KR100941073B1 - Top nozzle and substrate processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a top nozzle for uniformly supplying a cleaning gas of a substrate processing apparatus into a process chamber. The top nozzle is a passage through which the cleaning gas introduced to the upper surface through the cleaning gas flow path includes a plurality of slots formed in a shape cut in the center direction from the outer circumferential surface of the circular plate. Such a top nozzle supplies cleaning gas supplied from the cleaning gas flow path to the center and the edge of the process chamber through the upper surface and the slots of the circular plate. According to the present invention, the cleaning gas can be uniformly supplied into the process chamber, whereby the cleaning efficiency can be improved.

Substrate Processing Unit, Top Nozzle, Slot, Cleaning Process, Cleaning Gas, Process Chamber

Description

TOP NOZZLE AND SUBSTRATE TREATMENT APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a top nozzle for injecting two kinds of gases onto a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus having the same.

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process of manufacturing a semiconductor device is a process of forming a thin film on a semiconductor substrate by a chemical reaction of a gas. Recently, high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) equipment, which can effectively fill a space having a high aspect ratio, is mainly used among apparatuses performing the chemical vapor deposition process.

In the HDP-CVD apparatus, when the process gas supplied into the process chamber is uniformly distributed around the wafer during the deposition process, the deposition of the surface of the semiconductor substrate is uniform, thereby obtaining an excellent film. In addition, even when performing the etching process, when the distribution of the process gas is uniform, the sputtering becomes uniform as a whole, and thus the desired etching can be performed. In the cleaning step of cleaning the process chamber after the etching step, the cleaning efficiency is improved when the distribution of the process gas is uniform.

Referring to FIG. 1, a substrate processing apparatus 2 that processes a cleaning process using plasma after an etching process may include a process chamber 10, an electrostatic chuck 20, a driving unit 22, an exhaust unit 30, and a plurality of process units. Side nozzles 50 and top nozzle 40.

Process chamber 10 includes upper and lower chambers 12, 14. The upper chamber 12 is equipped with a plurality of side nozzles 50 on the side and a top nozzle 40 on the upper surface. The side nozzles 50 and the top nozzle 40 supply various process gases (eg, reactive gas, cleaning gas and inert gas, etc.) into the process chamber 10 for processing the process. The upper electrode 4 is installed on the upper surface of the upper chamber 12.

The lower chamber 14 is disposed below the upper chamber 12. The lower chamber 14 and the upper chamber 12 are manufactured to be separated and combined with each other. One side of the lower chamber 14 is provided with an entrance 16. The entrance and exit 16 enters and exits the substrate W during the process. In addition, an outlet 18 is provided on the other side of the lower chamber 14. The discharge port 18 is an opening through which the process gas used during the process is discharged.

The electrostatic chuck 20 supports the wafer substrate W. As shown in FIG. The electrostatic chuck 20 has a lower electrode (not shown) for guiding a plasma formed in the process chamber 10 onto the wafer substrate W. The driver 22 moves the electrostatic chuck 20 up and down to adjust the height of the wafer substrate W during the process.

The exhaust unit 30 discharges the gas inside the process chamber 10 to the outside. In addition, the exhaust unit 30 reduces the pressure inside the process chamber 10 to the process pressure. The exhaust unit 30 includes an exhaust line 36, an opening and closing member 32, and a suction member 34. Exhaust line 36 is connected to outlet 18. The opening / closing member 32 is provided, for example as a gate valve, on the exhaust line 36. The opening and closing member 32 opens and closes the gas movement passage of the exhaust line 36. The suction member 34 is provided with, for example, a turbo pump and is installed on the exhaust line 36 at the rear end of the opening / closing member 32. The suction member 34 forcibly sucks gas inside the process chamber 10. In addition, the suction member 34 controls the pressure inside the process chamber 10 by forcibly discharging the gas inside the process chamber 10.

The substrate processing apparatus 2 is a cleaning process that removes reaction by-products (eg, a polymer, etc.) adsorbed inside the process chamber 10 (eg, inside the process chamber, an electrostatic chuck, etc.) after an etching process. In processing the cleaning gas, a cleaning gas must be supplied to distribute the process gas uniformly inside the process chamber 10. To this end, the top nozzle 40 has an upper portion of the circular plate 44 disposed at the bottom of the top nozzle 40 via the pipe 42 in which the cleaning gas is formed therein, as shown in FIG. 2. It flows along the surface and is supplied to the process chamber 10.

