GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND GAS SUPPLY METHOD

Abstract

A gas supply system includes a first and a second branch line branched from a processing gas supply line to be respectively connected with a first and a second gas introduction section for introducing a gas from different portions in a processing chamber and a branch flow control unit for controlling branch flows of the processing gas distributed from the processing gas supply line to the first and the second branch line based on pressures in the first and the second processing gas branch line. The gas supply system further includes an additional gas supply unit for supplying an additional gas and an additional gas supply line for allowing the additional gas to flow therein. The first or second gas introduction section is divided into a processing gas introduction section connected with the branch lines and an additional gas introduction section connected with the additional gas supply line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of an exemplary configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 describes a transversal cross sectional view of an inner upper electrode in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 provides a block diagram of an exemplary configuration of a gas supply system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary configuration of a control unit in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 offers a flowchart of an exemplary process of a substrate processing apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 presents a block diagram of another exemplary configuration of the gas supply system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary configuration of a gas supply system of a substrate processing apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts a transversal cross sectional view of an inner upper electrode in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 describes a block diagram of another exemplary configuration of the gas supply system in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed, the system comprising: a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate to be processed;a processing gas supply line for allowing the processing gas from the processing gas supply unit to flow therein;a first and a second branch line branched from the processing gas supply line to be respectively connected with a first and a second gas introduction section for introducing a gas from different portions in the processing chamber;a branch flow control unit for controlling branch flows of the processing gas distributed from the processing gas supply line to the first and the second branch line based on pressures in the first and the second processing gas branch line;an additional gas supply unit for supplying an additional gas; andan additional gas supply line for allowing the additional gas to flow therein,wherein the first gas introduction section or the second gas introduction section is divided into a processing gas introduction section connected with the branch lines and an additional gas introduction section connected with the additional gas supply line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional gas introduction section introduces the additional gas into the processing chamber to be added to the processing gas introduced from the processing gas introduction section into the processing chamber.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second gas introduction section is arranged to surround the first gas introduction section and divided into the processing gas introduction section and the additional gas introduction section, the processing gas introduction section being arranged to surround the first gas introduction section, the additional gas introduction section being arranged to surround the processing gas introduction section.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling, before the substrate is processed, the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit to initiate supplies of the processing gas and the additional gas and then controlling the branch flow control unit to adjust branch flows of the processing gas such that a ratio of pressures in the branch lines becomes a target pressure ratio.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first gas introduction section is arranged such that the gas is introduced therethrough toward a central region on a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber, and wherein the second gas introduction section is arranged such that the gas is introduced therethrough toward an outer peripheral region surrounding the central region on the surface of the substrate.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the branch flow control unit has valves for controlling a flow rate of the processing gas flowing in the respective branch lines and pressure sensors for detecting the pressures in the respective branch lines, and a ratio of flow rates of the processing gas flowing through the respective branch lines is adjusted by controlling opening degrees of the valves based on the inner pressures detected by the pressure sensors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing gas supply unit has a plurality of gas supply sources to supply to the processing gas supply line the processing gas obtained by mixing gases from the gas supply sources at a specific flow rate ratio.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional gas supply unit has a plurality of gas supply sources to supply to the additional gas supply line the additional gas obtained by selecting a gas from the gas supply sources or by mixing gases from the gas supply sources at a specific gas flow rate ratio.

9. A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed, the system comprising: a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate to be processed;a processing gas supply line for allowing the processing gas from the processing gas supply unit to flow therein;a first to an n-th branch line branched from the processing gas supply line to be respectively connected with a first to an n-th gas introduction section for introducing a gas from different portions in the processing chamber;a branch flow control unit for controlling branch flows of the processing gas distributed from the processing gas supply line to the first to the n-th branch line based on pressures in the first to the n-th branch line;an additional gas supply unit for supplying an additional gas; andan additional gas supply line for allowing the additional gas to flow therein,wherein at least one of the first to the n-th gas introduction section is divided into a processing gas introduction section for introducing the processing gas from the branch lines into the processing chamber and an additional gas introduction section for introducing the additional gas from the additional gas supply line into the processing chamber to be added to the processing gas.

10. A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed, the system comprising: a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate to be processed;a processing gas supply line for allowing the processing gas from the processing gas supply unit to flow therein;a plurality of branch lines branched from the processing gas supply line to be respectively connected with a plurality of gas introduction sections for introducing a gas from different portions in the processing chamber;a branch flow control unit for controlling branch flows of the processing gas distributed from the processing gas supply line to the branch lines based on inner pressures of the branch lines;an additional gas supply unit for supplying an additional gas; andan additional gas supply line for allowing the additional gas to flow therein,wherein at least one of the gas introduction sections is divided into a processing gas introduction section for introducing the processing gas from the branch lines into the processing chamber and an additional gas introduction section for introducing the additional gas from the additional gas supply line to be added to the processing gas.

11. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed; anda gas supply system for supplying a gas into the processing chamber,wherein the gas supply system comprises a first and a second gas introduction section for introducing a gas from different portions in the processing chamber; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate to be processed; a processing gas supply line for allowing the processing gas from the processing gas supply unit to flow therein; a first and a second branch line branched from the processing gas supply line to be respectively connected with the first and the second gas introduction section; a branch flow control unit for controlling branch flows of the processing gas distributed from the processing gas supply line to the first and the second branch line based on pressures in the first and the second branch line; an additional gas supply unit for supplying an additional gas; an additional gas supply for allowing the additional gas from the additional gas supply unit to flow therein,wherein the first gas introduction section or the second gas introduction section is divided into a processing gas introduction section connected with the branch lines and an additional gas introduction section connected with the additional gas supply line.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the additional gas introduction section introduces the additional gas into the processing chamber to be added to the processing gas introduced from the processing gas introduction section into the processing chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second gas introduction section is arranged to surround the first gas introduction section and divided into the processing gas introduction section and the additional gas introduction section, the processing gas introduction section being arranged to surround the first gas introduction section and the additional gas introduction section being arranged to surround the processing gas introduction section.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a control unit for controlling, before the substrate is processed, the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit to initiate supplies of the processing gas and the additional gas and then controlling the branch flow control unit to adjust the branch flows of the processing gas from the processing gas supply line such that a ratio of the pressures in the branch lines becomes a target pressure ratio.

15. A gas supply method using a gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed, the gas supply system including a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate to be processed; a processing gas supply line for allowing the processing gas from the processing gas supply unit to flow therein; a first and a second branch line branched from the processing gas supply line to be respectively connected with a first and a second gas introduction section for introducing a gas from different portions in the processing chamber; a branch flow control unit for adjusting branch flows of the processing gas distributed from the processing gas supply line to the first and the second branch line based on pressures in the first and the second branch line; an additional gas supply unit for supplying an additional gas; and an additional gas supply line for allowing the additional gas from the additional gas supply unit to flow therein, wherein the first gas introduction section or the second gas introduction section is divided into a processing gas introduction section connected with the branch lines and an additional gas introduction section connected with the additional gas supply line, the method comprising the steps of: controlling, before processing the substrate to be processed, the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit to initiate supplies of the processing gas and the additional gas; andcontrolling the branch flow control unit to adjust the branch flows of the processing gas such that a ratio of the pressure in the branch lines becomes a target pressure ratio