| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080311760 | Film formation method and apparatus for semiconductor process - A silicon nitride film is formed on a target substrate by performing a plurality of cycles in a process field configured to be selectively supplied with a first process gas containing a silane family gas and a second process gas containing a nitriding gas. Each of the cycles includes a first supply step of performing supply of the first process gas while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the second process gas, and a second supply step of performing supply of the second process gas, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the first process gas. The method is arranged to repeat a first cycle set with the second supply step including an excitation period of exciting the second process gas and a second cycle set with the second supply step including no period of exciting the second process gas. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090114156 | Film formation apparatus for semiconductor process - A film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a support member having a plurality of support levels configured to support target substrates inside a reaction chamber; a film formation gas supply system configured to supply a film formation gas into the reaction chamber and including a gas distribution nozzle; a cleaning gas supply system configured to supply a cleaning gas for etching a by-product film deposited inside the reaction chamber; and an exhaust system configured to exhaust gas from inside the reaction chamber. The cleaning gas supply system includes a gas nozzle disposed near a bottom of the reaction chamber and having a gas supply port at its top directed upward, and the gas supply port is located below the lowermost one of the support levels of the support member. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090117743 | Film formation apparatus and method for using same - A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process to form a thin film on a target substrate inside a reaction chamber includes performing a cleaning process to remove a by-product film deposited on a predetermined region in a gas route from a film formation gas supply system, which supplies a film formation gas contributory to film formation, through the reaction chamber to an exhaust system, by alternately repeating an etching step and an exhaust step a plurality of times in a state where the reaction chamber does not accommodate the target substrate. The etching step includes supplying a cleaning gas in an activated state for etching the by-product film onto the predetermined region, thereby etching the by-product film. The exhaust step includes stopping supply of the cleaning gas and exhausting gas by the exhaust system from a space in which the predetermined region is present. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090124083 | Film formation apparatus and method for using same - A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process to form a thin film on a target substrate while supplying a film formation reactive gas from a first nozzle inside a reaction chamber includes performing a cleaning process to remove a by-product film deposited inside the reaction chamber and the first nozzle, in a state where the reaction chamber does not accommodate the target substrate. The cleaning process includes, in order, an etching step of supplying a cleaning reactive gas for etching the by-product film into the reaction chamber, and activating the cleaning reactive gas, thereby etching the by-product film, and an exhaust step of stopping supply of the cleaning reactive gas and exhausting gas from inside the reaction chamber. The etching step is arranged to use conditions that cause the cleaning reactive gas supplied in the reaction chamber to flow into the first nozzle. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090124087 | Vertical plasma processing apparatus and method for using same - A vertical plasma processing apparatus for a semiconductor process for performing a plasma process on target substrates all together includes an exciting mechanism configured to turn at least part of a process gas into plasma. The exciting mechanism includes first and second electrodes provided to a plasma generation box and facing each other with a plasma generation area interposed therebetween, and an RF power supply configured to supply an RF power for plasma generation to the first and second electrodes and including first and second output terminals serving as grounded and non-grounded terminals, respectively. A switching mechanism is configured to switch between a first state where the first and second electrodes are connected to the first and second output terminals, respectively, and a second state where the first and second electrodes are connected to the second and first output terminals, respectively. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20100136260 | FILM FORMATION METHOD IN VERTICAL BATCH CVD APPARATUS - A film formation method, in a vertical batch CVD apparatus, is preset to repeat a cycle a plurality of times to laminate thin films formed by respective times. The cycle alternately includes an adsorption step of adsorbing a source gas onto a surface of the target substrates and a reaction step of causing a reactive gas to react with the adsorbed source gas. The adsorption step is arranged to make a plurality of times a supply sub-step of performing supply of the source gas to the process field with an intermediate sub-step of stopping supply of the source gas to the process field interposed therebetween, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the reactive gas. The reaction step is arranged to continuously perform supply of the reactive gas to the process field, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the source gas. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100304574 | FILM FORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESS - Disclosed is a method for using a film formation apparatus to form a silicon nitride film by CVD on target substrates while suppressing particle generation. The apparatus includes a process container and an exciting mechanism attached on the process container. The method includes conducting a pre-coating process by performing pre-cycles and conducting a film formation process by performing main cycles. Each of the pre-cycles and main cycles alternately includes a step of supplying a silicon source gas and a step of supplying a nitriding gas with steps of exhausting gas from inside the process container interposed therebetween. The pre-coating process includes no period of exciting the nitriding gas by the exciting mechanism. The film formation process repeats a first cycle set that excites the nitriding gas by the exciting mechanism and a second cycle that does not excite the nitriding gas by the exciting mechanism. | 12-02-2010 |
