JP2012178492A - Substrate processing device, gas nozzle, and method of manufacturing substrate or semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To evenly perform film formation on each substrate by making the flow of a reaction gas supplied from each gas supply port approximately uniform.SOLUTION: In each of a plurality of gas supply nozzles 60, 70, current plates 69, 73, respectively, are provided on the side of a first gas exhaust port 90 of the gas supply ports 68, 72, so as to extend in a direction in which a reaction gas from the gas supply ports 68, 72 is supplied. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the reaction gas ejected (supplied) from the gas supply ports 68, 72 from directly flowing toward the first gas exhaust port 90 and to make the flow of the reaction gas toward the wafers 14 approximately uniform, thereby making it possible to evenly perform film formation on each of the wafers 14.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a gas nozzle, and a method for manufacturing a substrate or a semiconductor device.

  Silicon carbide (SiC) is particularly attracting attention as an element material for power devices because it has higher withstand voltage and higher thermal conductivity than silicon (Si). On the other hand, it is known that SiC is difficult to manufacture a crystal substrate and a semiconductor device (semiconductor device) as compared with Si because of a small impurity diffusion coefficient. For example, the epitaxial film formation temperature of Si is about 900 ° C. to 1200 ° C., whereas the epitaxial film formation temperature of SiC is about 1500 ° C. to 1800 ° C. Need to be creative. As a substrate processing apparatus that performs such SiC epitaxial film formation, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Patent Document 1 describes a so-called batch-type vertical substrate processing apparatus that stacks and processes a plurality of substrates in a reaction chamber in the vertical direction, and a first gas is provided in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the reaction chamber. A supply nozzle and a second gas supply nozzle extend. The first gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle) supplies tetrachlorosilane (SiCl ₄ ) gas or the like as silicon and chlorine-containing gas into the reaction chamber, and the second gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle) is hydrogen (H ₂ as a reducing gas). ) Supply gas etc. into the reaction chamber. At least these two kinds of reaction gases are mixed inside the reaction chamber, and then the mixed reaction gas flows along the surface of the wafer (substrate). Thereby, a SiC film is formed on the wafer by epitaxial growth.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes the first gas supply nozzle and the second gas supply nozzle, and mixes at least two kinds of reaction gases inside the reaction chamber. Thereby, precipitation of the SiC film | membrane etc. to the inner wall and gas supply port of the gas nozzle extended inside the reaction chamber which is 1500 degreeC-1800 degreeC are suppressed.

JP 2011-003885 A

  However, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above, a plurality of gas supply ports are provided so as to be aligned along the longitudinal direction on the side surface of the gas nozzle formed in a hollow pipe shape, These gas supply ports are formed by simply penetrating the side surface of the gas nozzle in the radial direction. Therefore, the reaction gas (film formation gas, etching gas, etc.) supplied from the gas nozzle to the outside through each gas supply port travels straight toward the substrate or around each gas supply port without facing the substrate. Or spread. For this reason, the supply state of the reaction gas to the plurality of stacked substrates becomes unstable, and for example, there may arise a problem that the flow velocity and concentration of the reaction gas are likely to be non-uniform between the upper side and the lower side of each substrate. That is, the growth rate and film thickness of the SiC film are different between the upper side and the lower side of each substrate, resulting in a product error. In particular, as in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the supply direction (horizontal direction) of the reaction gas from each gas supply port and the exhaust direction by the exhaust port for discharging the reaction gas in the reaction chamber to the outside. When the (vertical direction) is different, there may be a problem that the concentration of the reaction gas is increased around the substrate on the side close to the exhaust port of each substrate.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus, a gas nozzle, and a substrate or semiconductor device processing method capable of forming a film without variation in each substrate by making the flow of reaction gas supplied from each gas supply port substantially uniform. It is to provide.

  The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

  Of the inventions disclosed in the present application, the outline of typical ones will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a reaction vessel that processes a plurality of stacked substrates, a heating body that heats the inside of the reaction vessel, and a gas nozzle that is provided in the reaction vessel and extends in the stacking direction of the substrates. A plurality of gas nozzles arranged side by side from the base end to the tip of the gas nozzle and supplying a reaction gas toward the substrate; and the reaction from each gas supply port provided in the gas nozzle. A rectifying member that extends in the gas supply direction and that is disposed on the exhaust port side for exhausting the reaction gas in the reaction vessel at each gas supply port to the outside.

  The effects obtained by typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, the flow of the reaction gas supplied from each gas supply port can be made substantially uniform, and a film can be formed without variations in each substrate.

It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a processing furnace. It is sectional drawing which shows the state hold | maintained at the wafer holder. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the cross section of the horizontal direction of a processing furnace. It is a block diagram explaining the control system of a substrate processing apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure around a processing furnace. It is a cross-sectional view explaining the arrangement | positioning state in the processing furnace of the gas nozzle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A), (b), (c) is explanatory drawing explaining the detailed structure of the gas nozzle of FIG. It is a comparative graph which shows the density | concentration [%] and speed [m / s] of the reactive gas in a processing furnace. It is a cross-sectional view explaining the arrangement | positioning state in the processing furnace of the gas nozzle which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A), (b), (c) is explanatory drawing explaining the detailed structure of the gas nozzle of FIG.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a so-called batch type vertical SiC epitaxial growth apparatus in which SiC wafers are arranged in the height direction in an SiC epitaxial growth apparatus which is an example of a substrate processing apparatus will be described. In addition, by using a batch-type vertical SiC epitaxial growth apparatus, the number of SiC wafers that can be processed at a time increases, and throughput can be improved.

<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. First, a substrate processing apparatus for forming a SiC epitaxial film according to the first embodiment of the present invention using FIG. A method for manufacturing a substrate on which a SiC epitaxial film is formed, which is one of the manufacturing steps of a semiconductor device, will be described.

  A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 as a substrate processing apparatus (film forming apparatus) is a batch type vertical heat treatment apparatus, and includes a housing 12 that houses a plurality of mechanisms. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10, a pod (hoop) 16 as a substrate container for storing a wafer 14 as a substrate made of, for example, Si or SiC is used as a wafer carrier. A pod stage 18 is disposed on the front side of the housing 12, and a plurality of pods 16 are conveyed from the outside to the pod stage 18. Each pod 16 contains, for example, 25 wafers 14 and is set on the pod stage 18 with the lid 16a closed.

  A pod transfer device 20 is provided on the front side of the housing 12 and facing the pod stage 18. A pod storage shelf 22, a pod opener 24, and a substrate number detector 26 are provided in the vicinity of the pod transfer device 20. The pod storage shelf 22 is provided above the pod opener 24 and configured to hold a plurality of pods 16 (five in the drawing) mounted thereon. The substrate number detector 26 is provided adjacent to the pod opener 24, and the pod transfer device 20 is configured to transfer the pods 16 one after another between the pod stage 18, the pod storage shelf 22 and the pod opener 24. Yes. The pod opener 24 opens the lid 16a of the pod 16, and the substrate number detector 26 detects the number of wafers 14 in the pod 16 with the lid 16a opened.

  In the housing 12, a substrate transfer device 28 and a boat 30 as a substrate holder are provided. The substrate transfer machine 28 includes a plurality of arms (tweezers) 32 and has a structure that can be moved up and down and rotated by a driving means (not shown). Each arm 32 can take out, for example, five wafers 14 at a time. By moving each arm 32, the wafer 14 is transferred between the pod 16 and the boat 30 placed at the position of the pod opener 24. It is like that.

  The boat 30 is formed of, for example, a heat resistant material such as carbon graphite or SiC, and is configured to stack and hold a plurality of wafers 14 in a horizontal posture and in a state where their centers are aligned with each other in the vertical direction. It is configured. A boat heat insulating portion 34 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a heat insulating member made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or SiC is provided on the lower side of the boat 30. Heat is configured to be difficult to be transmitted to the lower side of the processing furnace 40 (see FIG. 2).

