GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND GAS SUPPLY METHOD

Abstract

Prior to wafer processing, pressure ratio control is executed on a divided flow rate adjustment means so as to adjust the flow rates of divided flows to achieve a target pressure ratio with regard to the pressures in the individual branch passages. As the processing gas from a processing gas supply means is diverted into first and second branch pipings under the pressure ratio control and the pressures in the branch passages then stabilize, the control on the divided flow rate adjustment means is switched to steady pressure control for adjusting the flow rates of the divided flows so as to hold the pressure in the first branch passage at the level achieved in the stable pressure condition. Only after the control is switched to the steady pressure control, an additional gas is delivered into the second branch passage via an additional gas supply means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an example of a structure that may be adopted in a substrate processing apparatus achieved in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure that may be adopted in the control unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure that may be adopted in the gas supply system in the embodiment;

FIG. 4 presents a flowchart of an example of processing that may be executed in the substrate processing apparatus in the embodiment; and

FIG. 5 presents a flowchart of another example of processing that may be executed in the substrate processing apparatus in the embodiment.

Claims

1. A gas supply system that supplies gases into a processing chamber where a substrate undergoing processing is processed, comprising: a processing gas supply means for supplying a processing gas to be used to process said substrate;a processing gas supply passage through which the processing gas from said processing gas supply means flows;a first branch passage and a second branch passage branching from said processing gas supply passage and connected to said processing chamber at different positions;a divided flow rate adjustment means for adjusting the divided flow rates of the processing gas diverted into said branch passages from said processing gas supply passage based upon pressures within said branch passages;an additional gas supply means for supplying an additional gas;an additional gas supply passage through which the additional gas from said additional gas supply means is made to flow into said second branch passage at a position further downstream relative to said divided flow rate adjustment means; anda control means for supplying the processing gas via said processing gas supply means and executing pressure ratio control on said divided flow rate adjustment means to adjust the divided flow rates so as to achieve a target pressure ratio for the pressures in said branch passages before processing said substrate and for supplying the additional gas via said additional gas supply means after switching control on said divided flow rate adjustment means to steady pressure control through which the divided flow rates are adjusted so as to hold the pressure in said first branch passage at a level achieved in stable pressure conditions once the pressures in said branch passages become stabilized.

2. A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein: once the pressures in said branch passages stabilize after starting the additional gas supply, said control means designates the pressure ratio of the pressures in said branch passages detected in the stable pressure conditions as a new target pressure ratio and switches the control on said divided flow rate adjustment means to pressure ratio control for adjusting the divided flow rates so as to match the pressure ratio of the pressures in said branch passages with the new target pressure ratio.

3. A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein: said divided flow rate adjustment means includes valves each used to adjust the flow rate of the processing gas flowing through one of said branch passages and pressure sensors each used to measure the pressure in one of said branch passages; andsaid divided flow rate adjustment means adjusts the flow rate ratio of the flows of the processing gas from said processing gas supply passage by adjusting the degrees of openness of said valves based upon the pressures detected with said pressure sensors.

4. A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein: said processing gas supply means includes a plurality of gas supply sources and supplies into said processing gas supply passage the processing gas constituted with a mixed gas achieved by mixing gases from said gas supply sources delivered at specific flow rates.

5. A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein: said additional gas supply means includes a plurality of gas supply sources and supplies into said additional gas supply passage the additional gas constituted with a mixed gas containing selected gases among the gases from said gas supply sources or containing gases delivered from said gas supply sources with a predetermined gas flow rate ratio.

6. A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein: said first branch passage is disposed so that the processing gas flowing through said first branch passage is supplied toward a central area on a surface of said substrate in said processing chamber; andsaid second branch passage is disposed so that the processing gas flowing through said second branch passage is supplied toward a peripheral area on the surface of said substrate.

7. A gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein: said second branch passage is made up of a plurality of branch passages branching from said processing gas supply passage so that the additional gas from said additional gas supply means is delivered into the plurality of second branch passages.

8. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber where a substrate is processed;a gas supply system that supplies gases into said processing chamber; anda control means for controlling said gas supply system, wherein:said gas supply system includes:a processing gas supply means for supplying a processing gas to be used to process the substrate;a processing gas supply passage through which the processing gas from the processing gas supply means flows;a first branch passage and a second branch passage branching from said processing gas supply passage and connected to said processing chamber at different positions;a divided flow rate adjustment means for adjusting the divided flow rates of said processing gas diverted into said branch passages from said processing gas supply passage based upon pressures in said branch passages;an additional gas supply means for supplying an additional gas;an additional gas supply passage through which the additional gas from said additional gas supply means is made to flow into said second branch passage at a position further downstream relative to said divided flow rate adjustment means; andsaid control means supplies the processing gas via said processing gas supply means and executes pressure ratio control on said divided flow rate adjustment means to adjust the divided flow rates so as to achieve a target pressure ratio for the pressures in said branch passages before processing the substrate and supplies the additional gas via said additional gas supply means after switching control on the divided flow rate adjustment means to a steady pressure control through which said divided flow rates are adjusted so as to hold the pressure in said first branch passage at a level achieved in stable pressure conditions once the pressures in said branch passages become stabilized.

9. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: once the pressures is said branch passages stabilize after starting the additional gas supply, said control means designates the pressure ratio of the pressures in said branch passages detected in the stable pressure conditions as a new target pressure ratio, switches the control on said divided flow rate adjustment means to pressure ratio control for adjusting the divided flow rates so as to match the pressure ratio of the pressures in said branch passages with the new target pressure ratio, and then starts to process said substrate

10. A gas supply method adopted in conjunction with a gas supply system that supplies gases into a processing chamber where a substrate is processed, wherein: said gas supply system comprises:a processing gas supply means for supplying a processing gas to be used to process the substrate;a processing gas supply passage through which the processing gas from said processing gas supply means flows;a first branch passage and a second branch passage branching from the processing gas supply passage and connected to said processing chamber at different positions;a divided flow rate adjustment means for adjusting the divided flow rates of the processing gas diverted into said branch passages from said processing gas supply passage based upon pressures in said branch passage;an additional gas supply means for supplying an additional gas; andan additional gas supply passage through which the additional gas from said additional gas supply means is made to flow into said second branch passage at a position further downstream relative to said divided flow rate adjustment means; andsaid gas supply method comprises:a step executed before processing the substrate in which the processing gas is supplied via said processing gas supply means and pressure ratio control is executed on said divided flow rate adjustment means to adjust the divided flow rates so as to achieve a target pressure ratio for the pressures in said branch passages; anda step executed once the pressures in said branch passages become stabilized through pressure ratio control in which the additional gas is supplied via the additional gas supply means after switching the control on said divided flow rate adjustment means to steady pressure control for adjusting the divided flow rates so as to hold the pressure in said first branch passage at a level achieved in stable pressure conditions.

11. A gas supply method according to claim 10, further comprising: a step in which once the pressures inside said branch passages stabilize after starting the additional gas supply, the control on said divided flow rate adjustment means is switched to pressure ratio control for adjusting the flow rates of the divided flows so as to achieve a new target pressure ratio matching the pressure ratio of the pressures in said branch passages measured in the stable pressure conditions.