Vacuum evacuation device and method, and substrate processing apparatus and method

Abstract

A vacuum evacuation device 2 of the invention comprises a vacuum pump 4,5 for exhausting a gas G 2 in a process chamber 21 into which a process gas G 1 is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed, to form a vacuum in said process chamber 21 ; and a control means 6 for performing a first control that regulates the rotational speed of said vacuum pump 4,5 such that a pressure condition in said process chamber 21 reaches a pressure condition suitable for said process reaction during said process reaction, wherein said control means 6 calculates a specified rotational speed for said vacuum pump 4,5 based on process information related to said process reaction, and performs a second control that brings said vacuum pump 4,5 to said specified rotational speed before said first control. The vacuum evacuation device 2 is capable of bringing the pressure in a process chamber 21 to the target pressure in a short period without a vacuum pump 4,5 being overloaded, regardless of the process reaction condition.

1 . A vacuum evacuation device comprising: 
 a vacuum pump for exhausting a gas in a process chamber into which a process gas is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed, to form a vacuum in said process chamber; and    control means for performing a first control that regulates a rotational speed of said vacuum pump such that a pressure condition in said process chamber reaches a pressure condition suitable for said process reaction during said process reaction,    wherein said control means calculates a specified rotational speed for said vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction, and performs a second control that brings said vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control.    
   
   
       2 . A vacuum evacuation device comprising: 
 a first vacuum pump for exhausting a gas in a process chamber into which a process gas is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed, to form a vacuum in said process chamber;    a second vacuum pump connected to the exhaust side of said first vacuum pump to exhaust a gas from said exhaust side to form a vacuum in said process chamber; and    control means for performing a first control that regulates a rotational speed of one of said first vacuum pump and said second vacuum pump such that a pressure condition in said process chamber reaches a pressure condition suitable for said process reaction during said process reaction,    wherein said control means calculates a specified rotational speed for said one vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction, and performs a second control that brings said one vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control.    
   
   
       3 . A vacuum evacuation device comprising: 
 a first vacuum pump for exhausting a gas in a process chamber into which a process gas is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed, to form a vacuum in said process chamber;    a second vacuum pump connected to an exhaust side of said first vacuum pump to exhaust a gas from said exhaust side to form a vacuum in said process chamber; and    control means for performing a first control that regulates a rotational speed of said first vacuum pump such that a pressure condition in said process chamber reaches a pressure condition suitable for said process reaction during said process reaction, and regulates a rotational speed of said second vacuum pump such that a pressure condition on said exhaust side reaches a specified pressure condition during said process reaction,    wherein said control means calculates a specified rotational speed for at least one of said first vacuum pump and said second vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction, and performs a second control that brings said at least one vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control.    
   
   
       4 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum evacuation device according to  claim 1;  and    a process chamber into which said process gas is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed,    wherein said process chamber receives a substrate so that a surface of said substrate is processed by said process reaction.    
   
   
       5 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum evacuation device according to  claim 2;  and    a process chamber into which said process gas is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed,    wherein said process chamber receives a substrate so that the surface of said substrate is processed by said process reaction.    
   
   
       6 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum evacuation device according to  claim 3;  and    a process chamber into which said process gas is introduced and in which a process reaction is performed,    wherein said process chamber receives a substrate so that the surface of said substrate is processed by said process reaction.    
   
   
       7 . A vacuum evacuation method comprising: 
 a reaction step of introducing a process gas into a process chamber and performing a process reaction therein;    an evacuation step of exhausting a gas in said process chamber by a vacuum pump and forming a vacuum in said process chamber;    a first control step of controlling a pressure in said process chamber by regulating a rotational speed of said vacuum pump such that said pressure reaches a degree of vacuum suitable for said process reaction;    a calculation step of calculating a specified rotational speed for said vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction; and    a second control step of bringing said vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control step.    
   
   
       8 . A vacuum evacuation method comprising: 
 a reaction step of introducing a process gas into a process chamber and performing a process reaction therein;    a first evacuation step of exhausting a gas in said process chamber by a first vacuum pump and forming a vacuum in said process chamber;    a second evacuation step of exhausting a gas on an exhaust side of said first vacuum pump by a second vacuum pump and forming a vacuum in said process chamber;    a first control step of controlling a pressure condition in said process chamber by regulating a rotational speed of one of said first vacuum pump and said second vacuum pump such that said pressure condition reaches a pressure condition suitable for said process reaction during said process reaction;    a calculation step of calculating a specified rotational speed for said one vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction; and    a second control step of bringing said one vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control step.    
   
   
       9 . A vacuum evacuation method comprising: 
 a reaction step of introducing a process gas into a process chamber and performing a process reaction therein;    a first evacuation step of exhausting a gas in said process chamber by a first vacuum pump and forming a vacuum in said process chamber;    a second evacuation step of exhausting a gas on an exhaust side of said first vacuum pump by a second vacuum pump and forming a vacuum in said process chamber;    a first control step of controlling a pressure condition in said process chamber by regulating a rotational speed of a first vacuum pump such that said pressure condition in said process chamber reaches a pressure condition suitable for said process reaction after the introduction of said process gas;    a second control step of controlling a pressure condition on said exhaust side by regulating a rotational speed of a second vacuum pump such that said pressure condition on said exhaust side reaches a specified pressure condition after the introduction of said process gas;    a calculation step of calculating a specified rotational speed for at least one of said first vacuum pump and said second vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction; and    a third control step of bringing at least one vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control step and said second control step.    
   
   
       10 . The vacuum evacuation method according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein said first control step is performed after said pressure condition on said exhaust side of said first vacuum pump reaches a specified pressure condition in said second control step.    
   
   
       11 . A substrate processing method comprising: 
 a receiving step of receiving a substrate in a process chamber;    an evacuation step of evacuating said process chamber according to a vacuum evacuation method according to  claim 7;  and    a substrate processing step of processing a surface of said substrate by said process reaction.    
   
   
       12 . A substrate processing method comprising: 
 a receiving step of receiving a substrate in a process chamber;    an evacuation step of evacuating said process chamber according to a vacuum evacuation method according to  claim 8;  and    a substrate processing step of processing a surface of said substrate by said process reaction.    
   
   
       13 . A substrate processing method comprising: 
 a receiving step of receiving a substrate in a process chamber;    an evacuation step of evacuating said process chamber according to a vacuum evacuation method according to  claim 9;  and    a substrate processing step of processing a surface of said substrate by said process reaction.    
   
   
       14 . A substrate processing method comprising: 
 a receiving step of receiving a substrate in a process chamber;    an evacuation step of evacuating said process chamber according to a vacuum evacuation method according to  claim 10;  and    a substrate processing step of processing a surface of said substrate by said process reaction.    
   
   
       15 . A vacuum evacuation device comprising: 
 a vacuum pump for exhausting a gas in a process chamber to form a vacuum in said process chamber; and    control means for performing a first control that regulates a rotational speed of said vacuum pump such that a pressure condition in said process chamber reaches a desired pressure condition,    wherein said control means calculates a specified rotational speed for said vacuum pump based on process information, and performs a second control that brings said vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control.    
   
   
       16 . A vacuum evacuation method comprising: 
 an evacuation step of exhausting a gas in a process chamber by a vacuum pump and forming a vacuum in said process chamber;    a first control step of controlling a pressure condition in said process chamber by regulating a rotational speed of said vacuum pump such that said pressure condition reaches a desired pressure condition;    a calculation step of calculating a specified rotational speed for said vacuum pump based on process information related to said process reaction; and    a second control step of bringing said vacuum pump to said specified rotational speed before said first control step.