US 12,392,032 B2
Substrate processing apparatus with cleaning of exhaust system
Yoshihiko Yanagisawa, Toyama (JP); Naofumi Ohashi, Toyama (JP); Tadashi Takasaki, Toyama (JP); and Shun Matsui, Toyama (JP)
Assigned to KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Feb. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/682,867.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-033215 (JP), filed on Mar. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0282369 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 16/44 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/4412 (2013.01) [C23C 16/4405 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); H01L 21/67017 (2013.01); H01L 21/68742 (2013.01); H01L 21/68771 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a process container configured to process one or more substrates;
a support installed inside the process container and configured to support the one or more substrates on a plane of the support;
a first gas supplier configured to be capable of supplying a first gas to a first domain set in the process container;
a second gas supplier configured to be capable of supplying a second gas to a second domain set in the process container;
an exhaust buffer structure installed along an outer circumference of the support;
a first gas exhauster connected to the exhaust buffer structure and installed at a downstream side of a flow of the first gas supplied from the first gas supplier;
a second gas exhauster connected to the exhaust buffer structure and installed at a downstream side of a flow of the second gas supplied from the second gas supplier;
a third gas supplier configured to be capable of supplying a first cleaning gas to the exhaust buffer structure;
a fourth gas supplier configured to be capable of supplying a second cleaning gas onto the support; and
a controller configured to control the third gas supplier and the fourth gas supplier to thereby control a frequency of each of the supplying of the first cleaning gas and the supplying of the second cleaning gas, a supply time of each of the first cleaning gas and the second cleaning gas, or a number of times for supplying each of the first cleaning gas and the second cleaning gas, such that over-etching in the support is prevented,
wherein the third gas supplier is installed at a downstream side of a gas flow in a purge domain set between the first domain and the second domain,
wherein a protrusion is provided at a portion of the exhaust buffer structure, which is adjacent to the purge domain, and is not provided at another portion of the exhaust buffer structure, which is adjacent to the first domain and the second domain, and
wherein a distance in the purge domain between an outer peripheral wall constituting the exhaust buffer structure and the support is set to be smaller than a distance in the first domain between the outer peripheral wall and the support and a distance in the second domain between the outer peripheral wall and the support.