However, the top nozzle 40 is uniformly supplied into the process chamber 10 by a plurality of injection holes provided in the lower end of the circular plate 44, the cleaning gas is the upper portion of the circular plate 44 Since it is supplied along the surface, the density of the cleaning gas is relatively low in the central portion of the process chamber 10. Therefore, since the cleaning gas is excessively supplied to the inner wall of the process chamber 10, a problem occurs in the cleaning of the electrostatic chuck 20, which causes particles to remain in the electrostatic chuck 20. As a result, the supply path (not shown) of the cooling gas (for example, helium gas) for cooling the wafer substrate W seated on the electrostatic chuck 20 is blocked, and the phenomenon that the cooling gas leaks occurs. There is a problem.

The present invention provides a top nozzle for uniformly supplying cleaning gas to a process chamber and a substrate processing apparatus having the same.

The present invention provides a top nozzle and a substrate processing apparatus having the same for improving cleaning efficiency.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus. The apparatus includes a process chamber, a chuck disposed within the process chamber and supporting a substrate, and a top nozzle disposed on top of the process chamber and supplying a process gas and a cleaning gas to the process chamber. The top nozzle has a tubular first body having a process gas flow path therein, a tubular second body having a cleaning gas flow path therein, extending downward from the first body, and the first body and the second body. It has a third body having a plate shape of a larger diameter than the body and having an inner space connected to the process gas flow path and having a plurality of injection holes for spraying the process gas introduced into the inner space downward. The third body has a plurality of slots formed in a shape cut in the center direction from the outer peripheral surface of the plate.

The slots may be radially disposed to be uniformly disposed in the center direction from the edge of the third body.

The second body may be disposed to surround the first body.

The present invention also provides a top nozzle. The top nozzle includes a first body, a second body disposed to surround the first body, extending downward from the first body and spaced apart from the second body, and viewed from above the second body. When it includes a third body having a large area. The outer periphery of the third body is formed with a plurality of slots cut inwardly of the third body.

As described above, the top nozzle provided in the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is formed in a shape cut in the center direction from the outer circumferential surface of the circular plate, and includes a plurality of slots for supplying the cleaning gas, thereby providing the cleaning gas to the circular plate. The upper surface and the slots can be uniformly supplied to the edge portion and the center portion of the process chamber.
Therefore, the top nozzle smoothly supplies the cleaning gas to the inner wall of the process chamber and the electrostatic chuck, thereby preventing the occurrence of particles and the leakage of the cooling gas of the electrostatic chuck during the cleaning process, thereby providing a substrate processing apparatus having the top nozzle of the present invention. The cleaning efficiency can be improved.

The embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the embodiments described below. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shape of the components in the drawings, etc. have been exaggerated to emphasize a more clear description.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

3 and 6 are views showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the top nozzle shown in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is shown in Figure 4 It is sectional drawing which shows the detailed structure of a top nozzle.

First, referring to FIG. 3, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is, for example, a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) apparatus that processes a cleaning process using plasma after an etching process, and then into the process chamber 110. A top nozzle 140 for uniformly supplying cleaning gas is provided.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 may include a process chamber 110, a chuck 120, a driver 122, an exhaust unit 30, and gas supply members 140 and 150. For example, the gas supply members 140 and 150 include a plurality of side nozzles 150 and one top nozzle 140.

Process chamber 110 includes upper and lower chambers 112, 114. The upper chamber 112 is equipped with a plurality of side nozzles 150 on the side and a top nozzle 140 on the upper surface. The side nozzles 150 and the top nozzle 140 supply various process gases, cleaning gases, and the like to process the process into the process chamber 110.

In addition, an upper electrode 102 is provided on the upper surface of the upper chamber 112. The upper electrode 102 is disposed to surround the upper chamber 112 outside the upper surface of the upper chamber 112 in a coil shape. The lower chamber 114 is disposed below the upper chamber 112 and is manufactured to be separated from and coupled with the upper chamber 112. An entrance 116 is provided at one side of the lower chamber 114 to allow the wafer substrate W to enter and exit the process. In addition, the other side of the lower chamber 114 is provided with an outlet 118. The outlet 118 is an opening through which process gas and cleaning gas used in the process proceed.

The chuck 120 supports the wafer substrate W. As shown in FIG. An electrostatic chuck may be used as the chuck 120. Inside the electrostatic chuck 120, a lower electrode (not shown) for guiding a plasma formed in the process chamber 110 onto the wafer substrate W is disposed. The driver 122 moves the electrostatic chuck 120 up and down to adjust the height of the wafer substrate W during the process.

The exhaust unit 130 discharges the gas inside the process chamber 110 to the outside, or reduces the pressure inside the process chamber 110 to the process pressure. The exhaust unit 130 includes an exhaust line 136, an opening and closing member 132, and a suction member 134. Exhaust line 136 is connected to outlet 118. The opening / closing member 132 is provided as, for example, a gate valve and installed on the exhaust line 136. The opening and closing member 132 opens and closes a gas movement passage of the exhaust line 136. The suction member 134 is provided with, for example, a turbo pump and installed on the exhaust line 136 at the rear end of the opening / closing member 132. The suction member 134 forcibly sucks gas inside the process chamber 110. In addition, the suction member 134 controls the pressure inside the process chamber 110 by forcibly discharging the gas inside the process chamber 110.