  A processing furnace 40 is provided on the back side and the upper side in the housing 12. Inside the processing furnace 40, a boat 30 loaded so as to stack a plurality of wafers 14 is carried in, and a heat treatment (film formation process) is performed on each wafer 14.

<Processing furnace configuration>
2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the processing furnace, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the wafer is held by the wafer holder, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section in the lateral direction of the processing furnace, 5 is a block diagram for explaining a control system of the substrate processing apparatus, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a structure around the processing furnace. Next, the processing furnace 40 of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 for forming a SiC epitaxial film will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The processing furnace 40 has a first gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, first gas nozzle) 60 having a first gas supply port (gas supply port) 68 and a second gas supply having a second gas supply port (gas supply port) 72. A nozzle (gas nozzle, second gas nozzle) 70 and a first gas exhaust port (gas exhaust port) 90 for exhausting reaction gas from the gas supply nozzles 60, 70 to the outside are provided. Further, a third gas supply port 360 that supplies an inert gas and a second gas exhaust port 390 that exhausts the inert gas to the outside are provided.

  The processing furnace 40 includes a reaction tube 42 that forms a cylindrical reaction chamber 44. The reaction tube 42 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC, and is formed in a cylindrical shape having a closed upper end and an opened lower end. A reaction chamber 44 is formed in the reaction tube 42, and the wafer 14 as a substrate made of Si or SiC or the like is aligned in the vertical direction by the boat 30 in a horizontal posture and aligned with each other in the center. It is configured so that it can be stored in a stacked and held state.

  A manifold 36 is arranged concentrically with the reaction tube 42 on the opening side (lower side) of the reaction tube 42. The manifold 36 is made of, for example, stainless steel and is formed in a cylindrical shape having an upper side and a lower side opened. The manifold 36 supports the reaction tube 42, and an O-ring (not shown) as a seal member is provided between the manifold 36 and the reaction tube 42. The manifold 36 is supported by a holding body (not shown), so that the reaction tube 42 is installed vertically. Here, the reaction tube 42 and the manifold 36 constitute a reaction vessel in the present invention.

  The processing furnace 40 includes a heating body 48 that is induction-heated and an induction coil 50 as a magnetic field generation unit. The heating body 48 is provided in the reaction chamber 44 and is induction-heated by a magnetic field generated by an induction coil 50 provided outside the reaction tube 42. As a result, when the induction coil 50 is energized, the heating body 48 generates heat, and as a result, the reaction chamber 44 is heated.

  In the vicinity of the heating body 48, a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided as a temperature detection body for detecting the temperature in the reaction chamber 44. The induction coil 50 and the temperature sensor are electrically connected to the temperature control unit 52 (see FIG. 5) of the controller 152, and the power supply to the induction coil 50 is adjusted based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor. Thus, the temperature in the reaction chamber 44 is controlled at a predetermined timing so as to have a desired temperature distribution.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the wafer 14 may be held by the wafer holder 15. The wafer holder 15 is formed from a lower wafer holder 15a formed in an annular shape and an upper wafer holder 15b formed in a disk shape, and the wafer 14 is sandwiched between the lower wafer holder 15a and the upper wafer holder 15b. . Thereby, the wafer 14 can be protected from particles (fine dust) falling from the upper side of the wafer 14, and the surface (upper surface of the wafer 14) opposite to the film formation surface (lower surface of the wafer 14) is protected. Film formation can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the film formation surface of the wafer 14 can be separated from the boat 30 (boat column), it is possible to reliably prevent a problem that the reaction gas hardly flows to the film formation surface of the wafer 14 due to the influence of the boat column. Also in this case, the boat 30 stacks and holds the plurality of wafers 14 in the vertical direction via the lower wafer holder 15a and the upper wafer holder 15b in a state where the centers are aligned with each other in a horizontal posture. It will be.

  Furthermore, preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, heating is performed between the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 and the first gas exhaust port 90 in the reaction chamber 44, and between the heating body 48 and the wafer 14. In order to fill the space between the body 48 and the wafer 14, a structure 400 that extends in the vertical direction and has a circular cross section may be provided. For example, by providing the structures 400 at positions facing each other as shown in the figure, the reaction gas supplied from the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 flows along the inner wall of the heating body 48 to bypass the wafer 14. Can be prevented. When the structure 400 is preferably made of carbon graphite or the like, heat resistance and generation of particles can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, between the reaction tube 42 and the heating body 48, for example, a heat insulating material 54 formed of carbon felt or the like that is difficult to be induction-heated is provided. By providing the heat insulating material 54 in this way, it is possible to suppress the heat of the heating body 48 from being transmitted to the reaction tube 42 or the outside of the reaction tube 42.

  In addition, an outer heat insulating wall 55 having, for example, a water cooling structure is provided outside the induction coil 50 in order to suppress the heat in the reaction chamber 44 from being transmitted to the outside. The outer heat insulating wall 55 is provided so as to surround the reaction chamber 44 and the induction coil 50. Further, a magnetic seal 58 is provided outside the outer heat insulating wall 55 to prevent a magnetic field generated by energizing the induction coil 50 from leaking outside.

  A first gas supply is provided between the heating body 48 and the wafer 14 in order to supply at least a Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and a Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas (both first reaction gases) to the wafer 14. A first gas supply nozzle 60 having a port 68 is provided. Further, at least a C (carbon) atom-containing gas and a reducing gas (both of the second reaction gas) are supplied to the wafer 14 at a location different from the first gas supply nozzle 60 between the heating body 48 and the wafer 14. In order to do this, a second gas supply nozzle 70 having a second gas supply port 72 is provided. Further, a first gas exhaust port 90 is provided between the heating body 48 and the wafer 14 on the opposite side of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70. A third gas supply port 360 and a second gas exhaust port 390 are provided between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54.

  The reaction gases supplied from the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 described above are examples given for explaining the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10, and details of these reaction gases will be described later. Further, in FIG. 4, each gas supply nozzle 60, 70 is provided by one (two in total) for the sake of brevity, but the number of gas supply nozzles 60, 70, the detailed structure, etc. Will also be described later.

The first gas supply nozzle 60 is made of, for example, carbon graphite and is provided in the reaction chamber 44. The first gas supply nozzle 60 includes a proximal end portion 60a and a distal end portion 60b. The proximal end portion 60a penetrates the manifold 36 and is attached to the manifold 36 by welding or the like. The first gas supply nozzle 60 is provided with a plurality of first gas supply ports 68 along the longitudinal direction thereof. Here, when the SiC epitaxial film is formed, the first gas supply port 68 has at least a Si (silicon) atom-containing gas, for example, a monosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiH ₄ ) gas and a Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas. For example, hydrogen chloride (hereinafter referred to as HCl) gas is supplied into the reaction chamber 44 via the first gas supply nozzle 60.

The first gas supply nozzle 60 is connected to the first gas line 222. The first gas line 222 is connected to, for example, the gas pipes 213a and 213b. The gas pipes 213a and 213b are mass flow controllers as flow rate controllers (flow rate control means) for SiH ₄ gas and HCl gas, respectively. For example, the first gas supply source 210a supplying SiH ₄ gas and the second gas supply source 210b supplying HCl gas are connected via 211a and 211b and valves 212a and 212b (hereinafter referred to as MFC).

With this configuration, for example, the supply flow rate, concentration, partial pressure, and supply timing of SiH ₄ gas and HCl gas can be controlled in the reaction chamber 44. Each valve 212a, 212b and each MFC 211a, 211b are electrically connected to a gas flow rate control unit 78 (see FIG. 5) of the controller 152, and a predetermined flow rate is set so that the flow rate of the supplied gas becomes a predetermined flow rate. It is controlled by timing. The first and second gas supply sources 210a and 210b, the valves 212a and 212b, the MFCs 211a and 211b, the gas pipes 213a and 213b, the first gas line 222, the first gas supply nozzle 60, and the first gas supply port 68 constitutes a first gas supply system as a gas supply system.

