Abstract: An automatic pressure control device that controls a pressure in a processing container to which a source gas for forming a film on a substrate is supplied, includes: a vacuum exhauster configured to vacuum-exhaust a gas in the processing container; an exhaust path connecting the processing container and the vacuum exhauster; and a butterfly valve including an annular valve seat having an inner wall surface and a valve body configured as a plate-shaped body. The valve body is rotatably installed to the valve seat via a shaft and configured to change an opening area of the exhaust path by being arranged to be inclined and changing an inclination angle of the valve body. The butterfly valve is configured to control the pressure in the processing container by changing the inclination angle of the valve body based on a result of detecting the pressure in the processing container.

Abstract: A raw material gas supply system that supplies a raw material gas generated by vaporizing a solid raw material to a processing apparatus includes: a vaporizer configured to vaporize the solid raw material to generate the raw material gas; a delivery mechanism configured to deliver a solution, in which the solid raw material is dissolved in a solvent, from a solution source storing the solution to the vaporizer; and an evaporation mechanism configured to evaporate the solvent of the solution delivered from the delivery mechanism and accommodated in the vaporizer to separate the solid raw material.

Abstract: A raw material gas supply system for supplying a raw material gas generated by vaporizing a solid raw material to a processing apparatus, includes a vaporization device configured to vaporize the solid raw material to generate the raw material gas, a delivery mechanism configured to deliver a dispersion containing the solid raw material dispersed in a liquid from a storage container storing the dispersion to the vaporization device, and a separation mechanism configured to separate the solid raw material from the dispersion in the vaporization device.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate includes a chamber, a substrate support, a gas supply unit, a gas injection member, and a filter. The substrate support is disposed in the chamber to support a substrate placed thereon and maintain the substrate at a film forming temperature. The gas supply unit is configured to supply a gas containing a film forming source gas. The gas injection member is disposed to face the substrate support and has a gas injection area for injecting the gas containing the film forming source gas supplied from the gas supply unit. Further, the filter is disposed to cover at least the gas injection area on a surface of the gas injection member opposite to a surface facing the substrate support, the filter being configured to trap particles in the gas containing the film forming source gas while the gas passes therethrough.

Abstract: A technology, when forming a film by supplying TiCl4 gas and NH3 gas a plurality of times in alternation to a substrate, can increase the amount of gas flow while suppressing cooling of a valve device, and contribute to an increase in throughput. In the formation of the film, the gas for atmosphere replacement supplied into a processing vessel between supplying one processing gas and supplying the other processing gas is heated ahead of time. Thus, the flow rate of gas can be increased while suppressing cooling of the gas-contacting sites such as a wafer and the inner wall of the processing vessel, and so it is possible to reduce the time necessary to replace the atmosphere, resulting in being able to contribute to increased throughput, and problems such as adhesion of reaction products due to cooling at the valve device are suppressed.

Abstract: A gas supply apparatus for forming a film by supplying a source gas, a substitution gas, and a reaction gas to a substrate in a processing chamber includes a source gas flow passage; a reaction gas flow passage; a first and second carrier gas flow passages connected to the source gas flow passage and the reaction gas flow passage; a substitution gas flow passage configured to supply the substitution gas into the processing chamber through a supply control device; a gas storage part installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and configured to store the substitution gas; a valve installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and installed in a downstream side of the gas storage part; and a control unit configured to control opening/closing of the valve such that the substitution gas is stored in the gas storage part to increase an internal pressure of the gas storage part.

Abstract: In a substrate processing method for processing a substrate by alternately performing a processing gas supply step of supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate into a processing chamber which accommodates the substrate and to which a gas exhaust line is connected and a replacement gas supply step of supplying a replacement gas for replacing an atmosphere in the processing chamber into the processing chamber multiple times, a ballast gas is introduced into the gas exhaust line when the processing gas supply step is performed.

