JP2985293B2 - Continuous processing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous processing method and apparatus, and more particularly to vacuum processing such as etching, ashing, and film formation and atmospheric pressure processing such as cleaning for a sample such as a semiconductor element substrate. The present invention relates to a continuous processing apparatus that performs continuous processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Demands for higher functionality, higher integration, and higher density for electronic devices such as semiconductor elements are increasing, and the manufacturing processes thereof are also becoming more and more complicated.

Generally, in the manufacturing process of the electronic device, a thin film is formed, a fine pattern is processed, an impurity is diffused,
Processing such as heat treatment is repeatedly performed, and vacuum processing apparatuses such as a CVD apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, and a dry etching apparatus are often used. Conventionally, these processing are performed by a single apparatus in one process or at most pre-cleaning or ashing. The previous and subsequent processing steps were only performed continuously in a vacuum. On the other hand, in recent years, the process has been shortened,
The concept of process integration has been proposed for the purpose of reducing particles and stabilizing the process by continuous processing in a vacuum, and so-called multi-chamber type devices have appeared. This enables a vacuum process such as the CVD, sputtering and dry etching to be performed continuously and continuously in one apparatus. However,
In reality, there are many wet processes that use liquids, such as cleaning, between these thin film formation and microfabrication processes. It was very limited.

[0004] In this regard, see, for example, the monthly Semiconductor World (1990.1), 49th.
Wafer cassette chamber, etcher, as described on page
There has been proposed an apparatus that integrally includes an asher and a wet processing chamber, and is capable of sequentially performing an etching process, an ashing process, and a wet process, and carrying out a wet-processed wafer outside the apparatus. However, the above problems have not yet been solved.