The second gas supply nozzle 70 is made of, for example, carbon graphite and is provided in the reaction chamber 44. The second gas supply nozzle 70 includes a proximal end portion 70a and a distal end portion 70b. The proximal end portion 70a penetrates the manifold 36 and is attached to the manifold 36 by welding or the like. The second gas supply nozzle 70 is provided with a plurality of second gas supply ports 72 along the longitudinal direction thereof. Here, when forming the SiC epitaxial film, the second gas supply port 72 uses at least a C (carbon) atom-containing gas, for example, propane (hereinafter referred to as C ₃ H ₈ ) gas and a reducing gas, for example, Hydrogen (single H atom or H ₂ molecule; hereinafter referred to as H ₂ ) is supplied into the reaction chamber 44 through the second gas supply nozzle 70.

The second gas supply nozzle 70 is connected to the second gas line 260. The second gas line 260 is connected to, for example, the gas pipes 213c and 213d, and each of the gas pipes 213c and 213d is a flow controller for, for example, C ₃ H ₈ gas as a C (carbon) atom-containing gas. Is connected to a third gas supply source 210c that supplies C ₃ H ₈ gas via an MFC 211c and a valve 212c, and is connected to a reducing gas, for example, H ₂ gas via an MFC 211d and a valve 212d as a flow rate controller. Are connected to a fourth gas supply source 210d for supplying H ₂ gas.

With this configuration, for example, the supply flow rate, concentration, partial pressure, and supply timing of C ₃ H ₈ gas and H ₂ gas can be controlled in the reaction chamber 44. Each valve 212c, 212d and each MFC 211c, 211d are electrically connected to a gas flow rate control unit 78 (see FIG. 5) of the controller 152, and a predetermined flow rate is set so that the flow rate of the supplied gas becomes a predetermined flow rate. It is controlled by timing. The third and fourth gas supply sources 210c and 210d, the valves 212c and 212d, the MFCs 211c and 211d, the gas pipes 213c and 213d, the second gas line 260, the second gas supply nozzle 70, and the second gas supply port 72 constitutes a second gas supply system as a gas supply system.

  Here, in the first gas supply nozzle 60 and the second gas supply nozzle 70, an arbitrary number of the first gas supply ports 68 and the second gas supply ports 72 are provided in the stacked region (product region) of the wafer 14. Alternatively, a number corresponding to the number of stacked wafers 14 may be provided in the stacked region of the wafers 14.

<Exhaust system configuration>
The first gas exhaust port 90 is disposed so as to face the positions of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70. A gas exhaust pipe 230 connected to the first gas exhaust port 90 passes through the manifold 36 and is attached by welding or the like. On the downstream side of the gas exhaust pipe 230, a vacuum exhaust device 220 such as a vacuum pump is provided via a pressure sensor (not shown) as a pressure detector and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 214 as a pressure regulator. It is connected. A pressure control unit 98 (see FIG. 5) of the controller 152 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the APC valve 214, and the pressure control unit 98 is based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor. Is adjusted at a predetermined timing so that the pressure in the processing furnace 40 becomes a predetermined pressure.

  As described above, at least Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas are supplied from the first gas supply port 68, and at least C (carbon) atom-containing gas and reduction are supplied from the second gas supply port 72. The supplied reaction gas flows in parallel with the wafer 14 made of Si or SiC, and is exhausted from the first gas exhaust port 90. Therefore, the entire film formation surface of the wafer 14 is exposed to the reaction gas efficiently and uniformly.

  The third gas supply port 360 is disposed between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54, and the base end side (the lower side in the drawing) penetrates the manifold 36 and is attached to the manifold 36 by welding or the like. ing. Further, the second gas exhaust port 390 is disposed between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54 so as to face the third gas supply port 360, and the second gas exhaust port 390 is connected to the gas exhaust tube 230. It is connected.

  The third gas supply port 360 is connected to the third gas line 240, and the third gas line 240 is connected to the fifth gas supply source 210e via the valve 212e and the MFC 211e. As the inert gas, for example, a rare gas Ar (argon) gas is supplied from the fifth gas supply source 210e and contributes to the growth of the SiC epitaxial film, for example, a Si (silicon) atom-containing gas or C ( A carbon) atom-containing gas, a Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas or a mixed gas thereof is prevented from entering between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54, and thereby the inner wall of the reaction tube 42 or the outer wall of the heat insulating material 54. To prevent unwanted products from adhering to the surface.

  Here, each of the valve 212e and each MFC 211e is also electrically connected to the gas flow rate controller 78 (see FIG. 5) of the controller 152 and controlled at a predetermined timing so that the Ar gas flow rate becomes a predetermined flow rate. It is like that. The inert gas supplied between the reaction tube 42 and the heat insulating material 54 is exhausted from the vacuum exhaust device 220 through the second gas exhaust port 390 and the APC valve 214 on the downstream side of the gas exhaust tube 230. Is done.

<Configuration around the processing furnace>
As shown in FIG. 6, a seal cap 102 is provided on the lower side of the processing furnace 40 as a furnace port lid for hermetically closing the opening of the processing furnace 40. The seal cap 102 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 102 as a seal member that comes into contact with the lower portion of the processing furnace 40. Further, the seal cap 102 is provided with a rotation mechanism 104, and the rotation shaft 106 of the rotation mechanism 104 passes through the seal cap 102 and is connected to the boat heat insulating portion 34 to rotate the boat heat insulating portion 34 and the boat 30. Thus, the plurality of stacked wafers 14 are configured to rotate.

  The seal cap 102 is configured to be moved up and down in the vertical direction by an elevating motor 122 as an elevating mechanism provided outside the processing furnace 40. Thereby, the boat 30 can be carried into and out of the processing furnace 40. A drive control unit 108 (see FIG. 5) of a controller 152 is electrically connected to the rotation mechanism 104 and the lifting motor 122, and is configured to control at a predetermined timing so as to perform a predetermined operation.

  A lower substrate 112 is provided outside the load lock chamber 110 as a spare chamber. The lower substrate 112 is provided with a guide shaft 116 that is slidably fitted to the lifting platform 114 and a ball screw 118 that is screwed to the lifting platform 114. In addition, an upper substrate 120 is provided at the upper ends of the guide shaft 116 and the ball screw 118 erected on the lower substrate 112. The ball screw 118 is rotationally driven by an elevating motor 122 provided on the upper substrate 120, and the elevating base 114 is moved up and down by rotating the ball screw 118.

  A hollow lifting shaft 124 is provided on the lifting platform 114 so as to hang down. The connecting portion between the lifting platform 114 and the lifting shaft 124 is hermetic, and the lifting shaft 124 moves up and down together with the lifting platform 114. The elevating shaft 124 penetrates a through hole 126a formed in the top plate 126 of the load lock chamber 110 through a predetermined gap, and the elevating shaft 124 and the top plate 126 are in contact with each other. There is no. Thereby, the smooth raising / lowering of the raising / lowering shaft 124 is ensured.

  Between the load lock chamber 110 and the lifting platform 114, a bellows 128 as a hollow stretchable body having elasticity is provided so as to cover the periphery of the lifting shaft 124, and the bellows 128 prevents the load lock chamber 110 from being airtight. It comes to hold. The bellows 128 has a sufficient amount of expansion and contraction that can correspond to the amount of lifting of the lifting platform 114, and the inner diameter of the bellows 128 is set sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the lifting shaft 124. Thereby, when the bellows 128 expands and contracts, the bellows 128 and the elevating shaft 124 are not in contact with each other, and the elevating shaft 124 can be moved up and down smoothly.

  The elevating board 130 is horizontally fixed to the lower end portion of the elevating shaft 124, and the driving unit cover 132 is airtightly attached to the lower surface of the elevating board 130 via a seal member (not shown) such as an O-ring. ing. The elevating board 130 and the drive unit cover 132 form a drive unit storage case 134. With this configuration, the inside of the drive unit storage case 134 is isolated from the atmosphere inside the load lock chamber 110.

  A rotation mechanism 104 of the boat 30 is provided inside the drive unit storage case 134, and the periphery of the rotation mechanism 104 is cooled by a cooling mechanism 135.