Abstract: A source gas supply unit includes a carrier gas supply unit for supplying a carrier gas into a raw material tank, and a control unit. The control unit executes steps of: supplying the carrier gas to the raw material tank while varying a flow rate of the carrier gas without forming a film on a substrate, and storing a vaporization flow rate table showing the correspondence between a vaporization flow rate of the vaporized raw material contained in a source gas and a carrier gas flow rate set value; obtaining a carrier gas flow rate set value corresponding to a specified vaporization flow rate set value by using the vaporization flow rate table; and generating the source gas by supplying the carrier gas into the raw material tank based on the obtained carrier gas flow rate set value and supplying the generated source gas to a film forming unit.

Abstract: In a substrate processing method for processing a substrate by alternately performing a processing gas supply step of supplying a processing gas for processing the substrate into a processing chamber which accommodates the substrate and to which a gas exhaust line is connected and a replacement gas supply step of supplying a replacement gas for replacing an atmosphere in the processing chamber into the processing chamber multiple times, a ballast gas is introduced into the gas exhaust line when the processing gas supply step is performed.

Abstract: A gas supply apparatus for forming a film by supplying a source gas, a substitution gas, and a reaction gas to a substrate in a processing chamber includes a source gas flow passage; a reaction gas flow passage; a first and second carrier gas flow passages connected to the source gas flow passage and the reaction gas flow passage; a substitution gas flow passage configured to supply the substitution gas into the processing chamber through a supply control device; a gas storage part installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and configured to store the substitution gas; a valve installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and installed in a downstream side of the gas storage part; and a control unit configured to control opening/closing of the valve such that the substitution gas is stored in the gas storage part to increase an internal pressure of the gas storage part.

Abstract: STEP 1 (Pressure increasing step) increases pressure within a raw material container to first pressure by supplying carrier gas to the inside of the raw material container by PCV. STEP 2 (Pressure decreasing step) decreases the pressure within the raw material container to second pressure by operating an exhaust device and discarding the raw material gas from a raw material gas supply pipe via an exhaust bypass pipe. STEP 3 (Stabilization step) stabilizes the vaporization efficiency for vaporizing the raw material inside the raw material container by operating the exhaust device and discarding the raw material gas while introducing the carrier gas into the raw material container. STEP 4 (Film forming step) supplies the raw material gas to the inside of the processing container via the raw material gas supply pipe and deposits a thin film on a wafer by CVD.

Abstract: A technology, when forming a film by supplying TiCl4 gas and NH3 gas a plurality of times in alternation to a substrate, can increase the amount of gas flow while suppressing cooling of a valve device, and contribute to an increase in throughput. In the formation of the film, the gas for atmosphere replacement supplied into a processing vessel between supplying one processing gas and supplying the other processing gas is heated ahead of time. Thus, the flow rate of gas can be increased while suppressing cooling of the gas-contacting sites such as a wafer and the inner wall of the processing vessel, and so it is possible to reduce the time necessary to replace the atmosphere, resulting in being able to contribute to increased throughput, and problems such as adhesion of reaction products due to cooling at the valve device are suppressed.

Abstract: STEP 1 (Pressure increasing step) increases pressure within a raw material container to first pressure by supplying carrier gas to the inside of the raw material container by PCV. STEP 2 (Pressure decreasing step) decreases the pressure within the raw material container to second pressure by operating an exhaust device and discarding the raw material gas from a raw material gas supply pipe via an exhaust bypass pipe. STEP 3 (Stabilization step) stabilizes the vaporization efficiency for vaporizing the raw material inside the raw material container by operating the exhaust device and discarding the raw material gas while introducing the carrier gas into the raw material container. STEP 4 (Film forming step) supplies the raw material gas to the inside of the processing container via the raw material gas supply pipe and deposits a thin film on a wafer by CVD.

Abstract: A source gas supply unit includes a carrier gas supply unit for supplying a carrier gas into a raw material tank, and a control unit. The control unit executes steps of: supplying the carrier gas to the raw material tank while varying a flow rate of the carrier gas without forming a film on a substrate, and storing a vaporization flow rate table showing the correspondence between a vaporization flow rate of the vaporized raw material contained in a source gas and a carrier gas flow rate set value; obtaining a carrier gas flow rate set value corresponding to a specified vaporization flow rate set value by using the vaporization flow rate table; and generating the source gas by supplying the carrier gas into the raw material tank based on the obtained carrier gas flow rate set value and supplying the generated source gas to a film forming unit.

