Abstract: A film-forming method includes: loading a substrate by raising a plurality of lift pins of a mounting table provided in a processing container to receive the substrate and lowering the plurality of lift pins to mount the substrate on an upper surface of the mounting table, the plurality of lift pins being configured to protrude from the upper surface of the mounting table and to support the substrate; preheating the substrate by heating the substrate mounted on the mounting table in a state where an inert gas has been introduced into the processing container; and forming a film on the substrate by introducing a processing gas into the processing container.

Abstract: There is provided a thermocouple-fixing jig for fixing a thermocouple to a linear heater, the thermocouple-fixing jig comprising a first member and a second member configured to hold the linear heater therebetween, wherein the second member comprises a first holding portion and a second holding portion that hold a temperature detection part of the thermocouple.

Abstract: A method of pre-coating an inner surface of a chamber, which includes a surface of a substrate-supporting support base installed in an internal space in the chamber, includes: forming a first film on the inner surface by supplying a first gas; forming a second film on the first film by supplying a second gas; and forming a third film on the second film by supplying a third gas, wherein a flow rate ratio of a hydrogen-containing gas to a metal source gas in the first gas is set to be higher than flow rate ratios of the hydrogen-containing gas to the metal source gas in the second gas and the third gas, and wherein the flow rate of the metal source gas in the first gas is set to be lower than the flow rates of the metal source gas in the second gas and the third gas.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate mounting table for use in a plasma-based processing apparatus that performs a plasma-based process on a substrate inside a processing container, which includes a substrate mounting portion having a front surface subjected to a mirroring treatment and on which the substrate is mounted, and an edge portion located around the substrate mounting portion and treated to have an uneven shape.

Abstract: Provided is a method of removing a silicon oxide film of a workpiece having an insulating film and the silicon oxide film exposed at a bottom portion of an opening formed in the insulating film, including: forming a protective film containing carbon on a surface of the workpiece, wherein the protective film has a first region extending along a side wall surface of the insulating film that defines the opening and a second region extending on the silicon oxide film: removing the second region of the protective film and the silicon oxide film by sputter etching with ions from plasma of a first inert gas; and removing a residue of the silicon oxide film by chemical etching. The step of forming the protective film includes executing a plurality of cycles.

Abstract: A titanium silicide region forming method includes: performing a pretreatment to expose a clean surface of a silicon layer of a workpiece; forming a titanium-containing region and a titanium silicide region on the silicon layer after performing the pretreatment; and supplying a fluorine-containing gas to the workpiece including the titanium-containing region and the titanium silicide region so as to selectively etch the titanium-containing region with respect to the titanium silicide region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for removing, from a processing target substrate having an insulating film with a predetermined pattern formed thereon, a silicon-containing oxide film formed in a silicon portion of a bottom of the pattern. The method includes: removing the silicon-containing oxide film formed on the bottom of the pattern by ionic anisotropic plasma etching using plasma of a carbon-based gas; removing a remaining portion of the silicon-containing oxide film after the anisotropic plasma etching, by chemical etching; and removing a residue remaining after the chemical etching.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus which includes: a substrate mounting table installed in a vacuum vessel; a gas supply part configured to supply a processing gas into the vacuum vessel; a vacuum-exhausting part configured to exhaust the interior of the vacuum vessel; an elevating member configured to lift up and down a substrate while holding the substrate mounted on the mounting table; and a control part configured to output a control signal to execute a first step of supplying the processing gas onto the substrate and setting an internal pressure of the vacuum vessel to a first pressure, a second step of changing the internal pressure to a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a third step of lifting up the substrate from the mounting table after the first step and before the second step or in parallel with the second step.