  The power cable 138 passes through the hollow portion from the upper end of the elevating shaft 124 and is guided to the rotation mechanism 104 and connected thereto. A cooling water flow path 140 is formed in the cooling mechanism 135 and the seal cap 102. Further, the cooling water pipe 142 passes through the hollow portion from the upper end of the elevating shaft 124 and is led to and connected to the cooling water flow path 140.

  When the elevating motor 122 is driven and the ball screw 118 rotates, the drive unit storage case 134 moves up and down via the elevating platform 114 and the elevating shaft 124. Then, by raising the drive unit storage case 134, the seal cap 102 provided in an airtight manner on the elevating substrate 130 closes the furnace port 144, which is an opening of the processing furnace 40, and heat treatment of each wafer 14 is possible. It becomes a state. Further, by lowering the drive unit storage case 134, the boat 30 is lowered together with the seal cap 102, and the respective wafers 14 can be carried out to the outside.

<Control unit>
Next, the controller 152 that controls each part (various valves, driving parts, etc.) constituting the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 for forming a SiC epitaxial film will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 152 includes a temperature control unit 52, a gas flow rate control unit 78, a pressure control unit 98, and a drive control unit 108. The temperature control unit 52, the gas flow rate control unit 78, the pressure control unit 98, and the drive control unit 108 constitute an operation unit and an input / output unit, and are electrically connected to the main control unit 150 that controls the entire semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10, respectively. Connected.

<Details of reaction gas>
Next, the reason why the first gas supply system and the second gas supply system are provided will be described in detail.

  In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for forming a SiC epitaxial film, a reaction gas (raw material gas) composed of at least a Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and a C (carbon) atom-containing gas is supplied to the reaction chamber, whereby SiC It is necessary to form an epitaxial film. Further, in the case where the plurality of stacked wafers 14 are arranged in multiple stages in a horizontal posture and held on the boat 30 as in the present embodiment, the supply of the reaction gas to each wafer 14 is made uniform. For this purpose, the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 are provided in the reaction chamber 44 and along the longitudinal direction of the boat 30 in order to supply the reaction gas from the vicinity of each wafer 14. Therefore, the conditions in the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 are the same as those in the reaction chamber 44.

  Here, if the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas are supplied by the same gas supply nozzle, the reaction gases react with each other and are consumed, and the reaction gas is insufficient on the downstream side of the reaction chamber 44. Not only the deposits such as SiC films that react and accumulate in the gas supply nozzle block the gas supply port of the gas supply nozzle, the reaction gas supply becomes unstable, and particles are generated. It will occur.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the Si atom-containing gas is supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 60 and the C atom-containing gas is supplied from the second gas supply nozzle 70. In this way, by supplying the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas from different gas supply nozzles, it is possible to prevent the SiC film from being deposited in the gas supply nozzle. In addition, what is necessary is just to supply appropriate carrier gas, respectively, when adjusting the density | concentration and flow velocity of Si atom containing gas and C atom containing gas.

  Furthermore, in order to use the Si atom-containing gas more efficiently, a reducing gas such as hydrogen gas may be used. In this case, the reducing gas is desirably supplied from the second gas supply nozzle 70 that supplies the C atom-containing gas. Thus, by supplying the reducing gas together with the C atom-containing gas and mixing it with the Si atom-containing gas in the reaction chamber 44, the reduction of the reducing gas is reduced, so that the decomposition of the Si atom-containing gas is compared with that during film formation. It is possible to suppress the deposition of the Si film in the first gas supply nozzle 60. In this case, the reducing gas can be used as a carrier gas for the C atom-containing gas. In addition, it is possible to suppress deposition of the Si film by using an inert gas (particularly a rare gas) such as Ar gas as the carrier of the Si atom-containing gas.

  Further, it is desirable to supply a chlorine atom-containing gas such as HCl to the first gas supply nozzle 60. In this way, even if the Si atom-containing gas is decomposed by heat and can be deposited in the first gas supply nozzle 60, it becomes possible to enter the etching mode with chlorine, and the first gas supply nozzle It is possible to further suppress the deposition of the Si film in the 60.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, SiH ₄ gas and HCl gas are supplied to the first gas supply nozzle 60, and C ₃ H ₈ gas and H ₂ gas are supplied to the second gas supply nozzle 70. Although explained in the configuration of supplying, the combination of these reaction gases is considered to be the best combination as described above, and is not limited to these.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the case where HCl gas is used as the Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas supplied when the SiC epitaxial film is formed is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, chlorine gas may be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the SiC epitaxial film is formed, the Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and the Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas are separately supplied. A gas containing atoms such as tetrachlorosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiCl ₄ ) gas, trichlorosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiHCl ₃ ) gas, or dichlorosilane (hereinafter referred to as SiH ₂ Cl ₂ ) gas may be supplied. Needless to say, the gas containing Si atoms and Cl atoms is also a Si atom-containing gas or a mixed gas of Si atom-containing gas and Cl atom-containing gas. In particular, SiCl ₄ is desirable from the viewpoint of suppressing the consumption of Si in the nozzle because the temperature at which it is thermally decomposed is relatively high.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the case where C ₃ H ₈ gas is used as the C (carbon) atom-containing gas is shown, but not limited thereto, ethylene (hereinafter referred to as C ₂ H ₄ ) gas, acetylene (hereinafter referred to as “C ₃ H ₈ gas”). C ₂ H ₂ gas may be used.

In the present embodiment, the case where H ₂ gas is used as the reducing gas has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other H (hydrogen) atom-containing gas may be used. Furthermore, as the carrier gas, at least one of rare gases such as Ar (argon) gas, He (helium) gas, Ne (neon) gas, Kr (krypton) gas, and Xe (xenon) gas may be used. A mixed gas in which these rare gases are arbitrarily combined may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the Si atom-containing gas is supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 60 and the C atom-containing gas is supplied from the second gas supply nozzle 70, thereby suppressing the deposition of the SiC film in the gas supply nozzle. (Hereinafter, a method of separating and supplying the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas is referred to as a “separate method”). However, in this separate method, although deposition of the SiC film in the gas supply nozzle can be suppressed, the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas are allowed to reach the wafers 14 from the gas supply ports 68 and 72. It is necessary to mix well between.

  Therefore, from the viewpoint of uniforming the reaction gas to each wafer 14, it is desirable that the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas are mixed in advance and supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 60 (hereinafter referred to as “the first gas supply nozzle 60”). A method of supplying the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas from the same gas supply nozzle is referred to as a “premix method”. However, according to this premix method, there is a possibility that the SiC film is deposited in the gas supply nozzle. On the other hand, when the ratio of chlorine (etching gas) to hydrogen (reducing gas) (Cl / H) is increased in the Si atom-containing gas, the etching effect by chlorine increases, and the reaction of the Si atom-containing gas is suppressed. Is possible. Therefore, by supplying the Si atom-containing gas, the C atom-containing gas, and the chlorine-containing gas to one gas supply nozzle, and supplying the reducing gas (for example, hydrogen gas) used for the reduction reaction from the other gas supply nozzle, Cl / H in the gas supply nozzle becomes large, and it is possible to suppress the deposition of the SiC film.

<Configuration of gas supply nozzle>
In the present embodiment, a separate method is adopted as a reaction gas supply method, and the reaction gas is supplied from the side of the wafer 14 toward the wafer 14 from the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70. Then, the reaction gas supplied to the wafer 14 passes through the film formation surface (the lower side surface in FIG. 3) of the wafer 14, and then passes through the first gas exhaust port 90 provided on the lower side in the reaction chamber 44. Exhausted outside. However, since the reaction gas supply direction and the reaction gas exhaust direction are different, a part of the reaction gas ejected (supplied) from the gas supply ports 68 and 72 is exhausted before reaching the wafer 14. (Here, the lower side). That is, the flow rate and concentration of the reaction gas tend to be non-uniform between the upper side and the lower side in the reaction chamber 44. Therefore, in this embodiment, the structure around each gas supply port 68, 72 in each gas supply nozzle 60, 70 is devised, and the details will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement state of the gas nozzle according to the first embodiment in the processing furnace, and FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C illustrate the detailed structure of the gas nozzle of FIG. FIG. 9 is a comparative graph showing the concentration [%] and the velocity [m / s] of the reaction gas in the processing furnace.

