# US 10,373,846 B2 · Substrate processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,846 B2 - Document ID: US10373846B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/609,371 - Filed: 2017-05-31 - Published: 2017-12-07 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-01 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Takahiko Kato; Weiting Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373846B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching} - C23C 16/45525: {Atomic layer deposition [ALD]} - H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)} - H01J 37/32834: {Exhausting} - H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]} - H10P 50/283: {by chemical means} - H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)} - H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks} - H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - H01J 37/32642: {Focus rings} - H01J 37/32724: {Temperature} - H01J 2237/334: Etching - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A substrate processing method includes a first process of supplying a first gas to a substrate; and a second process of supplying a second gas to the substrate after the first process. When a distance from an edge of the substrate to a boundary between a processing space and a gas exhaust space is L, a cross sectional area of a space orthogonal to a flow of the second gas is S(x), a supply flow rate of the second gas is Q, a pressure within the processing space is P and a diffusion coefficient of the first gas to the second gas is D, at least one of the distance L, the cross sectional area S(x) and the supply flow rate Q in the second process is adjusted such that a Peclet number Pe calculated by expression (3) becomes larger than 1. [ Expression ⁢ ⁢ 3 ] ⁢ Pe = Q D · P ⁢ ∫ 0 L ⁢ 1 S ( x ) ⁢ dx ( 3 ) ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing method performed in a substrate processing apparatus having, within a processing vessel, a processing space in which a preset processing is performed by supplying a gas to a substrate; and a gas exhaust space communicating with the processing space and having a pressure lower than a pressure of the processing space by a preset ratio, the substrate processing method comprising: a first process of supplying a first gas to the substrate; a second process of supplying a second gas different from the first gas to the substrate after the first process; and when a distance from an edge of the substrate to a boundary between the processing space and the gas exhaust space is L, a cross sectional area of a space orthogonal to a flow of the second gas is S(x), a supply flow rate of the second gas is Q, a pressure within the processing space is P and a diffusion coefficient of the first gas with respect to the second gas is D, a process of adjusting at least one of the distance L, the cross sectional area S(x) and the supply flow rate Q in the second process such that a Peclet number Pe calculated by an expression (3) becomes larger than 1 [ Expression ⁢ ⁢ 3 ] ⁢ Pe = Q D · P ⁢ ∫ 0 L ⁢ 1 S ( x ) ⁢ dx ( 3 ) ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the preset ratio is equal to or higher than 30%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the first gas is supplied after being plasmarized in the first process. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the second gas is supplied after being plasmarized in the second process. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is placed on a mounting table, and when a distance from the edge of the substrate in a direction toward the gas exhaust space is L1 under a condition that the Peclet number Pe becomes 1, a sum of a radius of the substrate and the distance L1 is smaller than a radius of the mounting table. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the first process and the second process are performed repeatedly, and at least one of a distance L from the edge of the substrate to the boundary between the processing space and the gas exhaust space, a cross sectional area S(x) of a space orthogonal to a flow of the first gas and a supply flow rate Q of the first gas in the first process is adjusted such that the Peclet number Pe becomes larger than 1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the first gas contains an etching gas, and the second gas contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate processing method of claim 7, wherein the first gas further contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas, and a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the second process is equal to a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the first process. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the first gas contains a film forming gas, and the second gas contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate processing method of claim 9, wherein the first gas further contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas, and a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the second process is equal to a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the first process. ### Claim 11 A substrate processing method performed in a substrate processing apparatus having, within a processing vessel, a processing space in which a preset processing is performed by supplying a gas to a substrate; and a gas exhaust space communicating with the processing space and having a pressure lower than a pressure of the processing space by a preset ratio, the substrate processing method comprising: a first process of supplying a first gas to the substrate; and a second process of supplying a second gas different from the first gas to the substrate after the first process, wherein, when a distance from an edge of the substrate to a boundary between the processing space and the gas exhaust space is L, a cross sectional area of a space orthogonal to a flow of the second gas is S(x), a supply flow rate of the second gas is Q, a pressure within the processing space is P and a diffusion coefficient of the first gas with respect to the second gas is D, at least one of the distance L from the edge of the substrate to the boundary between the processing space and the gas exhaust space, the cross sectional area S(x) of the space orthogonal to the flow of the second gas and the supply flow rate Q of the second gas in the second process is adjusted such that a Peclet number Pe calculated by an expression (3) becomes larger than 1 [ Expression ⁢ ⁢ 3 ] ⁢ Pe = Q D · P ⁢ ∫ 0 L ⁢ 1 S ( x ) ⁢ dx ( 3 ) wherein the method further comprises: a third process of supplying a third gas to the substrate after the second process; and a fourth process of supplying a fourth gas different from the third gas to the substrate after the third process, wherein at least one of a distance L from the edge of the substrate to the boundary between the processing space and the gas exhaust space, a cross sectional area S(x) of a space orthogonal to a flow of the fourth gas and a supply flow rate Q of the fourth gas in the fourth process is adjusted such that the Peclet number Pe becomes larger than 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the preset ratio is equal to or higher than 30%. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the first gas is supplied after being plasmarized in the first process. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the second gas is supplied after being plasmarized in the second process. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the substrate is placed on a mounting table, and when a distance from the edge of the substrate in a direction toward the gas exhaust space is L1 under a condition that the Peclet number Pe becomes 1, a sum of a radius of the substrate and the distance L1 is smaller than a radius of the mounting table. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the first process and the second process are performed repeatedly, and at least one of a distance L from the edge of the substrate to the boundary between the processing space and the gas exhaust space, a cross sectional area S(x) of a space orthogonal to a flow of the first gas and a supply flow rate Q of the first gas in the first process is adjusted such that the Peclet number Pe becomes larger than 1. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the first gas contains an etching gas, and the second gas contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The substrate processing method of claim 17, wherein the first gas further contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas, and a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the second process is equal to a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the first process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the first gas contains a film forming gas, and the second gas contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The substrate processing method of claim 19, wherein the first gas further contains at least one of a rare gas, an O2 gas and a N2 gas, and a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the second process is equal to a flow rate of the at least one of the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas supplied to the substrate in the first process.