JP2007208096A - Vapor phase growth apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vapor phase growth apparatus capable of disassembling a film forming member where a deposit containing yellow phosphor is adhered so that it can be conveyed safely and easily, and cleaning the film forming member safely. <P>SOLUTION: The vapor phase growth apparatus comprises a glove box 11 for storing a reactor 12, a container storage box 14 connected to the glove box, and a member container 17 stored in the container storage box. An inner side opening/closing means 15 where the film forming member can pass is provided between the glove box and the container storage box. An external side opening/closing means 16 is provided for taking a member container into or out of the container storage box. Gas paths 14a, 14b are provided for replacing atmosphere in the container storage box by an inert gas atmosphere. The member container is formed so that it can store the film forming member and store water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vapor phase growth apparatus, and more particularly, to a vapor phase growth apparatus that forms a semiconductor thin film on a substrate surface using a source gas containing phosphorus.

  In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for forming a semiconductor thin film containing phosphorus, such as InP (indium phosphide), a decomposition product of a raw material used for film formation adheres to a film forming component of a reaction furnace. Usually, this deposit contains a large amount of yellow phosphorus, and is easily oxidized when exposed to the atmosphere. When the amount of deposit is large, the oxidation reaction is intensified and leads to ignition. Furthermore, when a film containing an arsenic film is formed in the same reactor, arsenic is also contained in the decomposition product. Therefore, when the decomposition product containing phosphorus ignites, highly toxic arsenic trioxide may be generated. There is a very high risk.

  Usually, during regular maintenance, the film forming components of the reactor are decomposed to remove the decomposition products, but during maintenance, the reactor must be exposed to the atmosphere and The danger was very high.

For this reason, before exposing the inside of the reactor to the atmosphere, the deposit (attachment) adhering to the inner wall surface of the reaction tube is peeled off and then oxygen-containing gas is introduced into the reaction tube to oxidize yellow phosphorus on the surface of the deposit. A method of removing the reaction tube after changing to a safe substance such as phosphorus pentoxide is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is also known a vapor phase growth apparatus in which a glove box is continuously provided in the film forming chamber so that the deposits can be removed from the film forming components without being in contact with the atmosphere (for example, see Patent Document 2). .)
JP-A-6-283429 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-236093

  In the method described in Patent Document 1, since the deposit is peeled before removing the reaction tube, it is difficult to completely remove the deposit depending on the shape of the film forming component including the reaction tube. In addition, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, when deposits containing yellow phosphorus are removed from the film forming component, the large glove box is moved to a safe place in a sealed state, and then the atmosphere is introduced into the glove box. Had to do. Also, since yellow phosphorus is treated in the glove box, the glove box could not be opened to the atmosphere until the yellow phosphorus treatment was completed.

  Therefore, the present invention can disassemble a film-forming component to which deposits containing yellow phosphorus adhere and can safely and easily transport the film-forming component, and can be used to clean the film-forming component in a safe place. It aims to provide a growth device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention introduces a raw material gas into a reaction furnace combined with film forming components, and forms a semiconductor thin film on the substrate surface held in the reaction furnace in a heated state. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which an ignitable reaction product adheres to at least one of the film forming components when forming a film, a glove box for storing the reaction furnace, and a container storage box connected to the glove box And an internal opening / closing means through which the film forming component to which the reaction product adheres can pass between the glove box and the container storage box. A gas path for replacing the atmosphere in the container storage box with an inert gas atmosphere while providing an external opening / closing means capable of taking the member container in and out of the container storage box Provided, wherein the member container can accommodate the deposition component, wherein the reaction product is adhered, and is characterized in that the reservoir can be formed.

  According to the vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, when performing the maintenance of the film forming component, the member container filled with water is installed in the container storage box with the internal side opening / closing means closed, and the external side After closing the opening / closing means, the inside of the container storage box is made an inert gas atmosphere, then the internal opening / closing means is opened, and the film forming component is manually disassembled through the glove, and a reaction product having an ignition property is attached. By throwing the formed film forming component member into the water of the member container, ignition of the reaction product can be surely prevented.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a vapor phase growth apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a reaction furnace housed in a glove box.

  In this vapor phase growth apparatus, a reaction furnace 12 for forming a thin film on a substrate is housed in a glove box 11, and a plurality of gloves 13 and a viewing window (not shown) are provided on the side wall of the glove box 11. The container storage box 14 is continuously provided on the bottom wall on the glove 13 side.

  The glove box 11 is provided with an inert gas introduction path 11 a for introducing an inert gas such as nitrogen into the glove box 11 and an exhaust path 11 b for exhausting the gas in the glove box 11. Thus, the inside of the glove box 11 can be made an inert atmosphere.

  The container storage box 14 is provided with an internal opening / closing means 15 capable of airtightly partitioning the inside of the glove box 13 and the container storage box 14, and the outside (atmosphere side) and the inside of the container storage box 14. An external opening / closing means 16 capable of being hermetically partitioned is provided. The container storage box 14 can store a member container 17 that can store a film-forming component that may be attached to a ignitable reaction product among the film-forming members constituting the reaction furnace 12. The external opening / closing means 16 has an opening large enough to allow the member container 17 to pass therethrough. The inner side opening / closing means 15 has an opening large enough to allow the disassembled film forming component to be put into the member container 17 stored in the container storage box 14 from the glove box 11.

