Substrate Processing Apparatus, Method of Manufacturing Semiconductor Device and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Recording Medium

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber accommodating a substrate including a polysilicon film having an oxygen-containing layer formed thereon; a heating unit in the process chamber to heat the substrate; a gas supply unit to supply a process gas containing nitrogen and hydrogen to the substrate in the process chamber; an excitation unit to excite the process gas supplied into the process chamber; an exhaust unit to exhaust an inside of the process chamber; and a control unit to control at least the heating unit, the gas supply unit, the excitation unit and the exhaust unit for modifying the oxygen-containing layer into an oxynitride or nitride layer by heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature using the heating unit, exciting the process gas supplied by the gas supply unit using the excitation unit, and supplying the process gas excited by the excitation unit to the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a process chamber accommodating a substrate including a polysilicon film having an oxygen-containing layer formed thereon;   a heating unit installed in the process chamber to heat the substrate;   a gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas containing nitrogen and hydrogen to the substrate in the process chamber;   an excitation unit configured to excite the process gas supplied into the process chamber;   an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an inside of the process chamber; and   a control unit configured to control at least the heating unit, the gas supply unit, the excitation unit and the exhaust unit so as to modify the oxygen-containing layer into an oxynitride layer or a nitride layer by heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature using the heating unit, exciting the process gas supplied by the gas supply unit using the excitation unit, and supplying the process gas excited by the excitation unit to the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is a native oxide layer. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is an oxide layer formed by cleaning the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a ratio of hydrogen atoms of active species containing hydrogen among the active species included in the process gas excited by the excitation unit such that the ratio ranges from 10% to 90%. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer has a thickness ranging from 0.5 nm to 2.0 nm. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the excitation unit is configured to magnetron-discharge the process gas. 
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
 loading a substrate into a process chamber, the substrate including a polysilicon film having an oxygen-containing layer formed thereon;   heating the substrate;   supplying a process gas containing nitrogen and hydrogen into the process chamber; and   modifying the oxygen-containing layer into an oxynitride layer or a nitride layer by exciting the process gas supplied into the process chamber and supplying an excited process gas to a surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is a native oxide layer. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is an oxide layer formed by cleaning the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the modifying the oxygen-containing layer is performed by controlling a ratio of hydrogen atoms of active species containing hydrogen among the active species included in the excited process gas such that the ratio ranges from 10% to 90%. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer has a thickness ranging from 0.5 nm to 2.0 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the modifying the oxygen-containing layer is performed by magnetron-discharging the process gas. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to perform a process, the process comprising:
 heating a substrate accommodated in a process chamber, the substrate including a polysilicon film having an oxygen-containing layer thereon;   supplying a process gas containing nitrogen and hydrogen into the process chamber; and   modifying the oxygen-containing layer into an oxynitride layer or a nitride layer by exciting the process gas supplied into the process chamber and supplying an excited process gas to a surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is a native oxide layer. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is an oxide layer formed by cleaning the substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to  claim 13 , wherein modifying the oxygen-containing layer includes controlling a ratio of hydrogen atoms of active species containing hydrogen among the active species included in the excited process gas such that the ratio ranges from 10% to 90%. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer has a thickness ranging from 0.5 nm to 2.0 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to  claim 13 , wherein modifying the oxygen-containing layer into the oxynitride layer or the nitride layer includes magnetron-discharging the process gas.