Semiconductor processing system including vaporizer and method for using same

摘要

A method for using a system, which includes a film formation apparatus for forming a high-dielectric constant thin film on target substrates together and a gas supply apparatus for supplying a process gas. The method includes a preparatory stage of determining a set pressure range of pressure inside a vaporizing chamber for a liquid material cooled at a set temperature. The preparatory stage includes obtaining a first limit value of pressure at which vaporization of the liquid material starts being inhibited due to an increase in the pressure, obtaining a second limit value of pressure at which vaporization of the liquid material starts being unstable and the pressure starts pulsating movement due to a decrease in the pressure, and determining the set pressure range to be defined by an upper limit lower than the first limit value and a lower limit higher than the second limit value.

主权项

1. A method for using a film formation system for a semiconductor process, the film formation system including:
a film formation apparatus for forming a high-dielectric constant thin film on target substrates together, the film formation apparatus including:
a vertical process chamber configured to accommodate the target substrates,a support member configured to support the target substrates inside the process chamber,a heater configured to heat the target substrates inside the process chamber, andan exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust gas from inside the process chamber; and a gas supply apparatus for supplying a process gas into the film formation apparatus, the gas supply apparatus including:
a container that forms a vaporizing chamber configured to vaporize a liquid material,a nozzle configured to atomize the liquid material by a carrier gas and to supply the liquid material into the vaporizing chamber,a liquid material supply passage configured to supply as the liquid material a material containing a solid material dissolved in a solvent to the nozzle, the solid material providing a component of the high-dielectric constant thin film, a cooling portion disposed on the liquid material supply passage immediately before the nozzle and configured to cool the liquid material to a set temperature lower than a boiling temperature of the solvent, a carrier gas supply passage configured to supply the carrier gas to the nozzle, a heater configured to heat an interior of the vaporizing chamber to vaporize the liquid material thus atomized and thereby to generate the process gas, a gas supply passage configured to supply the process gas from the vaporizing chamber to the process chamber, a pressure detector configured to detect pressure inside the vaporizing chamber; and a pressure adjusting mechanism configured to adjust the pressure inside the vaporizing chamber, wherein the method comprising: a preparatory stage of determining a set pressure range of pressure inside the vaporizing chamber for the liquid material cooled at the set temperature, the set pressure range being used for generating the process gas by the gas supply apparatus; and a film formation stage of performing a film formation process by the film formation system, thereafter, wherein the preparatory stage includes: obtaining a first limit value of pressure at which vaporization of the liquid material starts being inhibited due to an increase in the pressure inside the vaporizing chamber, obtaining a second limit value at which vaporization of the liquid material starts being unstable and the pressure inside the vaporizing chamber starts pulsating movement due to a decrease in the pressure, and determining the set pressure range to be defined by an upper limit lower than the first limit value and a lower limit higher than the second limit value, said determining the set pressure range being made such that the lower limit is 40% to 60% of the upper limit, wherein the film formation stage includes:
generating the process gas by the gas supply apparatus and supplying the process gas into the process chamber of the film formation apparatus, andforming the high-dielectric constant thin film on product substrates inside the process chamber by depositing a material derived from the process gas, and wherein said generating the process gas in the film formation stage includes delivering the liquid material from the nozzle into the vaporizing chamber while controlling an operation of the pressure adjusting mechanism to cause the pressure inside the vaporizing chamber to fall within the set pressure range with reference to pressure detection values obtained by the pressure detector.