JPH06181182A - Heat treatment system for semiconductor substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a heat treatment system in which thermal strain is suppressed and temperature variation in furnace is minimized when a semiconductor wafer is inserted into a high temperature furnace. CONSTITUTION:The heat treatment system comprises a base 1, a heat treatment furnace body 2 installed on the base 1, and a semiconductor substrate mounting means 4 movable vertically from a lower position of the furnace body along a mounting hole 3 made at the lower part of the furnace body 2. A semiconductor substrate 5 is mounted on the semiconductor substrate mounting means 4 and transferred through the mounting hole 3 into the furnace body 2 where the semiconductor substrate 5 is heat treated. The heat treatment system further comprises a mechanism 6 for heating the semiconductor substrate 5 mounted on the semiconductor substrate mounting means 4 with optical energy on the periphery of the mounting hole 3. Since the semiconductor wafer 5 can be preheated uniformly at 600-800 deg.C by the heating mechanism 6 using optical energy, thermal strain in the semiconductor wafer 5 due to increase of inserting speed can be controlled resulting in stabilized heat treatment where temperature distribution is not distributed in the furnace body 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a heat treatment apparatus for semiconductor substrates used in the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a conventional heat treatment apparatus of this kind. This apparatus includes a box-shaped pedestal 1, a furnace body 2 arranged on the cradle 1 to form a heat treatment atmosphere of about 1000 ° C., and a semiconductor wafer (semiconductor substrate) 5 provided under the furnace body 2. It is composed of the mounting means 4. As the furnace body 2, a vertical furnace that prevents the entrainment of the atmosphere is used, and in order to minimize deterioration of the furnace body 2 due to temperature changes, the furnace body 2 is constantly maintained at 600 to 800 ° C. Therefore, after the semiconductor wafer 5 is once inserted into the furnace body 2 at 600 to 800 ° C. from room temperature by the mounting means 4,
After being subjected to a predetermined heat treatment, the temperature is lowered again to 600 to 800 ° C., and then it is taken out into the atmosphere.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional heat treatment apparatus, in order to protect the furnace body 2, 600 to 8 is always provided.
It is maintained at around 00 ° C. Such a high temperature furnace body 2
When a large number of 100-200 semiconductor wafers 5 at room temperature are rapidly inserted into the
Is heated from its outer periphery. Therefore, there is a problem that a temperature difference occurs between the central portion and the outer peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer 5, and the warp or defect of the semiconductor wafer 5 caused by thermal strain is induced due to such temperature distribution.

Further, there has been a problem that the uniformity of temperature distribution in the furnace body 2 is impaired and stable heat treatment becomes difficult. Therefore, in the conventional apparatus, the semiconductor wafer 5 is slowly heated at a low speed of about 10 to 30 cm / min without damaging the temperature distribution in the furnace body 2 and gradually heating the semiconductor wafer 5 to suppress its thermal strain. It had to be inserted into the furnace body 2. When it is inserted at such a low speed, the processing capacity of the heat treatment apparatus is deteriorated, and the time during which the semiconductor wafer 5 stays in the furnace body 2 differs depending on the mounting position in the mounting means 4, and therefore, the single processing is performed. In, the uniform heat treatment was not substantially performed on all the semiconductor wafers 5.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus for a semiconductor substrate capable of minimizing a temperature change in a high temperature furnace body.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a heating device by optical energy around the mounting hole of the semiconductor wafer in the lower part of the furnace body.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when the semiconductor wafer is inserted into the furnace, it is possible to uniformly heat the semiconductor wafer in advance to about 600 to 800 ° C. by using optical energy. The occurrence of thermal strain in the semiconductor wafer due to the increased insertion speed is suppressed, and stable heat treatment is realized without disturbing the temperature distribution in the furnace body.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a heat treatment apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a heat treatment apparatus. In the figure, a box-shaped mount 1
A furnace body 2 arranged on the pedestal 1 to form a heat treatment atmosphere of about 1000 ° C., and a mounting means 4 for the semiconductor wafer 5 provided below the furnace body 2. Is basically the same as the case of the conventional example.

In the apparatus of the present invention, a laser beam heater 6 which is a preheater is attached to the furnace body 2, particularly near the mounting hole 3. When the semiconductor wafer 5 is mounted on the mounting means 4 and is inserted into the furnace body 2, the laser beam heater 6 irradiates the semiconductor wafer 5 with the laser beam 7 from its oblique direction. And
By scanning the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer 5 with the laser beam 7, each semiconductor wafer 5 is moved to 600-80.
The temperature is raised uniformly to about 0 ° C.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the semiconductor wafer is inserted into the furnace, the semiconductor wafer can be uniformly heated in advance to about 600 to 800 ° C. by using optical energy. Therefore, it is possible to control the generation of thermal strain in the semiconductor wafer due to the increase in the insertion speed, and to perform stable heat treatment without disturbing the temperature distribution in the furnace body. Therefore, it is possible to realize a heat treatment apparatus with improved processing capability and high reliability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a semiconductor substrate heat treatment apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional heat treatment apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Equipment Stand 2 Furnace Body 3 Mounting Holes 4 Mounting Means 5 Semiconductor Wafers 6 Laser Beam Heater 7 Laser Beam

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pedestal, a furnace body for heat treatment arranged on the gantry, and a semiconductor substrate mounting means movable up and down along a mounting hole provided at a lower portion of the furnace body from a lower position of the furnace body. In the heat treatment apparatus, wherein the semiconductor substrate is transferred onto the semiconductor substrate mounting means and is conveyed into the furnace through the mounting hole to perform heat treatment, in the peripheral portion of the mounting hole, The semiconductor substrate on the semiconductor substrate mounting means,
A heat treatment device for a semiconductor substrate, comprising a heating mechanism for heating with optical energy.