JP2003289043A - Semiconductor manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent hot air from being emitted to a clean room or the atmosphere. <P>SOLUTION: A water passage 32 is installed on internal faces of four side walls and internal face of a ceiling wall in a heat unit setting chamber 12a of a case body 11, and the water passage 32 is connected to a feed pipe 33 and a distributing water pipe 34. One edge of an exhaust duct 39 is connected to a buffer duct 38 communicated with the neighborhood of the ceiling surface of the heater unit setting chamber 12a, and the other edge of the exhaust duct 39 is inserted through a blower 41 set on the upper face of a utility box 31 into a lower side chamber 5 of a clean room 2. A water passage 40 for cooling hot air circulating in the exhaust duct 39 is spirally installed across the full length at the outer periphery of the exhaust duct 39, and the water passage 40 is connected to the feed pipe 33 and the distributing water pipe 34. Therefore, it is possible to cool hot air circulating in the exhaust duct by the distributing water pipe of the exhaust duct, and to prevent hot air from being emitted to the clean room or the atmosphere. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus,
In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for exhausting hot air inside a housing to the outside of the housing. ) Is applied to a heat treatment device (furnace) that is effective.

A batch type vertical hot wall type heat treatment apparatus is widely used as a heat treatment apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer in an IC manufacturing method. Batch type vertical hot wall heat treatment equipment (hereinafter referred to as heat treatment equipment)
Is equipped with a process tube that forms a processing chamber into which wafers are loaded, and a heater unit that heats the inside of the process tube. A furnace opening at the lower end of the processing chamber in a state where a plurality of wafers are stacked by a boat The wafer is heat-treated by being loaded from the inside and heated in the processing chamber by the heater unit.

In the conventional heat treatment apparatus of this type, the hot air of the heater unit is exhausted to a clean room in which the heat treatment apparatus is installed or to the outside of a clean room building.

[0004]

However, when the hot air of the heat treatment apparatus is exhausted to the clean room, a large amount of cold outside air is taken into the clean air circulating in the clean room to prevent the room temperature of the clean room from rising. Therefore, there is a problem that the maintenance cost of the cleanliness of clean air in the clean room increases.

On the other hand, when the hot air of the heat treatment apparatus is discharged to the outside of the building of the clean room, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the hot air from being released into the atmosphere.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of preventing hot air from being released into a clean room or the atmosphere.

[0007]

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with an exhaust duct for exhausting hot air inside a casing to the outside of the casing, wherein the exhaust duct is cooled. It is characterized in that it is configured as follows.

According to the above-mentioned means, since the exhaust duct for exhausting the hot air inside the housing is cooled, it is possible to prevent the hot air from being released into the clean room or the atmosphere.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as a heat treatment apparatus, that is, a batch type vertical hot wall type heat treatment apparatus, and as shown in FIG. 1, a semiconductor device manufacturing plant. It is installed in the clean room 2 built in the building 1. Inside the clean room 2, a grating 3 is horizontally installed so as to divide it into an upper chamber 4 and a lower chamber 5, and the heat treatment apparatus 10 is installed on the grating 3. A plurality of clean units 6 are installed on the ceiling wall of the clean room 2 so as to supply clean air 7 to the inside of the clean room 2, and the building 1 has an outside air introduction pipe 8 for supplying new air 9. It has been laid.

The heat treatment apparatus 10 has a housing 11 constructed in an airtight chamber structure. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the airtight chamber 12 of the housing 11 (hereinafter referred to as a rear end). .)
A heater unit 13 is vertically installed inside the heater unit installation chamber 12a set at the upper part of the above. Although not shown in detail, the heater unit 13 includes a heater formed by spirally assembling a resistance heater wire, and a case formed in a cylindrical shape by a thin plate of stainless steel or the like and filled with a heat insulating material. A cylindrical heat insulating tank is provided, and a heater is laid in a spiral shape on the inner peripheral surface of the heat insulating tank. Since the heater unit installation chamber 12a is constructed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped box and the heater unit 13 is constructed in the shape of a cylinder, hot air is provided between the inner surface of the side wall of the heater unit installation chamber 12a and the outer peripheral surface of the heater unit 13. Is formed as a passage.