As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, for example, Realize Inc., edited by the Semiconductor Technology Research Group, “Process Performance Improvement Technology in LSI Manufacturing II”
I ”, page 23, proposes a system that connects all devices regardless of vacuum processing or air processing through a clean N ₂ tunnel and performs continuous continuous processing without exposing wafers to the air in a clean room. Have been.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the system becomes extremely large, and there are many problems to be solved in order to connect a large number of devices of different manufacturers, and it is still quite difficult to realize. I have to say that it takes time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous processing method and apparatus which can perform vacuum processing and atmospheric pressure processing continuously in one apparatus, and can integrate more advanced processes.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vacuum processing chamber and an atmospheric pressure processing chamber,
The sample processed in the atmospheric pressure processing chamber can be transported to a vacuum processing chamber without exposure to an atmosphere outside the apparatus, and vacuum processing can be performed.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a vacuum processing chamber and an atmospheric pressure processing chamber are provided, and a sample such as a semiconductor element substrate processed in the atmospheric pressure processing chamber is transferred to the vacuum processing chamber without being exposed to an atmosphere outside the apparatus. Atmospheric pressure such as vacuum processing such as film formation processing such as CVD and sputtering, dry etching processing and ashing processing, and wet processing using liquids including cleaning by being configured to be able to perform vacuum processing It is possible to integrate a more advanced process with the processing process.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an application of a continuous processing apparatus according to the present invention to an apparatus for performing dry etching and CVD processing on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter abbreviated as a wafer) as a sample.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with a vacuum exhaust device and a gas introducing device (both not shown), and a load lock chamber 1 for introducing an unprocessed wafer into a vacuum atmosphere. An unload lock chamber 2 for taking out the inside, an etching chamber 3 for performing an etching process on a wafer, an ashing chamber 4 for removing a resist, and a CVD chamber 5 for forming an insulating layer such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide. A load lock chamber 6 for loading and unloading wafers between a vacuum atmosphere and an atmospheric pressure processing atmosphere has gate valves 7b to 7 which can be opened and closed, respectively.
g, and is connected to a vacuum transfer chamber 9 provided with a transfer device 8 for transferring a wafer to and from each of the above-mentioned chambers. Further, a cleaning chamber 10 for performing a cleaning process on the wafer in a dry nitrogen atmosphere at atmospheric pressure is connected to the load lock chamber 6 through a gate valve 7i that can be opened and closed. in this case,
The cleaning chamber 10 can be confidentially shut off from the atmospheric pressure outside the apparatus.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. In the state where unprocessed wafers are stored one by one or in a cassette, the load lock chamber 1 is passed through the gate valve 7a from outside the apparatus.
Supplied to Thereafter, the gate valve 7a is closed,
In this state, the load lock chamber 1 is evacuated by the evacuation device. After evacuation of the load lock chamber 1, the gate valve 7 b is opened, and the wafer is taken from the load lock chamber 1 into the vacuum transfer chamber 9, which is constantly maintained at a high vacuum by the transfer device 8. After the gate valve 7b is closed, the gate valve 7c is opened, and the wafer is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber 9 to the etching chamber 3 by the transfer device 8. Thereafter, after the gate valve 7c is closed, a dry etching process, in this case, a plasma etching process, is performed according to predetermined conditions. Hereinafter, the wafer after the etching process is transferred from the etching chamber 3 to the ashing chamber 4 via the vacuum transfer chamber 9 by the cooperative operation of the gate valves 7c and 7d and the transfer device 8, and remains on the wafer after the etching process. Ashing is performed to remove the resist that has been removed. Next, the gate valve 7
The wafer after the ashing process is transferred from the ashing chamber 4 to the load lock chamber 6 via the vacuum transfer chamber 9 by the cooperative operation of the transfer devices 8 and 7g and the transfer device 8. Load lock room 6
Is returned to atmospheric pressure by N ₂ gas after closing the gate valve 7g. Thereafter, the gate valve 7i is opened, and the wafer is carried into the cleaning chamber 10 from the load lock chamber 6 through the gate valve 7i by the transfer means (not shown). The cleaning chamber 10 is configured so as to be confidentially shielded from the atmospheric pressure atmosphere outside the apparatus. In this case, the wafer is subjected to a cleaning treatment and a drying treatment for removing residues after removing the resist in a dry nitrogen atmosphere at atmospheric pressure. Is given. The wafer having been subjected to such a cleaning process is again transferred to the load lock chamber 6 through the gate valve 7i by the transfer means. Thereafter, the load lock chamber 6 is evacuated to substantially the same pressure as the vacuum transfer device 9. Next, the wafer after the cleaning process is transferred from the load lock chamber 6 to the CVD chamber 5 via the vacuum transfer chamber 9 by the cooperative operation of the gate valves 7 e and 7 g and the transfer device 8. Subsequently, the wafer is subjected to a film forming process for forming a protective film, for example, a silicon nitride or silicon oxide film in the CVD chamber 5. Thereafter, the wafer subjected to the film formation processing is transferred from the CVD chamber 5 to the unload lock chamber 2 via the vacuum transfer chamber 9 by the cooperative operation of the gate valves 7e and 7f and the transfer device. And is taken out of the device via.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the etching process, the ashing process, the CVD film forming process, and the cleaning process can be continuously performed on the wafer in one apparatus, and if necessary, repeated. Further, as compared with the conventional technology, it is possible to integrate a more advanced process of each of the etching process, the ashing process, and the CVD film forming process and the cleaning process. That is, while obtaining such a continuous processing system as an extremely simple system,
This eliminates the hassle of connecting devices from different manufacturers.