  First, the arrangement state of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 in the reaction chamber 44 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the reaction chamber 44 as viewed from above, and only the main members are shown for easy understanding. As shown in FIG. 7, the first gas supply nozzle 60 that supplies Si atom-containing gas and the second gas supply nozzle 70 that supplies C atom-containing gas alternately appear between the heating body 48 and the wafer 14. Is arranged. As described above, by alternately arranging the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70, mixing of the Si atom-containing gas and the C atom-containing gas can be promoted. In addition, the gas supply ports 68 and 72 of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 are directed to the central portion of the wafer 14, and the reaction gas supplied from the gas supply ports 68 and 72 is indicated by an arrow in the figure. As shown, it flows toward the center of the wafer 14 and is mixed efficiently along the way.

  Further, it is desirable to provide a total of an odd number of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70. As a result, as shown in the figure, the reaction gas can be uniformly supplied in the horizontal direction in the drawing around the second gas supply nozzle 70 at the center, and the uniformity of the supply of the reaction gas to the wafer 14 is improved. be able to. Note that the total number of gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 is not limited to five, but may be three or a total of seven or more depending on the size (volume) of the reaction chamber 44 and the like. Further, the second gas supply nozzle 70 for supplying the C atom-containing gas is arranged at the center and both ends, and the first gas supply nozzle 60 for supplying the Si atom-containing gas is arranged between the second gas supply nozzles 70. The first gas supply nozzle 60 that supplies the Si atom-containing gas is not limited to this, and is arranged at the center and both ends, and the second gas supply nozzle 70 that supplies the C atom-containing gas is interposed between the first gas supply nozzles 60. It may be arranged.

However, the second gas supply nozzle 70 that supplies the C atom-containing gas is arranged at the center and both ends, and the first gas supply nozzle 60 that supplies the Si atom-containing gas is arranged between the second gas supply nozzles 70. Is desirable. By arranging the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 in this way, the flow rate ratio (center / both sides) of the H ₂ gas that is supplied in large quantities as the carrier gas together with the C atom-containing gas (main field) is adjusted. Thus, the flow of the reaction gas passing through the wafer 14 can be controlled, and the film thickness of the wafer 14 can be easily controlled.

Here, when the premix method is adopted as the reaction gas supply method, the Si atom-containing gas, the C atom-containing gas, and the chlorine-containing gas are supplied from the first gas supply nozzle 60, and the second gas supply nozzle 70 is supplied. It is desirable to supply hydrogen gas which is a reducing gas. Thereby, the flow of the reaction gas passing through the wafer 14 can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate ratio (center / both sides) of the H ₂ gas supplied in large quantities as carrier gas (which becomes the mainstream of the field). The film thickness of the wafer 14 can be easily controlled.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each gas supply nozzle 60, 70 is provided in the reaction tube 42 so as to extend in the stacking direction of the wafer 14, and from its base end portion 60 a, 70 a to each tip end portion 60 b, 70 b. A plurality of gas supply ports 68 and 72 are provided side by side. The base end portions 60 a and 70 a are provided on the opening side of the reaction tube 42, and the distal end portions 60 b and 70 b are provided on the bottom side of the reaction tube 42. As shown in FIG. 8, the gas supply ports 68 and 72 are provided at equal intervals (for example, the stacking interval of the wafers 14) along the longitudinal direction of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70, and are formed in the central portion of the wafer 14. It is open toward.

  On the upper and lower sides of the gas supply ports 68, 72 along the longitudinal direction of the gas supply nozzles 60, 70, rectifying plates (rectifying members) 69 projecting in the reaction gas supply direction from the gas supply ports 68, 72, 73 is provided. The rectifying plates 69 and 73 are provided integrally with the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70, respectively, and are formed in a substantially rectangular shape along the circumferential direction (left and right direction in the drawing) of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70. The base ends of the current plates 69 and 73 are connected to the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70, and the front ends of the current plates 69 and 73 are directed to the wafer 14. Here, among the current plates 69 and 73, the current plates 69 and 73 below the gas supply ports 68 and 72 are disposed on the first gas exhaust port 90 side. Thereby, it is suppressed that the reactive gas from each gas supply port 68,72 flows directly toward the 1st gas exhaust port 90. FIG.

  The width dimension L1 of each rectifying plate 69, 73 is set smaller than the diameter (outer diameter) dimension L2 of each gas supply nozzle 60, 70 (L1 <L2). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 can be arranged in a substantially arc shape, and the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 can be arranged close to each other with the gas supply ports 68 and 72 facing the wafer 14. It is said. Further, the distances between the gas supply ports 68 and 72 and the wafer 14 are equal. As a result, the amount of reaction gas that flows between the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 can be reduced, and the amount of reaction gas that reaches the wafer 14 can be increased.

  The projecting height h1 of each rectifying plate 69, 73 from each gas supply nozzle 60, 70 is high so that the reaction gas injected (supplied) from each gas supply port 68, 72 does not diffuse in the vertical direction immediately after injection. The dimension is set. Thus, by setting the protrusion height h1 of each of the rectifying plates 69 and 73, each gas supply port 68 is prevented from diffusing in the vertical direction immediately after the reaction gas is injected and not reaching the wafer. , 72 and the wafer 14 can be efficiently mixed with the two types of reaction gases injected from the gas supply ports 68, 72. Furthermore, the protrusion height h1 is not so high, and is suppressed as shown in the figure, so that the flow velocity of the reaction gas injected from the gas supply ports 68 and 72 is prevented from decreasing. That is, if the protrusion height h1 is too high, the contact time of the reaction gas with respect to each of the rectifying plates 69 and 73 becomes long, and as a result, the flow velocity decreases.

  In the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 described above, the gas supply ports 68 and 72 at the uppermost stage of the gas supply ports 68 and 72, that is, the gas supplies that are farthest from the first gas exhaust port 90. The rectifying plates 69 and 73 are also provided on the upper side of the ports 68 and 72 (the side far from the first gas exhaust port 90). The rectifying plates 69 and 73 are provided with the flow velocity and concentration of the reaction gas in the reaction chamber 44. It may be omitted because it does not adversely affect the process. In this case, the shape of each gas supply nozzle 60, 70 can be simplified to facilitate manufacture of each gas supply nozzle 60, 70. However, in order to further enhance the rectification effect by the rectifying plates 69 and 73, it is desirable to provide the rectifying plates 69 and 73 also above the gas supply ports 68 and 72 in the uppermost stage.

  In addition, in each of the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 described above, the rectifying plates 69 and 73 and the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 are integrated. A separate rectifying plate may be attached to the gas supply nozzle by welding or the like. Further, the shape on the front end side of each rectifying plate 69, 73 may not be a linear shape as shown in the figure, but may be, for example, a tapered shape whose width dimension gradually decreases toward the front end side.

  Furthermore, instead of the plate-like rectifying plates 69 and 73, cylindrical rectifying members (not shown) may be adopted, and the cylindrical rectifying members may be provided around the gas supply ports 68 and 72. . In this case, since the rectifying member surrounds the surroundings of the gas supply ports 68 and 72, the wraparound of the reaction gas can be further suppressed. It should be noted that the protrusion height should not be too high in order to ensure the mixing efficiency of the reaction gas and to prevent the reaction gas speed from dropping.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, all the gas supply nozzles 60, 70 have the same shape including the rectifying plates 69, 73, but not limited to this, all the gas supply nozzles 60, 70. It is not necessary to provide each of the rectifying plates 69 and 73, and a rectifying plate (rectifying member) may be provided for some of the gas supply nozzles.