A process tube 14 constituting a processing chamber is concentrically arranged inside the heater unit 13, and a gas introducing pipe for introducing a raw material gas or a purge gas into the processing chamber is provided at a lower end portion of the process tube 14. 15,
An exhaust pipe 16 for evacuating the processing chamber is connected. An elevator 17 is installed in a lower portion of the heater unit installation chamber 12a in the airtight chamber 12 of the housing 11, and the elevator 17 is configured to vertically elevate and lower a boat 18 disposed directly below the process tube 14. There is. The boat 18 is configured to support a large number of wafers 19 arranged horizontally with their centers aligned and to carry in and out of the process chamber of the process tube 14.

A carrier loading / unloading port for loading / unloading a wafer carrier (hereinafter referred to as a carrier) containing a plurality of wafers into / from the hermetic chamber 12 of the housing 11 is provided on the front wall of the housing 11. The carrier loading / unloading port is opened and closed by the front shutter 20 (see FIG. 3). A carry-in / carry-out stage (hereinafter referred to as I / O stage) 21 for aligning the carrier is installed at the carrier carry-in / carry-out port. It has become. The I / O stage 21 is provided with a mounting table 22 formed in a flat plate shape having a substantially L shape in a plan view. A rotary pod shelf 23 is installed in the upper part of the central portion in the front-rear direction of the airtight chamber 12 of the housing 11, and the rotary pod shelf 23 is configured to store a total of eight carriers. . That is, as shown in FIG. 1, in the rotary pod shelf 23, two shelf plates 24, 24 formed in a substantially swastika shape are arranged vertically in two stages and rotatably supported in a horizontal plane. , A motor or the like intermittent rotation driving device (not shown) is rotated in one direction by pitch feed.

The pod shelf 2 in the airtight chamber 12 of the housing 11
3, a pair of wafer loading ports 26 for loading the wafer 19 are installed vertically in two stages vertically, and both wafer loading ports 26, 26 are formed in a flat plate shape having a substantially L-shape in plan view. Mounting table 27,
27 are provided respectively. Between the I / O stage 21, the pod shelf 23, and the wafer loading port 26 in the airtight chamber 12 of the housing 11, a scalar compliance robot (selective compliance assembly robot arm SCA) is provided.
A carrier handling device (hereinafter, referred to as a handling device) 28 configured by RA is installed. The handling device 28 is configured to transfer the carrier between the I / O stage 21 and the pod shelf 23 and between the pod shelf 23 and the wafer loading port 26. Wafer loading port 26 and boat 1
Wafer transfer equipment (water transfer equipme
nt) 29 is installed, and the wafer transfer device 29 is configured to transfer the wafer between the wafer loading port 26 and the boat 18.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the heat treatment apparatus 10 includes a utility box 31 in which a gas supply device, a power supply device and the like are unitized, and the utility box 31 is a casing 11. In order to facilitate the maintenance work of various instruments and devices installed in the airtight chamber 12, they are installed at appropriate intervals behind the housing 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, a water passage pipe 32 for circulating cooling water is provided in the heater unit installation chamber 12a at the rear end of the airtight chamber 12 of the housing 11 where the heater unit 13 is installed. The heater unit installation chamber 12a is laid along the inner surfaces of the four side walls and the inner surface of the ceiling wall, and the water pipes 32 on the respective wall surfaces are arranged in a meandering shape as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a water supply pipe 33 and a drain pipe 34 are provided in the heater unit installation chamber 12a, and as shown in FIG. 1, the water supply pipe 33 and the drain pipe 34 are provided. Is drawn from the lower chamber 5 of the clean room 2 to the upper chamber 4 and is piped to the heater unit installation chamber 12a. Water supply pipe 3
3 and the drain pipe 34, the water pipe 32 laid on each wall surface
However, the cooling water is connected so as to flow over the entire length.