It is to be noted that a vacuum deposition chamber such as a sputtering chamber, a vacuum deposition chamber, or an MBE chamber may be provided in place of the CVD chamber in the above embodiment. In addition, a plurality of vacuum deposition processing chambers, for example,
Alternatively, a CVD chamber and a sputtering chamber may be provided.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been made using the cleaning process as the atmospheric pressure process. In addition, the atmospheric pressure process may be, for example, a temperature recovery process of the sample by a low-temperature etching technique. That is, in the low-temperature etching technique, the sample is cooled to a temperature of 0 ° C. or lower and etched. Therefore, when an ashing process or a film forming process is performed after such a low-temperature etching process, a sample temperature recovery process is required from the viewpoint of improving throughput. As a device corresponding to this, a temperature recovery processing chamber is additionally provided in the device of the above-described embodiment, or a temperature recovery function is added to the function of the cleaning room. In such an apparatus, a low-temperature etching process, a temperature recovery process, an ashing process, a cleaning process, and a CVD film forming process are sequentially or repeatedly performed when necessary.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since vacuum processing and atmospheric pressure processing can be performed continuously and repeatedly when necessary in one apparatus, it is possible to integrate a more advanced process of vacuum processing and atmospheric pressure processing. effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a continuous processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... load lock chamber, 2 ... unload lock chamber, 3 ... etching chamber, 4 ... ashing chamber, 5
... CVD chamber, 6 ... load lock chamber, 7a, 7
b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g, 7i, 7j ...
Gate valve, 8: transfer means, 9: vacuum transfer chamber, 10: cleaning chamber

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Atsushi Ito 794, Higashi-Toyoi, Kazamatsu, Kudamatsu-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture Inside the Hitachi, Ltd.Kasato Plant (56) References JP-A-57-134946 (JP, A) JP-A-63-28047 (JP, A) (58) Fields studied (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B01J 3 / 02

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] A step of transferring a sample to one of a plurality of vacuum processing chambers installed via a vacuum transfer chamber; a step of vacuum-treating the sample in the vacuum processing chamber to which the sample is transferred; Transferring the processed sample from the vacuum processing chamber to the atmospheric pressure processing chamber via the vacuum transfer chamber; processing the vacuum-processed sample under the atmospheric pressure in the atmospheric processing chamber; Transporting the processed sample from the atmospheric pressure processing chamber to any of the plurality of vacuum processing chambers through the vacuum transport chamber, and vacuuming the sample in the vacuum processing chamber in which the sample after the atmospheric pressure processing has been transported. A continuous processing method. 2. The continuous processing method according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum processing of the sample in the vacuum processing chamber is different from the vacuum processing of the sample after the atmospheric pressure processing. 3. The continuous processing method according to claim 2, wherein the sample is etched and ashed in the vacuum processing chamber, and the processed sample is cleaned in the atmospheric pressure processing chamber.
A continuous processing method, wherein the sample subjected to the cleaning processing is formed into a film in the vacuum processing chamber. 4. A plurality of vacuum processing chambers in which a sample is processed under a vacuum, and said sample is processed under an atmospheric pressure and can be hermetically shut off from an outside air atmosphere. Atmospheric pressure processing chamber capable of returning to atmospheric pressure, the plurality of vacuum processing chambers and the atmospheric pressure processing chamber are respectively provided via opening / closing means, and the sample is placed at least between the vacuum processing chamber and the atmospheric pressure processing chamber. A continuous processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum transfer chamber provided with transfer means for transferring. 5. The continuous processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sample is subjected to etching, ashing, and film formation in each of the vacuum processing chambers, and the sample is cleaned in the atmospheric pressure processing chamber. Features continuous processing equipment. 6. A plurality of vacuum processing chambers for processing a sample under vacuum and at least one load lock chamber for carrying the sample into and out of a vacuum atmosphere, the plurality of vacuum processing chambers and the load lock chamber. Each of the chambers is connected via a gate valve to a vacuum transfer chamber provided with a transfer means for transferring a sample between the vacuum lock chamber and a vacuum lock chamber separate from the load lock chamber through the gate valve. And at least one atmospheric pressure processing chamber for performing processing on the sample under atmospheric pressure or a pressure close to atmospheric pressure through the gate valve to the another load lock chamber. A continuous processing apparatus wherein the sample processed in step (1) is transferred to the vacuum processing chamber without being exposed to an atmosphere outside the apparatus, and vacuum processing is performed.