Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus processes a substrate by supplying a gas into a processing space. The apparatus includes a buffer space wherein the gas is dispersed, the buffer space disposed at an upstream side of the processing space; a transfer space where the substrate passes when transferred to the processing space; a first, a second and a third exhaust pipe connected to the transfer space, the buffer space and the processing space, respectively; a fourth exhaust pipe connected to downstream sides of the first exhaust pipe, the second exhaust pipe and the third exhaust pipe; a first vacuum pump disposed at the first exhaust pipe; a second vacuum pump disposed at the fourth exhaust pipe; a first valve disposed at the first exhaust pipe at a downstream side of the first vacuum pump; and a second and a third valve disposed at the second and the third exhaust pipe, respectively.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate by supplying a processing gas and an inert gas into a processing space, the apparatus comprising:
 a buffer space wherein the gas is dispersed, the buffer space disposed at an upstream side of the processing space;   a transfer space where the substrate passes when the substrate is transferred to the processing space;   a first exhaust pipe connecting the transfer space, a first vacuum pump, a first valve disposed at a downstream side of the first vacuum pump and a fourth valve disposed at an upstream side of the first vacuum pump;   a second exhaust pipe where connected to the buffer space, wherein a second valve is disposed at the second exhaust pipe only for exhausting an inner atmosphere;   a third exhaust pipe connected to the processing space, wherein a third valve, which is only for exhausting an inner atmosphere, and a pressure controller are disposed at the third exhaust pipe;   a fourth exhaust pipe connected to downstream sides of the first exhaust pipe, the second exhaust pipe and the third exhaust pipe; and a control unit configured to control the second valve and the third valve such that an inner atmosphere of the processing space is exhausted by closing the second valve and opening the third valve after exhausting an inner atmosphere of the buffer space from the second exhaust pipe by opening the second valve and closing the third valve while supplying the inert gas.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the first valve and the second valve such that the first valve is closed when the second valve is open. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the first valve and the first vacuum pump such that first vacuum pump continuously operates even when the first valve is closed. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the control unit is further configured to control the first valve and the fourth valve such that the first valve is closed after the fourth valve is closed.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the first valve and the third valve such that the first valve is closed when the third valve is open. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fourth valve disposed at the first exhaust pipe at an upstream side of the first vacuum pump; and   an inert gas supply unit connected to the first exhaust pipe between the first vacuum pump and the fourth valve.   
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a control unit is configured to control the fourth valve and the inert gas supply unit such that the inert gas supply unit supplies an inert gas to the first vacuum pump when the fourth valve is closed. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to control a flow rate of the inert gas supplied by the inert gas supply unit such that an exhaust pressure of the first vacuum pump is higher than an inside pressure of an exhaust pipe between the first vacuum pump and the second vacuum pump. 
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the flow rate of the inert gas supplied by the inert gas supply unit based on a flow rate of a gas supplied into the processing container. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by processing a substrate by supplying a processing space with a gas dispersed in a buffer space disposed at an upstream side of the processing space, the method comprising:
 transferring the substrate into the processing space while exhausting a transfer space of the substrate by a first vacuum pump and a second vacuum pump disposed at a downstream side of the first vacuum pump;   closing a valve disposed between the downstream side of the first vacuum pump and an upstream side of the second vacuum pump;   supplying the gas into the processing space via the buffer space; and   exhausting the buffer space by the second vacuum pump through an exhaust pipe connected to the second vacuum pump at a downstream side of the valve.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for processing a substrate by supplying a processing space with a gas dispersed in a buffer space disposed at an upstream side of the processing space, the program causing a computer to execute:
 transferring the substrate into the processing space while exhausting a transfer space of the substrate by a first vacuum pump and a second vacuum pump disposed at a downstream side of the first vacuum pump;   closing a valve disposed between the downstream side of the first vacuum pump and an upstream side of the second vacuum pump;   supplying the gas into the processing space via the buffer space; and   exhausting the buffer space by the second vacuum pump through an exhaust pipe connected to the second vacuum pump at a downstream side of the valve.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the second valve and the third valve to supply the inert gas to the third exhaust pipe via the buffer space and the processing space with the second valve closed and the third valve open before exhausting the inner atmosphere of the buffer space from the second exhaust pipe. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fifth valve disposed at a downstream side of the pressure controller disposed at the third exhaust pipe, and wherein the control unit is further configured to open the fifth valve when opening the third valve and close the fifth valve when closing the third valve. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the pressure controller to maintain an inner pressure of the processing space at a predetermined pressure when the inner atmosphere of the processing space is exhausted, and further configured to suspend the pressure controller when the inner atmosphere of the buffer space is exhausted. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the pressure controller to maintain an inner pressure of the processing space at a predetermined pressure when the inner atmosphere of the processing space is exhausted, and further configured to suspend the pressure controller when the inner atmosphere of the buffer space is exhausted.