Method of manufacturing semiconductor device and apparatus for processing substrate

Abstract

A process for producing a semiconductor device, in which in the formation of a boron doped silicon film from, for example, monosilane and boron trichloride by vacuum CVD technique, there can be produced a film excelling in inter-batch homogeneity with respect to the growth rate and concentration of a dopant element, such as boron. The process includes the step of performing the first purge through conducting at least once of while a substrate after treatment is housed in a reaction furnace, vacuuming of the reaction furnace and inert gas supply thereto and the steps of performing the second purge through conducting at least once of after carrying of the substrate after treatment out of the reaction furnace, prior to carrying of a substrate to be next treated into the reaction furnace and while at least no product substrate is housed in the reaction furnace, vacuuming of the reaction furnace and inert gas supply thereto.

1 . An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
 a reaction furnace for processing the substrate,   a gas supply line for supplying a gas into the reaction furnace,   an exhaust line through which an inside of the reaction furnace is evacuated,   an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line,   a loading/unloading device that loads and unloads the substrate into and from the reaction furnace, and   a controller configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line, the exhaust valve and the loading/unloading device so as to   perform, under a state that the processed substrate is accommodated in the reaction furnace, a 1st purge by repeating plural times an evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of an inert gas into the reaction furnace, thereby changing a pressure in the reaction furnace, and   perform, after the processed substrate is unloaded from the reaction furnace and before another substrate to be processed next is loaded into the reaction furnace, a 2 nd  purge by repeating plural times, under a state that at least a product substrate is not accommodated in the reaction furnace, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace, and thereby changing the pressure in the reaction furnace,   wherein in the 1 st  purge, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace are performed under a state that the exhaust valve is open, and in the 2 nd  purge, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace is performed under the state that the exhaust valve is open, and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace is performed under a state that the exhaust valve is closed.   
   
   
       2 . An apparatus that processes a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein additionally the controller is configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line and the exhaust valve such that an amount of change in the pressure in the reaction furnace in the 2nd purge is larger than an amount of change in the pressure in the reaction furnace in the 1st purge. 
   
   
       3 . An apparatus that processes a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein additionally the controller is configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line and the exhaust valve such that a difference between a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure in the reaction furnace in the 2nd purge is larger than a difference between a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure in the reaction furnace in the 1st purge. 
   
   
       4 . An apparatus that processes a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein additionally the controller is configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line and the exhaust valve such that a cycle of the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace in the 2nd purge is shorter than a cycle of the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace in the 1st purge. 
   
   
       5 . An apparatus that processes a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein additionally the controller is configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line and the exhaust valve such that a cycle number of the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace in the 2nd purge is greater than a cycle number of the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace in the 1st purge. 
   
   
       6 . An apparatus that processes a substrate, comprising:
 a reaction furnace that processes the substrate,   a gas supply line that supplies a gas into the reaction furnace,   an exhaust line through which an inside of the reaction furnace is evacuated,   an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line,   a support member that supports the substrate,   a loading/unloading device that loads and unloads the support member into and from the reaction furnace, and   a controller configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line, the exhaust valve and the loading/unloading device so as to   perform, under a state that the support member supporting the processed substrate is accommodated in the reaction furnace, a 1st purge by repeating plural times an evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and a supply of an inert gas into the reaction furnace, and thereby changing a pressure in the reaction furnace, and   perform, after the support member supporting the processed substrate is unloaded from the reaction furnace and before the support member supporting another substrate to be processed next is loaded into the reaction furnace, a 2nd purge by repeating plural times, under a state that the support member not supporting at least a product substrate is accommodated in the reaction furnace, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace, and thereby changing the pressure in the reaction furnace,   wherein, in the 1st purge, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace are performed under a state that the exhaust valve is open, and in the 2nd purge, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace is performed under the state that the exhaust valve is open, and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace is performed under a state that the exhaust valve is closed.   
   
   
       7 . An apparatus that processes a substrate, comprising:
 a reaction furnace that processes the substrate,   a gas supply line that supplies a gas into the reaction furnace,   an exhaust line through which an inside of the reaction furnace is evacuated,   an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust line,   a support member that supports the substrate,   a loading/unloading device that loads and unloads the support member into and from the reaction furnace, and   a controller configured to control the gas supply line, the exhaust line, the exhaust valve and the loading/unloading device so as to   perform, after the support member supporting the processed substrate is unloaded from the reaction furnace and before the support member supporting another substrate to be processed next is loaded into the reaction furnace, a purge by repeating plural times, under a state that the support member not supporting at least a product substrate is accommodated in the reaction furnace, an evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace and a supply of an inert gas into the reaction furnace, and thereby changing a pressure in the reaction furnace,   wherein, in the purge, the evacuation of the inside of the reaction furnace is performed under a state that the exhaust valve is open, and the supply of the inert gas into the reaction furnace is performed under a state that the exhaust valve is closed.