After the etching process, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is cleaned to remove reaction by-products (eg, polymer, etc.) adsorbed inside the process chamber 110 (eg, process chamber inner wall, electrostatic chuck, etc.). Process the process. At this time, the substrate processing apparatus 100 supplies the cleaning gas to be uniformly distributed in the process chamber 110.

To this end, the top nozzle 140 has a cleaning gas flowing along the outer circumferential surface of the tube 142 of the top nozzle 140 and the upper surface of the circular plate 144, as shown in FIG. 4, and thus the edge of the process chamber 110. At the same time, it is supplied to the portion, and at the same time through the plurality of slots 146 provided in the circular plate 144 to the central portion of the process chamber 110 to be uniformly distributed in the process chamber 110. Here, the pipe 142 is formed with a process gas flow path for supplying a process gas therein.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 5, the top nozzle 140 has a tubular first body 142 having a process gas flow passage 143 therein and a cleaning gas flow passage for supplying a cleaning gas to the process chamber 110. The tubular second body 148 and the plurality of injection holes 141 formed in a circular plate shape at the lower end of the first body 142 and connected to the process gas flow path 143 are injected with the process gas And a third body 144 having a plurality of slots 146 formed in a shape cut in a center direction from an outer circumferential surface of the circular plate as a passage through which the cleaning gas introduced to the upper surface through the cleaning gas flow path passes. do.

The second body 148 supplies a cleaning gas to the upper surface of the third body 144 to remove reaction byproducts adsorbed on the inner wall of the process chamber 110. The second body 148 is installed at the center of the upper surface of the upper chamber 112 to surround the first body 142.

The injection holes 141 formed in the third body 144 are disposed at regular intervals and directions from the center of the third body 144 to provide a uniform shape, and the slots 146 are not mixed with the cleaning gas and the process gas. The gas flow paths are formed independently of the injection holes 141 to prevent the gas flow paths. In addition, the slots 146 may be provided radially arranged uniformly in the center direction from the edge of the third body (144). In addition, the slots 146 may be determined in an appropriate amount depending on the size of the wafer substrate W, for example, the number, size and location of the slots.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100, reaction by-products generated as the deposition or etching process proceeds are adsorbed on the inner wall of the process chamber 110. The reaction by-products are adsorbed on the inner wall of the process chamber 110 and then fall onto the wafer substrate W to contaminate the wafer substrate W during the process. Accordingly, the top nozzle 140 has an edge portion of the process chamber 110 along the top surface of the third body 144 through the second body 148, as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 5 and 6. At the same time it is supplied to the central portion of the process chamber 110 through the slots (146) of the third body (144).

Therefore, the top nozzle 140 of the present invention uniformly supplies the cleaning gas into the process chamber 110.

In the above, the configuration and operation of the top nozzle and the substrate processing apparatus having the same according to the present invention are illustrated according to the detailed description and the drawings, which are merely described by way of example and are within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Many variations and modifications are possible.

1 illustrates a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the top nozzle shown in FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the top nozzle shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the top nozzle shown in FIG. 4; FIG. And

FIG. 6 is a view showing a flow of cleaning gas of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100 substrate processing apparatus 110 process chamber

120: electrostatic chuck 130: exhaust

140: top nozzle 141: injection hole

142: first body 143: process gas flow path

144: third body 146: slot

148: second body

Claims (4)

A process chamber; A chuck disposed in said process chamber, said chuck supporting a substrate; A top nozzle disposed above the process chamber and supplying a process gas and a cleaning gas to the process chamber; The top nozzle; A tubular first body having a process gas flow passage therein; A tubular second body having a cleaning gas flow path therein; A process which extends downwardly from the first body and has a plate shape having a diameter larger than that of the first body and the second body, and has an inner space connected to the process gas flow path, and is introduced into the inner space on a lower surface thereof; A third body having a plurality of injection holes for injecting gas downward; The third body has a plurality of slots formed in a shape cut in the center direction from the outer peripheral surface of the plate, the cleaning gas supplied from the second body along the upper surface of the third body of the edge of the process chamber And to a central portion of the process chamber through the slots. The method of claim 1, The slots are substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that provided in the radially arranged uniformly in the center direction from the edge of the third body. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the second body is arranged to surround the first body. In the top nozzle, A first body; A second body disposed to surround the first body; A third body extending downward from the first body and spaced apart from the second body and having a larger area when viewed from above than the second body, A top nozzle, characterized in that the outer periphery of the third body is formed with a plurality of slots cut inwardly of the third body.

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