  Further, the container storage box 14 is provided with an inert gas introduction path 14a and an exhaust path 14b as gas paths for replacing the atmosphere in the container storage box 14 with an inert gas atmosphere. The atmosphere flowing into the container storage box 14 when the opening / closing means 16 is opened is exhausted from the exhaust path 14b by the inert gas introduced from the inert gas introduction path 14a, and the inside of the container storage box 14 is inert gas atmosphere. It is formed so that it can be replaced.

  The member container 17 is a bottomed cylindrical container capable of storing water W therein, and can be transported to a cleaning work place in a state where a film forming component disassembled during maintenance is submerged in water. Is formed. In addition, the member container 17 is provided with a lid for preventing water from spilling from the member container 17 during transportation, a handle for use when carrying the member container 17 and the like as necessary. Can do.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the reaction furnace 12 is a combination of film forming components such as a flow channel 21, a susceptor 22, a heater 23, and a reflector 24, and is rotated by a rotating shaft 27. The substrate 26 is placed on the substrate holder 25, the substrate 26 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 23 via the susceptor 22, and the vapor phase raw material is introduced into the flow channel 21, thereby the substrate 26. A predetermined semiconductor thin film is formed thereon. A raw material introduction pipe and an exhaust pipe (both not shown) are connected to the upstream side and the downstream side of the flow channel 21, respectively.

  When performing a normal film forming operation, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is introduced into the glove box 11 from the inert gas introduction path 11a with the internal side opening / closing means 15 closed, and exhausted from the exhaust path 11b. By doing so, the inside of the glove box 11 is maintained in an inert gas atmosphere.

  After the deposition of the semiconductor thin film containing phosphorus in the reaction furnace 12, when performing maintenance of the film forming components such as the flow channel 21, first, a member container 17 containing water W is prepared, and external side opening / closing means After opening 16 and storing in the container storage box 14, the external side opening / closing means 16 is closed to prevent air from entering the container storage box 14. Next, an inert gas, for example, nitrogen gas is introduced into the container storage box 14 from the inert gas introduction path 14a and exhausted from the exhaust path 14b, whereby the container storage box 14 is filled with an inert gas atmosphere. The operation of storing the member container 17 in the container storage box 14 and setting the inside of the container storage box 14 to an inert gas atmosphere may be performed in advance during film formation.

  Next, with the inside of the glove box 11 and the container storage box 14 maintained in an inert gas atmosphere, a hand is inserted into the glove 13 and the reaction furnace 12 is disassembled into each film forming component in the glove box 11. At the same time, the internal side opening / closing means 15 is opened, and a film forming component in which yellow phosphorus may adhere among the film forming components or all the film forming components are put into the water of the member container 17. As a result, yellow phosphorus having a risk of being ignited by contact with the atmosphere can be contained in water to eliminate the risk of ignition.

  The member container 17 in which the film forming component is submerged in this way is opened by opening the external opening / closing means 16, removed from the container storage box 14, and transported to a place where it can be safely cleaned. The cleaning operation of the membrane constituent member can be performed safely and reliably. In addition, the cleaning operation of the film forming component can be performed in water. Alternatively, yellow phosphorus may be changed to a safe substance with an appropriate chemical and then performed in the air.

  Further, at the start of the maintenance, it is only necessary to put the decomposed film forming component into water, and the opening of the glove box 11 to the atmosphere can be performed in a shorter time compared to the case of burning yellow phosphorus in the glove box 11. Therefore, the time required for maintenance can be greatly reduced.

It is explanatory drawing which shows one example of the vapor phase growth apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the reaction furnace accommodated in a glove box.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Glove box, 11a ... Inert gas introduction path, 11b ... Exhaust path, 12 ... Reactor, 13 ... Globe, 14 ... Container storage box, 14a ... Inert gas introduction path, 14b ... Exhaust path, 15 ... Inside Opening and closing means, 16 ... external side opening and closing means, 17 ... member container, 21 ... flow channel, 22 ... susceptor, 23 ... heater, 24 ... reflector, 25 ... substrate holder, 26 ... substrate, 27 ... rotating shaft, W ... water

Claims (1)

  When a raw material gas is introduced into a reaction furnace in which a film forming component is combined and a semiconductor thin film is formed on a substrate surface held in a heated state in the reaction furnace, at least one of the film forming components is ignited. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to which a reaction product having a property adheres, a glove box for housing the reaction furnace, a container storage box connected to the glove box, and a member container stored in the container storage box are provided. An internal opening / closing means through which the film forming component to which the reaction product adheres can pass is provided between the glove box and the container storage box, and an external opening / closing means capable of taking the member container in and out of the container storage box. And a gas path for substituting the atmosphere in the container storage box with an inert gas atmosphere, the component container is attached to the reaction product. It can accommodate a component, and water can be formed by vapor deposition apparatus characterized by the.

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