  FIG. 9 compares the flow velocity and concentration of the reaction gas by the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 (invention) described above with the flow velocity and concentration of the reaction gas by the gas supply nozzle (comparative example) that does not include a conventional rectifying member. A comparative graph is shown. As shown in FIG. 9, in the present invention, from the lower side of the product region in which the wafers 14 are stacked (the lower side of the graph on the lower side of the reaction chamber 44) to the upper side (the upper side of the reaction chamber 44, the right side of the graph). The concentration (%) of the reaction gas is higher than that of the comparative example. That is, it can be seen that the current plates 69 and 73 suppress the diffusion of the reaction gas. Further, in the present invention, it can be seen that the variation width of the concentration of the reaction gas can be suppressed to a width of ± 1.880% which is narrower than that of the comparative example (± 2.700%).

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the flow velocity (m / s) of the reaction gas is faster than that of the comparative example from the lower side to the upper side of the product region where the wafers 14 are stacked. That is, it can be seen that each of the rectifying plates 69 and 73 suppresses the diffusion of the reaction gas, and the flow velocity of the reaction gas due to this does not decrease. Further, in the present invention, it can be seen that the variation width of the flow velocity of the reaction gas can be suppressed to a width of ± 0.574% which is narrower than that of the comparative example (± 1.030%).

<Method for Forming SiC Epitaxial Film>
Next, using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 formed as described above, as a step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process, for example, a substrate on which a SiC epitaxial film is formed on a substrate such as a wafer 14 made of SiC or the like. A processing method will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 is controlled by the controller 152.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, when a pod 16 storing a plurality of wafers 14 is set on a pod stage 18, the pod 16 is transferred from the pod stage 18 to the pod storage shelf 22 by the pod transfer device 20. To do. Next, the pod 16 stocked on the pod storage shelf 22 is transported and set to the pod opener 24 by the pod transport device 20, the lid 16 a of the pod 16 is opened by the pod opener 24, and the pod 16 is detected by the substrate number detector 26. The number of wafers 14 housed in is detected. Next, the wafer transfer unit 28 takes out the wafer 14 from the pod 16 at the position of the pod opener 24, and transfers the taken out wafer 14 to the boat 30.

  When a plurality of wafers 14 are loaded and stacked on the boat 30, the boat 30 holding the wafers 14 is moved up and down by the lifting / lowering table 114 and the lifting / lowering shaft 124 by the lifting / lowering motor 122 as shown in FIG. 6. Carrying in, that is, boat loading. In this state, the seal cap 102 seals the lower end of the manifold 36 via the O-ring. A series of processes up to this point, that is, a process (boat loading process) from loading each wafer 14 stacked in the boat 30 into the reaction tube 42 and sealing with the seal cap 102 is the substrate transport process in the present invention. It is composed.

  After the boat 30 is carried into the reaction chamber 44, as shown in FIG. 2, the reaction chamber 44 is evacuated by the evacuation device 220 so that the inside of the reaction chamber 44 has a predetermined pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the reaction chamber 44 is measured by the pressure sensor, and the APC valve 214 communicating with the first gas exhaust port 90 and the second gas exhaust port 390 is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure. Further, the heating body 48 is heated so that the inside of the wafer 14 and the reaction chamber 44 has a predetermined temperature. At this time, the state of energization to the induction coil 50 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor so that the reaction chamber 44 has a predetermined temperature distribution. Subsequently, the boat 30 is rotated by the rotating mechanism 104, and thereby the wafer 14 is also rotated.

Thereafter, Si (silicon) atom-containing gas and Cl (chlorine) atom-containing gas that contribute to the growth of the SiC epitaxial film are supplied from the first and second gas supply sources 210a and 210b, respectively, and from the first gas supply port 68, respectively. Inject into the reaction chamber 44. Further, after adjusting the opening degree of the corresponding MFCs 211c and 211d so that the C (carbon) atom-containing gas and the reducing gas H ₂ gas have a predetermined flow rate, the valves 212c and 212d are opened, and the respective reactions are performed. The gas flows through the second gas line 260 and is injected into the reaction chamber 44 through the second gas supply nozzle 70 and the second gas supply port 72.

  The reaction gas injected from the first gas supply port 68 and the second gas supply port 72 flows inside the heating body 48 in the reaction chamber 44 and is exhausted from the first gas exhaust port 90 through the gas exhaust pipe 230. . When the reaction gas injected from the first gas supply port 68 and the second gas supply port 72 passes through the reaction chamber 44, the reaction gas comes into contact with the wafer 14 made of SiC or the like, and on the film formation surface of the wafer 14. Then, an SiC epitaxial film is formed. At that time, diffusion flowing toward the other adjacent gas supply ports is suppressed by the rectifying plates 69 and 73 (see FIG. 8) provided in the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70. As a result, the wafers 14 are made homogeneous. Can be That is, it is possible to keep the film thickness of each wafer 14 constant and suppress the occurrence of product errors (variations).

  Further, after adjusting the opening of the corresponding MFC 211e so that Ar gas (rare gas) as an inert gas has a predetermined flow rate from the fifth gas supply source 210e, the valve 212e is opened, and the third gas line 240 is opened. It circulates and is supplied into the reaction chamber 44 from the third gas supply port 360. Ar gas as an inert gas supplied from the third gas supply port 360 passes between the heat insulating material 54 in the reaction chamber 44 and the reaction tube 42 and is exhausted from the second gas exhaust port 390. Thereafter, the reaction gas is exposed to each wafer 14 as described above, and when a preset time has elapsed, the supply control of each reaction gas is stopped. The series of steps so far, that is, the step of forming the SiC epitaxial film on the film forming surface of each wafer 14 by supplying the reactive gas constitutes the substrate processing step in the present invention.

  Next, an inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source (not shown), the space inside the heating body 48 in the reaction chamber 44 is replaced with the inert gas, and the pressure in the reaction chamber 44 is restored to normal pressure. The

  After the inside of the reaction chamber 44 returns to normal pressure, the seal cap 102 is lowered by the rotational drive of the lifting motor 122 and the furnace port 144 of the processing furnace 40 is opened. Accordingly, each heat-treated (film-formed) wafer 14 is carried out from the lower side of the manifold 36 to the outside of the reaction tube 42 while being held in the boat 30, that is, boat unloaded. Each wafer 14 held in the boat 30 is in a standby state inside the load lock chamber 110 until it cools.

  Thereafter, when each wafer 14 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, each wafer 14 is taken out from the boat 30 by the operation of the substrate transfer device 28 and transferred to the empty pod 16 set in the pod opener 24. Stored. Thereafter, the pod 16 storing the wafers 14 is transferred to the pod storage shelf 22 or the pod stage 18 by the operation of the pod transfer device 20. In this way, a series of operations of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 is completed.

<Typical effects of the first embodiment>
As described above, according to the technical idea described in the first embodiment, at least one of the plurality of effects described below is produced.

  (1) According to the first embodiment, the gas supply nozzles 60 and 70 extend in the reaction gas supply direction from the gas supply ports 68 and 72 and the gas supply ports 68 and 72 Since the rectifying plates 69 and 73 are provided on the 1 gas exhaust port 90 side, the reaction gas injected (supplied) from the gas supply ports 68 and 72 flows directly toward the first gas exhaust port 90. As a result, it is possible to make the flow of the reaction gas substantially uniform toward the respective wafers 14 and to form the films without causing the wafers 14 to vary.

  (2) According to the first embodiment, each rectifying plate 69, also on the upper side of each gas supply port 68, 72 farthest from the first gas exhaust port 90, that is, on the side farther from the first gas exhaust port 90, 73 is provided, the diffusion of the reaction gas injected (supplied) from the gas supply ports 68 and 72 can be suppressed in the vertical direction, and the rectification effect by the rectifying plates 69 and 73 can be further enhanced. Variations in the wafer 14 can be further eliminated.

  (3) According to the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of the reaction gas in the vertical direction and to make the flow of the reaction gas substantially uniform toward each wafer 14, so that at least the Si atom-containing gas and the Cl atom The first gas supply nozzle 60 for supplying the contained gas and the second gas supply nozzle 70 for supplying at least the C atom-containing gas and the reducing gas are used, and these two kinds of reaction gases are supplied to the reaction chamber 44 (reaction tube). 42), and is effective when the wafer 14 is deposited.

