking the gas is used to measure the pressure, and conveyed after predetermined pressure is arrived. Thus, a decrease in the quality of the film can be prevented to stabilize the quality of the film.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing equipment that performs various processes in a vacuum atmosphere, such as sputtering equipment, CVD equipment, and etching equipment.

[Conventional technology]

Among semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses that perform processing in a vacuum atmosphere, a sputtering apparatus will be described as an example.

The sputtering apparatus includes, for example, a low vacuum buffer, a high vacuum buffer, and a sputter chamber. Conventionally, wafers were transferred to a high vacuum buffer by controlling the pressure within the low vacuum buffer. Next, when transferring the wafer from the high vacuum buffer to the sputter chamber, the pressure was not controlled because the pressure in the sputter chamber was higher than in the high vacuum buffer.

In addition, the sputtering device is, for example,
He is known for his ``Vacuum Deposition and Sputtering Equipment,'' VLSI Manufacturing and Testing Equipment Guidebook, published by Kogyo Kenkyukai in 1984, pp. 129-133.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, when a wafer is transferred from a high vacuum buffer to a sputtering chamber, residual gas such as N existing in the high vacuum buffer enters the sputtering chamber due to the diffusion effect, causing damage to the sputtered film. There was a problem that the film quality became unstable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can prevent residual gas from entering a vacuum processing chamber and stabilize film quality.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a vacuum processing chamber and a vacuum buffer that performs various processes in a vacuum atmosphere. It is characterized by having a measuring means for the pressure, and a means for adjusting the pressure to manage and control the pressure.

Effect C] In order to prevent deterioration of film quality due to residual gas, it is necessary to check for residual gas in the vacuum buffer adjacent to the vacuum processing chamber. However, residual gas cannot be easily analyzed, so pressure was used to check for residual gas. By measuring the pressure in the vacuum buffer adjacent to the vacuum processing chamber and transporting the film after reaching a specified pressure, deterioration in film quality can be prevented and the film quality can be stabilized.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus which is an embodiment of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

1 is a low vacuum buffer on the load side, 2 is a high vacuum buffer on the load side, 3.4 is a sputtering chamber for performing sputtering, 5 is a high vacuum buffer on the unload side, 6 is a low vacuum buffer on the unload side , 7 is a rotary pump, 8 is a cryopump, 9 is an ion gauge for measuring pressure, 10 is a controller, Jl is a transfer valve, and 12 is a wafer.

The sputtering apparatus is composed of a low vacuum buffer 1.6, a high vacuum buffer 2.5, and a sputter chamber 3.4, each of which has an independent exhaust system and pressure measurement system. The exhaust system of the low vacuum buffer 1.6 consists of a rotary pump 7,
The exhaust system of the high vacuum buffer 2.5 and the sputter chamber 3.4 is composed of a rotary pump and a cryopump 8 (not shown), and the pressure measurement system of each chamber is composed of an ion gauge 9.

The sputtering process for the wafer 12 will be explained.

First, the transfer valve 11 of the low vacuum buffer 1 is opened, and the wafer 12 to be processed is carried into the low vacuum buffer 1 by a carrying means (not shown). Next, the wafer 12 is transferred from the low vacuum buffer 1 to the high vacuum buffer 2 by a transfer means (not shown). Next, the pressure of the high vacuum buffer 2 is measured by the ion gauge 9, and the pressure horn is set to a specified value (for example, 10-'Pa) by the controller 10.
) is reached. If the transfer valve 11 is reached, the transfer valve 11 at the boundary between the high vacuum buffer 2 and the sputter chamber 3 is opened, the wafer 12 is transferred from the high vacuum buffer 2 to the sputter chamber 3, and the transfer valve 11 is closed.

Next, when the sputtering process in the sputtering chamber 3 is completed, the substrate is transferred to the sputtering chamber 4 and the sputtering process is completed. Next, the pressure in the high vacuum buffer 5 is measured by the ion gauge 9, and the controller 10 determines whether the pressure has reached a specified value. If the wafer 12 has reached the sputter chamber 4, the transfer valve 11 at the boundary between the sputter chamber 4 and the high vacuum buffer 5 is opened, and the wafer 12 is transferred to the sputter chamber 4.
from there to the high vacuum buffer 5, and the transfer valve 11 is closed. Finally, the wafer 12 is transferred from the high vacuum buffer 5 to the low vacuum buffer 6, the transfer valve 11 at the boundary between the high vacuum buffer 5 and the low vacuum buffer 6 is closed, and the transfer valve at the outlet side of the low vacuum buffer 6 is closed. Open wafer 11 and remove wafer 12.
be carried outside. Multiple wafers 12 are processed in this manner.
is continuously sputtered.

Note that when the pressure of the high vacuum buffer 2.5 has not reached the specified value, evacuation continues, the transfer valve 11 does not open until the pressure reaches the specified value, and the wafer 12 is not transferred. If the specified value is not reached even after exhausting for a certain period of time, a "timeout" message will be displayed and an error will be displayed.

In this embodiment, the pressure in the high vacuum buffer 2.5 adjacent to the sputtering chamber 3.4 is measured by the ion gauge 9, and the controller 10 determines whether the specified pressure has been reached before transporting the atmosphere. N2 is a gas
It is possible to prevent residual gases such as the like from entering the sputtering chamber 3.4.

Therefore, deterioration of sputtered film quality can be prevented and stable film quality can be obtained. Moreover, it can be realized by changing the software program without major changes to the hardware.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although the above embodiments have been explained using a sputtering apparatus as an example, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be effectively applied to other semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses that perform various processes in a vacuum atmosphere, such as CVD apparatuses and etching apparatuses.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention,
By controlling the pressure within the vacuum buffer adjacent to the vacuum processing chamber, the negative effects of residual gas can be prevented, thereby improving film quality.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus as an embodiment of the semiconductor device of the present invention. l...Low vacuum buffer on the load side 2...High vacuum buffer on the load side 3.4...Sputter chamber 5...High vacuum buffer on the unload side = 7-6...On the unload side Low vacuum buffer 7...Rotary pump 8...Cryopump 9...Ion gauge O...Controller...Transport valve 2...Wafer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a vacuum processing chamber and a vacuum buffer, comprising means for measuring the pressure in the vacuum buffer adjacent to the vacuum processing chamber and means for adjusting the pressure, and managing and controlling the pressure. A semiconductor manufacturing device characterized by: