Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus including a transfer chamber; upper gas supply mechanism that supplies a gas into an upper region of the transfer chamber through a first gas supply port; and lower gas supply mechanism that supplies the gas into a lower region of the transfer chamber through a second gas supply port. The upper gas supply mechanism includes a first buffer chamber disposed at a back surface of the first gas supply port; a pair of upper ducts disposed at both sides of the first buffer chamber; and a first ventilation unit disposed at lower ends of the pair of upper ducts. The lower gas supply mechanism includes a second buffer chamber disposed at a back surface of the second gas supply port; a lower duct disposed at lower surface of the second buffer chamber; and a second ventilation unit disposed at a lower end of the lower duct.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a standby chamber where a substrate stands by;   an upper gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas into an upper region of the standby chamber through a first gas supply port;   a side exhaust unit configured to exhaust the gas from the upper region of the standby chamber;   a lower gas supply mechanism configured to supply the gas into a lower region of the standby chamber through a second gas supply port; and   a lower exhaust unit configured to exhaust the gas from the lower region of the standby chamber,   wherein a side flow is formed at the upper region of the standby chamber by exhausting, from the side exhaust unit, the gas supplied from the first gas supply port of the upper gas supply mechanism, and   a down flow is formed at the lower region of the standby chamber by exhausting, from the lower exhaust unit, the gas supplied from the second gas supply port of the lower gas supply mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate retainer configured to support the substrate,
 wherein, in a state where the substrate retainer stands by in the standby chamber, the upper region of the standby chamber serves as a substrate region where the substrate supported by the substrate retainer is disposed, and the lower region of the standby chamber serves as a heat insulating region of the substrate retainer.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side exhaust unit is disposed at a side facing the upper gas supply mechanism, and
 the upper region of the standby chamber includes an upper exhaust port and a lower exhaust port at an upper and a lower portions of the upper region, respectively.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upper gas supply mechanism comprises:
 a first buffer chamber disposed adjacent to the first gas supply port;   an upper duct disposed adjacent to the first buffer chamber; and   a first gas supply unit configured to supply the gas to the first buffer chamber through the upper duct.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the upper duct is disposed at a side surface of the first buffer chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first supply unit is disposed at a lower end of the upper duct to correspond to the upper duct. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lower gas supply mechanism comprises
 a second buffer chamber disposed at a back surface of the second gas supply port;   a lower duct disposed at a lower surface of the second buffer chamber; and   a second gas supply unit configured to supply the gas to the second buffer chamber through the lower duct.   
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lower gas supply mechanism is further configured to exhaust the gas in the lower region of the standby chamber from the lower exhaust unit by the second gas supply unit. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the lower exhaust unit is disposed where the gas is prone to remain stagnant. 
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the second gas supply unit is disposed at a lower end of the lower duct. 
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first gas supply unit configured to inhale the gas exhausted from the side exhaust unit and exhale the gas to be supplied to the first gas supply port; and   a second gas supply unit configured to inhale the gas exhausted from the lower exhaust unit and exhale the gas to be supplied to the second gas supply port.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a first flow path extending from the first gas supply unit to the first gas supply port is formed at the upper gas supply mechanism,
 a second flow path extending from the second gas supply unit to the second gas supply port is formed at the lower gas supply mechanism, and   the first flow path and the second flow path are installed separately from each other.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first circulation path at least comprising a flow path extending to the second gas supply unit and the side exhaust unit; and   a second circulation path at least comprising a flow path extending to the second gas supply unit and the lower exhaust unit,   wherein at least a portion of the first circulation path and a portion of the second circulation path partially converge.   
     
     
         14 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a cooling unit is installed at a flow path where the first circulation path and the second circulation path converge, and
 a gas flowing through the first circulation path and a gas flowing through the second circulation path are cooled by the cooling unit and supplied thereafter to the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit, respectively.   
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
 (a) placing a substrate in a standby state in a standby chamber;   (b) processing the substrate in a process chamber;   (c) transferring the substrate between the process chamber and the standby chamber;   (d) forming a side flow in an upper region of the standby chamber by exhausting a gas therefrom, while the gas is being supplied to the upper region of the standby chamber;   (e) forming a down flow in a lower region of the standby chamber by exhausting the gas therefrom along a lower surface of the lower region of the standby chamber, while the gas is being supplied to the lower region of the standby chamber.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program used for a substrate processing apparatus comprising a standby chamber where a substrate stands by, an upper gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas into an upper region of the standby chamber through a first gas supply port, a side exhaust unit configured to exhaust the gas from the upper region of the standby chamber, a lower gas supply mechanism configured to supply the gas into a lower region of the standby chamber through a second gas supply port, and a lower exhaust unit configured to exhaust the gas from the lower region of the standby chamber, wherein the program causes the substrate processing apparatus to perform:
 (a) placing the substrate in a standby state in the standby chamber;   (b) processing the substrate in a process chamber;   (c) transferring the substrate between the process chamber and the standby chamber;   (d) forming a side flow in an upper region of the standby chamber by exhausting the gas therefrom, while the gas is being supplied to the upper region of the standby chamber;   (e) forming a down flow in a lower region of the standby chamber by exhausting the gas therefrom along a lower surface of the lower region of the standby chamber, while the gas is being supplied to the lower region of the standby chamber.