Substrate processing apparatus and method

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a reaction chamber for simultaneously processing a plurality of process substrates, a boat for loading the process substrates into the reaction chamber, and a stocker for storing a multiple number of dummy substrates, at least a portion of the dummy substrates being loaded into the reaction chamber together with the process substrates through the use of the boat. A substrate cleaning process is carried out by loading dummy substrates to be cleaned into the reaction chamber through the use of the boat and introducing a cleaning gas into the reaction chamber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: 
 a reaction chamber for simultaneously processing a plurality of process substrates;    a boat for loading the process substrates into the reaction chamber; and    a stocker for storing a multiple number of dummy substrates, at least a portion of the dummy substrates being loaded into the reaction chamber together with the process substrates through the use of the boat,    wherein a dummy substrate cleaning process is carried out by loading the dummy substrates to be cleaned into the reaction chamber through the use of the boat and introducing a cleaning gas into the reaction chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein there is a limit in the number of time of using each dummy substrate and the dummy substrate cleaning process is carried out for the dummy substrates used up to the limit.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein all the dummy substrates stored in the stocker are simultaneously subject to the dummy substrate cleaning process.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the process substrates and the dummy substrates are silicon wafers and quartz wafers, respectively.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the process substrates and the dummy substrates are silicon wafers and alumina coated silicon wafers on top and bottom surfaces thereof, respectively.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the boat is simultaneously cleaned during the dummy substrate cleaning process.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the reaction chamber is simultaneously cleaned during the dummy substrate cleaning process.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the boat is a quartz boat for accommodating a predetermined number of substrates.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the ratio of the number of said portion of the dummy substrates to that of the process substrates is fixed and the capacity of the stocker is n times the number of said portion of the dummy substrates, n being a positive integer.  
     
     
         10 . A substrate processing method for use in the apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the step of cleaning in the reaction chamber the dummy substrates stored in the stocker.  
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing method of  claim 10 , wherein there is a limit in the number of time of using each dummy substrate and the cleaning step is carried out for the dummy substrates used up to the limit.  
     
     
         12 . The substrate processing method of  claim 10 , wherein all the dummy substrates stored in the stocker are simultaneously subject to the cleaning step.