Abstract: A vaporizer for generating a process gas from a liquid material includes a container defining a process space of the vaporizer, and an injector having a spray port configured to spray the liquid material in an atomized state downward in the container. A lower block is disposed below the spray port inside the container such that a run-up space for the atomized liquid material is defined between the spray port and the lower block, and an annular space continuous to the run-up space is defined between an inner surface of the container and the lower block. First and second heaters are respectively provided to the container and the lower block, and configured to heat the atomized liquid material flowing through the annular space to generate the process gas. A gas delivery passage is connected to the container to output the process gas from the annular space.

Abstract: A rotary valve (1) includes a valve body (2) formed with a chamber communication passage (24) for flowing a main fluid and a vent communication passage (25) for discharging the main fluid and a cylindrical valve member (3) rotatably held in the valve body (2) and formed with a main passage (31) for flowing the main fluid. The cylindrical valve member (3) is rotated to switch the connection of the main passage (31) between the chamber communication passage (24) and the vent communication passage (25). The rotary switching valve (1) further includes a purge gas passage for passing purge gas in a clearance (11) between the valve body (2) and the cylindrical valve member (3), the purge gas being supplied to the clearance (11) to prevent the main fluid from leaking out of the main passage (31).

Abstract: A vaporizer for generating a process gas from a liquid material includes a heat-exchange lower block having a hollow internal space and disposed below the spray port of an injector inside the container. A run-up space for the atomized liquid material is defined between the spray port and the heat-exchange lower block, and an annular space continuous to the run-up space is defined between an inner surface of the container and the heat-exchange lower block. An internal heater is disposed in the internal space of the heat-exchange lower block and includes a carbon wire formed of woven bundles of carbon fibers and sealed in a ceramic envelope. The internal heater is configured to heat the atomized liquid material flowing through the annular space to generate the process gas.

Abstract: The present invention is a liquid material vaporizer comprising a liquid-material supply part configured to make a liquid material into a droplet state and to discharge the same, and a vaporizing part configured to vaporize the liquid material in a droplet state so as to generate a source gas, the vaporizing part including: an inlet port to which the liquid material in a droplet state is introduced from the liquid-material supply part; a housing body of a bottomed tubular shape, the housing body having an opening end on a side of the inlet port; a columnar block having a flange for closing the opening end of the housing body, the columnar block being fitted in the housing body in such a manner that a gap serving as a vaporizing path is defined between the columnar block and an inside surface of the housing body; a breathable mist trap member disposed in the vaporizing path formed between the inside surface of the housing body and an outside surface of the columnar block, in such a manner that the mist trap me

Abstract: A semiconductor processing system includes a gas supply system configured to supply water vapor into a process chamber that accommodates a target substrate. The gas supply system is provided with a gas generating apparatus for generating water vapor from purified water. The gas generating apparatus includes a first vaporizing section configured to spray the purified water along with a carrier gas and heat the purified water, so as to generate preparatory water vapor containing mist, and a second vaporizing section configured to vaporize mist contained in the preparatory water vapor, so as to generate process water vapor from the preparatory water vapor. In the second vaporizing section, a thin film having a mesh structure is disposed across a passage for the preparatory water vapor and configured to trap mist between the first vaporizing section and the process chamber.

Abstract: A rotary valve (1) includes a valve body (2) formed with a chamber communication passage (24) for flowing a main fluid and a vent communication passage (25) for discharging the main fluid and a cylindrical valve member (3) rotatably held in the valve body (2) and formed with a main passage (31) for flowing the main fluid. The cylindrical valve member (3) is rotated to switch the connection of the main passage (31) between the chamber communication passage (24) and the vent communication passage (25). The rotary switching valve (1) further includes a purge gas passage for passing purge gas in a clearance (11) between the valve body (2) and the cylindrical valve member (3), the purge gas being supplied to the clearance (11) to prevent the main fluid from leaking out of the main passage (31).