  (4) By using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 described in the first embodiment in the substrate processing step in the semiconductor device manufacturing method, one or more of the above-described effects can be obtained in the semiconductor device manufacturing method. The effect of.

  (5) In the substrate manufacturing method for forming a SiC epitaxial film, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 described in the first embodiment is used in the substrate processing step in the substrate manufacturing method for forming a SiC epitaxial film. Among the plurality of effects, one or more effects are achieved.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that portions having the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the gas nozzle according to the second embodiment in the processing furnace, and FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C illustrate the detailed structure of the gas nozzle of FIG. FIG.

  In the second embodiment, as compared with the first embodiment described above, only the shapes of the first gas supply nozzle and the second gas supply nozzle are different. In the first embodiment, plate-like rectifying plates 69 and 73 (see FIG. 8) are employed as the rectifying members. However, in the second embodiment, in addition to the upper and lower rectifying plates 302 and 352, left and right The rectifying member provided with the side shielding walls 303 and 353 is employed (see FIG. 11).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the first gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, first gas nozzle) 300 and the second gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, second gas nozzle) 350 are arranged in the reaction chamber 44 as in the first embodiment. Has been. That is, two first gas supply nozzles 300 and three second gas supply nozzles 350 are provided in the reaction chamber 44. Around the first gas supply port (gas supply port) 301 and the second gas supply port (gas supply port) 351 of each of the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350, the gas supply ports 301 and 351 are surrounded, Rectifying plates 302 and 352 located on the upper and lower sides and shielding walls 303 and 353 located on the left and right sides, respectively, are provided. The rectifying plates 302 and 352 and the shielding walls 303 and 353 all constitute a rectifying member in the present invention, and are provided integrally with the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350, respectively.

  Each shielding wall 303 and 353 forms a side surface portion of the rectifying member, and the reaction gas injected from one gas supply port 301 or 351 does not circulate to each other adjacent gas supply port 301 or 351. The gas supply ports 301 and 351 are sandwiched between the gas supply ports 301 and 351 and extend toward the wafer 14. As shown in FIG. 11, the distance L3 between the inner walls of the shielding walls 303 and 353 facing each gas supply port 301 and 351 is set to be larger than the diameter of each gas supply port 301 and 351. . As a result, the gap between the inner walls of the shielding walls 303 and 353 is less likely to be blocked than the gas supply ports 301 and 351. Further, the length dimension L4 from each gas supply port 301, 351 to the tip side of each shielding wall 303, 353 is set to be larger than the distance dimension L3 between the inner walls of each shielding wall 303, 353 ( L4> L3). Thereby, the wraparound of the reaction gas from one gas supply port 301 or 351 to another gas supply port 301 or 351 can be reliably suppressed.

  The width L5 of the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 on the side of the shielding walls 303 and 353 (the lower side in FIG. 11B) is opposite to the side of the shielding walls 303 and 353 of the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350. The dimension is set smaller than the width dimension L6 (upper side in FIG. 11B) (L5 <L6). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 can be arranged in a substantially arc shape, and the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 can be arranged close to each other with the gas supply ports 301 and 351 facing the wafer 14. It is said. Further, the distances between the gas supply ports 301 and 351 and the wafer 14 are equal. As a result, the amount of reaction gas that circulates between the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 can be reduced, and the amount of reaction gas that reaches the wafer 14 can be increased.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, the front end side of each of the shielding walls 303 and 353 is cut off a triangular region (shaded portion in the figure) formed by connecting the outer wall extending obliquely downward and the inner wall extending straight in the vertical direction. It has a shape. In other words, the length dimension L4 of the inner wall of each shielding wall 303,353 is the length dimension L7 of the extension line of the inner wall of each shielding wall 303,353 until it intersects with the extension line of the outer wall of each shielding wall 303,353. Is shorter. Thereby, it is suppressed that the reactive gas supplied from each gas supply port 301,351 contacts the inner wall of each shielding wall 303,353 and the flow velocity of reactive gas falls.

  Furthermore, the corner | angular part by the side of the front-end | tip of each shielding wall 303,353 is R chamfering, and the said part is curvilinear shape (R shape). In this way, the corner portions on the front end side of the respective shielding walls 303 and 353 are curved, so that even if the SiC film is deposited on the portions, the SiC film is deposited in a flat shape, thereby suppressing generation of particles. can do. Here, when the corner portion on the tip side of each of the shielding walls 303 and 353 is not chamfered, deposition of a substantially beak-shaped SiC film may occur from the corner portion as a base point, thereby easily generating particles. There is concern about becoming.

  Each of the rectifying plates 302 and 352 forms a portion other than the shielding walls 303 and 353 of the rectifying member, and the tip side of each of the shielding walls 303 and 353 further protrudes downward in FIG. 11B. It is formed in the shape made. That is, as shown in FIG. 11C, the length dimension of the inner wall of each shielding wall 303, 353 (length dimension of the side surface portion of the rectifying member) L4 is the gas supply port 301 of each rectifying plate 302, 352. , 351 to the tip end side (length dimension of the other part of the rectifying member) h2 is set to a length dimension shorter than h2. Accordingly, the diffusion of the reaction gas from the gas supply ports 301 and 351 in the vertical direction can be further suppressed while suppressing the decrease in the flow velocity due to the shielding walls 303 and 353. Note that the corners on the tip side of the current plates 302 and 352 are also rounded in the same manner as the shielding walls 303 and 353.

  Here, in each of the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 described above, the rectifying plates 302 and 352 and the shielding walls 303 and 353 are integrated with the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350, respectively. Not limited to this, a rectifying plate and a shielding wall as separate members may be attached to a pipe-like gas supply nozzle as in the past by welding or the like.

  Further, the outer walls of the shielding walls 303 and 353 may be formed so as to extend straight in the vertical direction without extending obliquely downward. In this case, the shape of each gas supply nozzle 300, 350 can be simplified, and as a result, it can be manufactured inexpensively and easily.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, all the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 have the same shape including the respective rectifying plates 302 and 352 and the shielding walls 303 and 353. The gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 do not need to be provided with the rectifying plates 302 and 352 and the shielding walls 303 and 353, and some of the gas supply nozzles may be provided with a rectifying plate and a shielding wall (rectifying member). .

  Further, when the premix method is adopted as the reaction gas supply method, it is desirable not to provide the shielding wall 353 around the second gas supply port 351. The reducing gas is injected from the second gas supply port 351, and the reaction gas that is a raw material for film formation is not supplied. Therefore, even if the reactive gas injected from the first gas supply port 301 goes to the second gas supply port 351, the concentration is considered to be small. On the other hand, the flow rate of the reducing gas is faster than the Si atom-containing gas or the C atom-containing gas. Therefore, the flow rate of the reaction gas can be increased by not providing the shielding wall 353.

<Typical effects of the second embodiment>
As mentioned above, also in the technical idea demonstrated in 2nd Embodiment, there can exist an effect similar to 1st Embodiment mentioned above. In addition to this, in the second embodiment, at least one of the plurality of effects described below is produced.

  (1) According to the second embodiment, since the rectifying members including the respective rectifying plates 302 and 352 and the respective shielding walls 303 and 353 are provided so as to surround the respective gas supply ports 301 and 351, the reaction gas In addition to suppressing the diffusion of the reaction gas in the vertical direction, the diffusion of the reaction gas in the horizontal direction can also be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the amount of the reaction gas that flows between the gas supply nozzles 300 and 350 and increase the amount of the reaction gas that reaches the wafer 14.

  (2) According to the second embodiment, the shielding walls 303 and 353 are provided as the side portions of the rectifying member, and the length L4 of each of the shielding walls 303 and 353 is the other part of the rectifying member. Since the height dimension (length dimension) h2 of the rectifying plates 302 and 352 is shorter than the height dimension h2, the reduction in the flow rate of the reaction gas due to the reaction gas coming into contact with the inner walls of the shielding walls 303 and 353 is suppressed. Diffusion in the vertical direction can be further suppressed.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say. For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the film forming apparatus (substrate processing apparatus) for forming the SiC epitaxial film has been described as an example, but the supply direction (horizontal) of the reactive gas injected (supplied) from the gas supply port is described. The technical idea of the present invention can also be applied to other substrate processing apparatuses in which the direction) and the exhaust direction (vertical direction) of the injected reaction gas are different.