As shown in FIG. 6, a radiator 35 is installed on one side near the ceiling surface of the heater unit installation chamber 12a. The radiator 35 includes a cooled duct 36 communicating with the heater unit installation chamber 12a, and a water pipe 3 for cooling hot air flowing through the cooled duct 36.
7, the water pipe 37 is connected to the cooled duct 36 in a meandering shape, and like the other water pipes 32, the water pipe 3 is provided.
3 and the drain pipe 34. Cooled duct 3
A buffer duct 38 is connected in series to 6, and one end of an exhaust duct 39 is connected to the buffer duct 38. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the other end of the exhaust duct 39 is inserted into the lower chamber 5 of the clean room 2 via a blower 41 installed on the upper surface of the utility box 31. On the outer circumference of the exhaust duct 39, a water pipe 40 for cooling the hot air flowing through the exhaust duct 39 is laid in a spiral shape over the entire length, and the water pipe 40 is the same as the other water pipes 32 and 37. And drainage pipe 34, respectively.

Incidentally, a scavenger buffer duct 42 is formed on the opposite side of the heater unit installation chamber 12a from the buffer duct 38, and the scavenger buffer duct 42 is located outside the lower end of the process tube 14. It is connected to the inside. A scavenger exhaust duct 43 is connected to the scavenger buffer duct 42.

Next, the operation of the heat treatment apparatus having the above structure will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the boat 18 holding a plurality of wafers 19 aligned in the vertical direction is lifted by the boat elevator 17 and carried into the processing chamber of the process tube 14 (boat loading). It Subsequently, the processing chamber of the process tube 14 is exhausted to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust pipe 16, and a predetermined temperature (400
To 1200 ° C.) by the heater unit 13. Next, the processing gas is introduced into the processing chamber by the gas introduction pipe 15. While processing gas flows through the processing chamber, boat 1
By contacting the wafer 19 held by the wafer 8, the wafer 19 is heat-treated.

After the lapse of a predetermined heat treatment time, after the introduction of the processing gas is stopped, the boat 18 is lowered by the boat elevator 17 and is unloaded (boat unloading) from the processing chamber. After that, by repeating the above operation, the heat treatment for the wafer 19 is batch-processed by the heat treatment apparatus 10.

In the above heat treatment, the heater unit 1
Since the temperature of 3 rises to a high temperature of 400 to 1200 ° C., for example, the ambient temperature of the heater unit installation chamber 12a also rises to a high temperature. Therefore, the cooling water is circulated through the water pipe 32 laid in the heater unit installation chamber 12a by the water supply pipe 33 and the drain pipe 34, and the hot air in the heater unit installation chamber 12 that is the high temperature atmosphere is cooled by the radiator 35. The air is forcedly exhausted by the blower 41 through the duct 36, the buffer duct 38, and the exhaust duct 39. That is, the heater unit installation chamber 12a
The inner surface of the side wall of the is forcibly cooled by the cooling water flowing through the water pipe 32. Further, the heater unit installation chamber 12a is relatively air-cooled by forcibly exhausting the hot air in the heater unit installation chamber 12a.

From the heater unit installation chamber 12a to the blower 4
The hot air sucked up by the exhaust force of No. 1 is cooled by the water pipe 37 of the radiator 35. Radiator 35
The hot air cooled by is sucked into the exhaust duct 39 through the buffer duct 38 by the exhaust force of the blower 41, and is blown out to the lower chamber 5 of the clean room 2. At this time, since the water pipe 40 is laid in a spiral shape over the entire length of the exhaust duct 39, the hot air flowing through the exhaust duct 39 is further cooled by the cooling water flowing through the water pipe 40. In this way, the hot air from the heater unit installation chamber 12a is cooled by the radiator 35 and then further cooled while flowing through the exhaust duct 39, so that the temperature at which the hot air is blown out to the lower chamber 5 of the clean room 2 is sufficient. It has been lowered.