Abstract: A purging method for purging an interior of a processing container of a substrate processing apparatus after a film forming process is executed on a wafer in the processing container, includes a first process of pressurizing a first gas in a first line of the substrate processing apparatus and then discharging the first gas into the processing container, and a second process of supplying a second gas into the processing container. The second process is executed after execution of the first process, the first gas includes an inert gas, and the second gas includes a hydrogen gas, a nitrogen-containing gas, a rare gas or a combination of these gases.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus, for forming a film on a target substrate using a processing gas excited by plasma, includes: a processing chamber for accommodating the substrate; a mounting table for mounting thereon the substrate in the processing chamber; a gas injection member provided to face the substrate mounted on the mounting table and configured to inject the processing gas toward the target substrate on the mounting table; and a plasma generation unit for exciting the processing gas by generating plasma between the gas injection member and the mounting table. The gas injection member has a gas injection surface facing the mounting table. Gas injection holes are formed in the gas injection surface. A gas injection hole forming region, on the gas injection surface, where the gas injection holes are formed is smaller than a region on the gas injection surface which corresponds to the target substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a method of performing a surface treatment with respect to a metal mounting table for mounting a substrate to be plasma-processed, the mounting table functioning as a lower electrode configured to generate a plasma by a high frequency power applied between an upper electrode and the lower electrode. The method includes: performing a first surface treatment by spraying a non-sublimation blast material as a non-sublimation material onto a mounting surface of the metal mounting table on which the substrate is mounted, followed by a second surface treatment by spraying a sublimation blast material as a sublimation material onto the mounting surface.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus for processing a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere includes a vacuum processing module, a vacuum transfer module, a gate valve and a control unit. The vacuum processing module includes a processing chamber, a mounting table and a first gas supply unit. The vacuum transfer module includes a transfer chamber airtightly connected to the processing chamber through the transfer port, a transfer unit and a second gas supply unit. The gate valve is configured to open and close the transfer port for the substrate. The control unit is configured to open the gate valve in a state where a flow rate of an inert gas supplied from the first gas supply unit is smaller than a flow rate of an inert gas supplied from the second gas supply unit and a pressure in the processing chamber is lower than a pressure in the transfer chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus which includes: a substrate mounting table installed in a vacuum vessel; a gas supply part configured to supply a processing gas into the vacuum vessel; a vacuum-exhausting part configured to exhaust the interior of the vacuum vessel; an elevating member configured to lift up and down a substrate while holding the substrate mounted on the mounting table; and a control part configured to output a control signal to execute a first step of supplying the processing gas onto the substrate and setting an internal pressure of the vacuum vessel to a first pressure, a second step of changing the internal pressure to a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a third step of lifting up the substrate from the mounting table after the first step and before the second step or in parallel with the second step.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a semiconductor device. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate having a Ge-containing film thereon, identifying a first plasma processing recipe that uses a metal chloride precursor to deposit a first metal layer on the Ge-containing film at a higher rate than the Ge-containing film is etched by the metal chloride precursor, identifying a second plasma processing recipe that uses the metal chloride precursor to etch the Ge-containing film at a higher rate than a second metal layer is deposited on the Ge-containing film by the metal chloride precursor, performing the first plasma processing recipe to deposit the first metal layer on the Ge-containing film, and performing the second plasma processing recipe to deposit the second metal layer on the first metal layer, and where the second metal layer is deposited at a higher rate than the first metal layer.

Abstract: When forming a TiN film to be formed as a metallic hard mask for etching a film formed on a substrate to be processed, a first step and a second step are repeated a plurality of times to form a TiN film having reduced film stress. In the first step (step 1), the substrate to be processed is conveyed into a processing chamber, TiCl4 gas and a nitriding gas are fed into the processing chamber, the interior of which being kept in a depressurized state during this time, and a plasma from the gases is generated to form a TiN unit film. In the second step (step 2), a nitriding gas is fed into the processing container, a plasma of the gas is generated, and the TiN unit film is subjected to plasma nitriding.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by using a plasma includes a processing chamber configured to airtightly accommodate a substrate, a lower electrode serving as a mounting table configured to mount thereon the substrate in the processing chamber, an upper electrode, serving as a shower plate having a plurality of gas supply openings, provided opposite to the substrate to be mounted on the mounting table, an insulating member disposed to surround an outer peripheral portion of the upper electrode, and a processing gas supply source configured to supply a processing gas into the processing chamber through the shower plate. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a heating unit provided at the insulating member to heat the insulating member.

Abstract: A TiN film forming method repeatedly performs for a plurality of substrates to be processed, a step of loading each substrate into a processing chamber, supplying a Ti-containing gas and a nitriding gas into the processing chamber, and forming a TiN film on a surface of the substrate by generating a plasma of the supplied gases. The TiN film forming method includes a Ti film forming step of forming a Ti film by supplying a processing gas containing Ti-containing gas into the processing chamber in a state where no substrate exists in the processing chamber after the TiN films are formed on a predetermined number of the substrates.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a semiconductor device. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate having a Ge-containing film thereon, identifying a first plasma processing recipe that uses a metal chloride precursor to deposit a first metal layer on the Ge-containing film at a higher rate than the Ge-containing film is etched by the metal chloride precursor, identifying a second plasma processing recipe that uses the metal chloride precursor to etch the Ge-containing film at a higher rate than a second metal layer is deposited on the Ge-containing film by the metal chloride precursor, performing the first plasma processing recipe to deposit the first metal layer on the Ge-containing film, and performing the second plasma processing recipe to deposit the second metal layer on the first metal layer, and where the second metal layer is deposited at a higher rate than the first metal layer.

Abstract: When forming a TiN film to be formed as a metallic hard mask for etching a film formed on a substrate to be processed, a first step and a second step are repeated a plurality of times to form a TiN film having reduced film stress. In the first step (step 1), the substrate to be processed is conveyed into a processing chamber, TiCl4 gas and a nitriding gas are fed into the processing chamber, the interior of which being kept in a depressurized state during this time, and a plasma from the gases is generated to form a TiN unit film. In the second step (step 2), a nitriding gas is fed into the processing container, a plasma of the gas is generated, and the TiN unit film is subjected to plasma nitriding.

Abstract: A TiN film forming method repeatedly performs for a plurality of substrates to be processed, a step of loading each substrate into a processing chamber, supplying a Ti-containing gas and a nitriding gas into the processing chamber, and forming a TiN film on a surface of the substrate by generating a plasma of the supplied gases. The TiN film forming method includes a Ti film forming step of forming a Ti film by supplying a processing gas containing Ti-containing gas into the processing chamber in a state where no substrate exists in the processing chamber after the TiN films are formed on a predetermined number of the substrates.