  The present invention includes at least the following embodiments.

[Appendix 1]
A reaction vessel for processing a plurality of stacked substrates;
A heating body for heating the inside of the reaction vessel;
A gas nozzle provided in the reaction vessel and extending in the stacking direction of the substrates;
A plurality of gas nozzles arranged in a row from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the gas nozzle, and supply a reaction gas toward the substrate;
It is provided in the gas nozzle, extends in the supply direction of the reaction gas from each gas supply port, and is disposed on the exhaust port side for exhausting the reaction gas in the reaction container to the outside at each gas supply port. A rectifying member;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

[Appendix 2]
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectifying member is provided on a side of the gas supply port farthest from the exhaust port and far from the exhaust port.

[Appendix 3]
The substrate processing apparatus according to appendix 2, wherein the rectifying member is provided so as to surround each of the gas supply ports.

[Appendix 4]
The gas nozzle is formed of a first gas nozzle for supplying a first reaction gas and a second gas nozzle for supplying a second reaction gas, and the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are mixed in the reaction vessel. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the substrate is formed.

[Appendix 5]
The substrate processing apparatus according to appendix 3 or 4, wherein a shielding wall having a length shorter than that of the other part of the flow regulating member is provided on a side surface of the flow regulating member.

[Appendix 6]
Provided in a reaction vessel for processing a plurality of laminated substrates;
A base end provided on the opening side of the reaction vessel;
A tip provided on the bottom side of the reaction vessel;
A gas supply port that is provided in a plurality from the base end portion toward the tip end portion and supplies a reaction gas toward the substrate;
A rectifying member that extends in the supply direction of the reaction gas from each gas supply port and that is disposed on the exhaust port side for exhausting the reaction gas in the reaction vessel at each gas supply port to the outside;
Gas nozzle with.

[Appendix 7]
The gas nozzle according to claim 6, wherein the rectifying member is also provided on a side of the gas supply port farthest from the exhaust port and farther from the exhaust port.

[Appendix 8]
The gas nozzle according to appendix 7, wherein the rectifying member is provided so as to surround each of the gas supply ports.

[Appendix 9]
The gas nozzle according to appendix 8, wherein a shielding wall having a length shorter than that of the other part of the flow regulating member is provided on a side surface of the flow regulating member.

[Appendix 10]
A substrate transfer step of transferring a plurality of loaded substrates into the reaction vessel;
Provided in the reaction vessel, a base end provided on the opening side of the reaction vessel, a tip provided on the bottom side of the reaction vessel, and a plurality of side by side from the base end toward the tip A gas supply port for supplying a reaction gas toward the substrate, and a reaction gas in the reaction container at each gas supply port extending in a direction in which the reaction gas is supplied from each gas supply port. The substrate is configured to supply the reaction gas from the gas supply ports of a gas nozzle to the substrate and to heat the inside of the reaction vessel with a heating body. A substrate processing step for processing,
A method of manufacturing a substrate or semiconductor device having

  The present invention can be widely used in manufacturing industries that manufacture semiconductor devices (semiconductor devices), substrates on which SiC epitaxial films are formed, and the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (substrate processing apparatus), 12 ... Housing, 14 ... Wafer (substrate), 15 ... Wafer holder, 15a ... Lower wafer holder, 15b ... Upper wafer holder, 16 ... Pod, 16a ... Cover, 18 ... Pod stage, 20 ... Pod transfer device, 22 ... Pod storage shelf, 24 ... Pod opener, 26 ... Substrate number detector, 28 ... Substrate transfer machine, 30 ... Boat, 32 ... Arm, 34 ... Boat heat insulation, 36 ... Manifold (reaction vessel), 40 ... processing furnace, 42 ... reaction tube (reaction vessel), 44 ... reaction chamber, 48 ... heated body, 50 ... inductive coil, 52 ... temperature control unit, 54 ... insulation, 55 ... outer insulation Wall, 58 ... magnetic seal, 60 ... first gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, first gas nozzle), 60a ... base end, 60b ... tip, 68 ... first gas supply port (gas supply port), 69 Rectifier plate (rectifier member), 70 ... second gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, second gas nozzle), 70a ... base end portion, 70b ... tip portion, 72 ... second gas supply port (gas supply port), 73 ... rectifier plate (Rectifying member), 78 ... gas flow rate control unit, 90 ... first gas exhaust port (exhaust port), 98 ... pressure control unit, 102 ... seal cap, 104 ... rotating mechanism, 106 ... rotating shaft, 108 ... drive control unit DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Load lock chamber, 112 ... Lower board, 114 ... Elevating stand, 116 ... Guide shaft, 118 ... Ball screw, 120 ... Upper board, 122 ... Elevating motor, 124 ... Elevating shaft, 126 ... Top plate, 126a ... Through Hole: 128 ... Bellows, 130: Elevating board, 132 ... Drive part cover, 134 ... Drive part storage case, 135 ... Cooling mechanism, 138 ... Power cable, 140 ... Cooling water flow path, 142 ... Cooling Water piping, 144 ... furnace port, 150 ... main controller, 152 ... controller, 210a ... first gas supply source, 210b ... second gas supply source, 210c ... third gas supply source, 210d ... fourth gas supply source, 210e ... fifth gas supply source, 211a to 211e ... MFC, 212a to 212e ... valve, 213a to 213d ... gas pipe, 214 ... APC valve, 220 ... vacuum exhaust device, 222 ... first gas line, 230 ... gas exhaust pipe , 240 ... third gas line, 260 ... second gas line, 300 ... first gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, first gas nozzle), 301 ... first gas supply port (gas supply port), 302 ... rectifying plate (rectifying member) , 303 ... Shielding wall (rectifying member), 350 ... Second gas supply nozzle (gas nozzle, second gas nozzle), 351 ... Second gas supply port (gas supply port), 35 2 ... Rectifying plate (rectifying member), 353 ... Shielding wall (rectifying member), 360 ... Third gas supply port, 390 ... Second gas exhaust port, 400 ... Structure

Claims (3)

A reaction vessel for processing a plurality of stacked substrates;
A heating body for heating the inside of the reaction vessel;
A gas nozzle provided in the reaction vessel and extending in the stacking direction of the substrates;
A plurality of gas nozzles arranged in a row from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the gas nozzle, and supply a reaction gas toward the substrate;
It is provided in the gas nozzle, extends in the supply direction of the reaction gas from each gas supply port, and is disposed on the exhaust port side for exhausting the reaction gas in the reaction container to the outside at each gas supply port. A rectifying member;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: Provided in a reaction vessel for processing a plurality of laminated substrates;
A base end provided on the opening side of the reaction vessel;
A tip provided on the bottom side of the reaction vessel;
A gas supply port that is provided in a plurality from the base end portion toward the tip end portion and supplies a reaction gas toward the substrate;
A rectifying member that extends in the supply direction of the reaction gas from each gas supply port and that is disposed on the exhaust port side for exhausting the reaction gas in the reaction vessel at each gas supply port to the outside;
Gas nozzle with. A substrate transfer step of transferring a plurality of loaded substrates into the reaction vessel;
Provided in the reaction vessel, a base end provided on the opening side of the reaction vessel, a tip provided on the bottom side of the reaction vessel, and a plurality of side by side from the base end toward the tip A gas supply port for supplying a reaction gas toward the substrate, and a reaction gas in the reaction container at each gas supply port extending in a direction in which the reaction gas is supplied from each gas supply port. The substrate is configured to supply the reaction gas from the gas supply ports of a gas nozzle to the substrate and to heat the inside of the reaction vessel with a heating body. A substrate processing step for processing,
A method of manufacturing a substrate or semiconductor device having

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