The air from the heater unit installation chamber 12a blown into the lower chamber 5 of the clean room 2, that is, the hot air that has been sufficiently cooled down, is blown down from the upper chamber 4 to the lower chamber 5 through the grating 3 and the clean air 7 is blown down. It is sucked up by the exhaust force of the clean unit 6 of the clean room 2 together with. The clean air 7 sucked up by the clean unit 6 is purified and temperature-conditioned by the clean unit 6. At this time, the temperature of the hot air exhausted from the heater unit installation chamber 12a is sufficiently lowered when it is blown out to the lower chamber 5 of the clean room 2, so that the temperature-harmonic output of the clean unit 6 of the clean room 2 is suppressed. can do. By suppressing the output of temperature control of the clean room 2,
Since the amount of new air 9 supplied to the clean room 2 by the outside air introduction pipe 8 can be reduced, extra contamination of the filter of the clean unit 6 due to purification of the new air 9 can be suppressed. . That is, the running cost of the clean room 2 can be significantly reduced.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

1) Since the hot air flowing through the exhaust duct can be cooled by laying a water pipe in the exhaust duct that exhausts the hot air in the heater unit installation chamber, the hot air is not released into the clean room or the atmosphere. Can be prevented.

2) By preventing hot air from being released into the clean room, the running cost of the clean room can be significantly reduced, and hot air can be prevented from being released outside the building of the clean room. As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the outside air of the building from rising.

3) By installing a blower in the exhaust duct, the hot air in the heater unit chamber can be forcibly exhausted, so that the heater unit chamber can be forcibly cooled by air, and the blower can be installed outdoors. The length of the exhaust duct can be shortened compared to the case where it is installed.

4) By arranging the air outlet of the exhaust duct in the lower room of the grating in the clean room, it is possible to prevent the down blow of clean air in the upper room in which various semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are installed in the clean room from being disturbed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the performance of the clean room from deteriorating.

5) Dedicated water pipe for cooling the exhaust duct by connecting the water pipe for cooling the exhaust duct to a water pipe and a drain pipe for circulating cooling water to other water pipes of the heat treatment apparatus. Also, since it is not necessary to provide a drainage pipe, it is possible to suppress an increase in equipment cost.

Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the exhaust duct for cooling is not limited to the exhaust duct connected to the heater unit installation chamber, but the hot air inside the casing is exhausted to the outside of the casing like the exhaust duct connected to the scavenger. The exhaust duct may be cooled.

The blower installed in the exhaust duct is not limited to being placed in the upper room of the clean room, but may be placed in the lower room of the clean room.

The water pipe for cooling the exhaust duct may be connected to a dedicated water supply pipe and drain pipe.

The outlet of the exhaust duct is not limited to being arranged in the lower chamber of the clean room, but may be arranged in the upper chamber.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is not limited to the batch type vertical hot wall type heat treatment apparatus, but can be applied to all semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses such as a batch type horizontal hot wall type heat treatment apparatus.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to prevent hot air from being released into a clean room or the atmosphere.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an installed state of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a clean room.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the heat treatment apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the heat treatment apparatus from the front side.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view from the back side showing the heat treatment apparatus.

5 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG.

6 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... IC manufacturing factory building, 2 ... Clean room, 3 ... Grating, 4 ... Upper chamber, 5 ... Lower chamber, 6 ... Clean unit, 7 ... Clean air, 8 ... Outside air introduction pipe, 9 ... Air, 10 ... Heat treatment apparatus (Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus), 11 ... Casing, 12 ... Airtight chamber, 12a ... Heater unit installation chamber, 1
3 ... Heater unit, 14 ... Process tube, 15 ...
Gas introduction pipe, 16 ... Exhaust pipe, 17 ... Elevator, 18 ...
Boat, 19 ... Wafer, 20 ... Front shutter, 21
... I / O stage, 22 ... Mounting table, 23 ... Pod shelf, 2
4 ... Shelf plate, 25 ... Loading part, 26 ... Wafer loading port, 27 ... Loading table, 28 ... Carrier handling device, 29 ... Wafer transfer device, 31 ... Utility box, 32 ... Water pipe, 33 ... Water supply pipe, 34 ... drainage pipe,
35 ... Radiator, 36 ... Cooled duct, 37 ... Water pipe, 38 ... Buffer duct, 39 ... Exhaust duct, 40 ...
Water pipe, 41 ... Blower, 42 ... Scavenger buffer duct, 43 ... Scavenger exhaust duct.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising an exhaust duct for exhausting hot air inside a casing to the outside of the casing, wherein the exhaust duct is configured to be cooled. apparatus. 2. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a blower is installed in the exhaust duct. 3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed in a clean room, and the air outlet of the exhaust duct is arranged under the floor of the clean room.