# US 12,595,559 B2 · Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,595,559 B2
- Document ID: US12595559B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/944,469
- Filed: 2022-09-14
- Published: 2023-03-16
- Granted: 2026-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-16
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Koji Sasaki; Katsuyuki Higashi; Yuji Seshimo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12595559B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/4412: {Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps}
- C23C 16/403: {of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium}
- C23C 16/4408: {by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines}
- C23C 16/45525: {Atomic layer deposition [ALD]}
- C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus}
- C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)}
- 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)

## Abstract

A substrate processing method performed by a substrate processing apparatus including: a processing container that processes a substrate; a gas supply that supplies a gas into the processing container; an exhaust device that exhausts a gas from an inside of the processing container; and a gas analyzer that analyzes the gas passing through an exhaust pipe that connects the processing container and the exhaust device. The method includes: performing a processing with a processing gas in the processing container by supplying the processing gas into the processing container; purging the processing gas in the processing container by supplying a purge gas into the processing container; analyzing the processing gas passing through the exhaust pipe by the gas analyzer during the purging the processing gas; and determining a condition of the purging the processing gas based on a result of analyzing the processing gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing method comprising:
providing a substrate processing apparatus including:
a processing container configured to process a substrate;
a gas supply configured to supply a gas into the processing container;
an exhaust port including an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust a gas from an inside of the processing container; and
a gas analyzer provided in a bypass pipe that bypasses the exhaust pipe and configured to analyze the gas passing through the exhaust pipe that connects the processing container and the exhaust port;
disposing the substrate in the processing container;
performing a processing with a processing gas in the processing container by supplying the processing gas into the processing container;
purging the processing gas in the processing container by supplying a purge gas into the processing container;
analyzing the processing gas passing through the bypass pipe from the exhaust pipe by the gas analyzer during the purging the processing gas, thereby measuring a concentration of the processing gas passing through the bypass pipe; and
determining a condition of the purging the processing gas based on a result of the measuring the concentration of the processing gas,
wherein a purge time during which the purging is performed is determined based on a time frame in which the concentration of the processing gas measured during the purging by the gas analyzer continuously decreases to fall below a preset reference value in the determining, and
the purge time is determined by adding a predetermined time to a time from when a supply of the processing gas stops to when the analysis value of the processing gas falls below the preset reference value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a first purge condition is determined by performing a processing with a raw material gas serving as the processing gas in the processing container, the processing with the raw material including purging the raw material gas in the processing container by supplying a purge gas into the processing container, and analyzing the raw material gas during the purging the raw material gas, and
thereafter, a second purge condition is determined by performing a processing with a reaction gas serving as the processing gas in the processing container, the processing with the reaction gas including purging the reaction gas in the processing container by supplying a purge gas into the processing container, and analyzing the reaction gas during the purging the reaction gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the first purge condition is a purge time of the raw material gas, and
the second purge condition is a purge time of the reaction gas.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the disposing the substrate disposes a new substrate in the processing container,
the performing the processing with the processing gas processes the new substrate in the processing container by supplying the processing gas into the processing container, and
the purging the processing gas purges the processing gas according to the determined condition of the purging the processing gas by supplying the purge gas into the processing container.

### Claim 5

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing container configured to process a substrate;
a gas supply configured to supply a gas into the processing container;
an exhaust port including an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust a gas from an inside of the processing container;
a gas analyzer provided in a bypass pipe that bypasses the exhaust pipe and configured to analyze the gas passing through the exhaust pipe that connects the processing container and the exhaust port; and
a controller configured to control an overall operation of the substrate processing apparatus,
wherein the controller is configured to:
perform a processing with a processing gas in the processing container by supplying the processing gas into the processing container;
purge the processing gas in the processing container by supplying a purge gas into the processing container;
analyze the processing gas passing through the bypass pipe from the exhaust pipe by the gas analyzer during the purging the processing gas, thereby measuring a concentration of the processing gas passing through the bypass pipe; and
determine a condition of the purging the processing gas based on a result of measuring the concentration of the processing gas,
wherein when the controller determines the condition, a purge time during which the purging is performed is determined based on a time frame in which the concentration of the processing gas measured during the purging by the gas analyzer continuously decreases to fall below a preset reference value, and
the purge time is determined by adding a predetermined time to a time from when a supply of the processing gas stops to when the analysis value of the processing gas falls below the preset reference value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a non-dispersive infrared analyzing device (NDIR) is provided as the gas analyzer in the providing the substrate processing apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the gas analyzer includes a non-dispersive infrared analyzing device (NDIR).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the purge time is stored in a recipe and used in a subsequent substrate processing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the purge time is stored in a recipe and used in a subsequent substrate processing.