JP2007242776A - Tool for steam annealing, steam annealing method and substrate transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more efficiently reduce contamination of a substrate due to transfer from a tool or due to particles or contamination during processing, while maintaining the effect of steam anneal processing, as it is. <P>SOLUTION: The tool 10 for steam anneal is provided with a susceptor 12 having an upper opening 12a, a lower through-hole 12b and a support 12c, and housing the substrate 1 in the inside; and a lid member 14 for closing the upper opening of the susceptor 12. The lower through-hole 12b is formed so that a supporter 24, for supporting the bottom surface of the substrate 1 to hold it in a floating state from the susceptor 12, can be inserted from below. A micro-flow passage, capable of introducing steam molecules and preventing the infiltration of particles having not smaller than predetermined grain size and contamination is formed on a contacting portion between the susceptor 12 and the lid member 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water vapor annealing jig and a water vapor annealing method that can effectively prevent contamination of a substrate due to particles, contamination, and the like, and a substrate transfer apparatus related thereto.

  It is known that a semiconductor substrate such as a TFT substrate for a liquid crystal or a silicon wafer is heat-treated under pressurized water vapor, thereby enabling treatments such as thermal oxide film formation, termination of defects in silicon, and reflow of an interlayer insulating film. ing. Such a process is referred to as a “water vapor annealing process”.

As a prior art document relating to the method of the water vapor annealing treatment, for example, the following Patent Document 1 is disclosed.
Patent Document 1 “Method of planarizing insulating film of semiconductor device” is a method of planarizing an insulating film formed on an uneven surface on a substrate of a semiconductor device by heat flow. It is performed under a pressure of 3 atm or more in the atmosphere. By this method, the amount of oxygen diffused in the insulating film and the diffusion rate thereof are increased, and a good reflow of the BPSG film is realized at a lower temperature and in a shorter time than in the past.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional general water vapor annealing apparatus. This water vapor annealing apparatus includes a pressure vessel 103 capable of adjusting an internal pressure, a processing vessel 108 that forms a processing chamber 107 therein, a heater 110 provided between the pressure vessel 103 and the processing vessel 108, and a processing chamber. And a boiler 118 for generating water vapor to be introduced into 107. The processing vessel 108 is made of quartz glass and can accommodate the wafer mounting board 112 therein. The wafer mounting board 112 is installed on a substrate mounting table 114, and a large number (for example, about 100 to 150) of semiconductor substrates 111 can be placed horizontally and mounted side by side in the height direction.

  In the water vapor annealing apparatus configured as described above, after the semiconductor substrate 111 is stored in the processing chamber 107, the semiconductor substrate 111 is heated by the heater 110, and water vapor is generated by the boiler 118 and introduced into the processing chamber 107. Thus, the pressure in the processing chamber 107 is increased, and air is supplied into the pressure vessel 103 in accordance with the pressure increase in the processing chamber 107 to increase the internal pressure of the pressure vessel 103, thereby performing a water vapor annealing process. As prior art documents disclosing the same water vapor annealing apparatus, there are the following Patent Documents 2, 3 and the like.

  By the way, in the annealing process by the conventional steam annealing apparatus described above, the reactivity of high-temperature and high-pressure steam is high, and therefore, there is an effect of accelerating various processes on the semiconductor substrate. However, due to its high effect, it reacts with containers and pipes other than the semiconductor substrate to generate particles and contamination. These particles and contamination stay in the container and piping system and increase over time, so that they adhere to the substrate and contaminate the substrate, causing deterioration in the quality of the water vapor annealing process and the device yield. There's a problem.

  In order to deal with such problems, the present applicant has developed a new technology capable of reducing the contamination of the substrate due to particles, contamination, etc., and Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-198573 (hereinafter referred to as Prior Application 1) and. Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-242849 (hereinafter referred to as Prior Application 2) was filed. The prior applications 1 and 2 are unpublished at the time of this application.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing a configuration of the steam annealing jig 200 of the prior application 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the water vapor annealing jig 200 supports a lower support member 202 that supports the outer edge portion of the flat substrate 201 and accommodates the substrate 201 therein, and covers the entire upper portion of the lower support member 202. The upper lid member 204 and the lower support member 202 can introduce water vapor molecules in a temperature and pressure range in which the substrate 201 is processed, and prevent intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter or contamination. It has a contact surface to do. In FIG. 7, the contact portion between the upper lid member 204 and the lower support member 202 is the “contact surface”.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of the steam annealing jig of the prior application 2. In FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, this water vapor annealing jig includes a sheet-like member 300 that is formed so as to cover the peripheral portion of the substrate 301 and has a through-opening 300 a on the inner side. The contact surface has a surface roughness capable of introducing water vapor molecules in a range of temperature and pressure for processing the substrate and preventing intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter and contamination.

  According to the inventions of the prior applications 1 and 2, in the water vapor annealing process, the invasion of particles and contamination is prevented while ensuring the supply of water vapor to the substrate processing surface, so that the effect of the water vapor annealing process is maintained. However, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that the contamination of the substrate by particles or the like can be greatly reduced.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-67607 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-152567 JP 2004-127958 A

  By the way, in the above-described prior art, the placement of the substrate on the jig is performed by a transfer robot provided with a gripping hand capable of gripping the substrate. In order to place the substrate on the water vapor annealing jig of the prior application 1 or the prior application 2 by this transfer robot, the gripping hand must be in a state above the substrate. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing damage and contamination of the processing surface of the substrate (the surface on which the semiconductor device is formed), it is necessary to transport the substrate so as not to contact the processing surface. For these reasons, conventionally, the substrate cannot be placed on the jig unless the processing surface is directed downward. On the processing surface of the substrate, there is a range where elements called edge exclusion are not formed within a few millimeters from the peripheral edge (edge), and conventionally, the edge exclusion portion of the substrate is used as a jig. It was placed in contact with the jig.

However, in this situation, the following problems have occurred.
(1) If even a slight contamination exists in the jig, the contamination is transferred to the edge exclusion of the substrate. For this reason, in the contamination inspection of the substrate, due to the problem of inspection accuracy, even if the portion where the semiconductor device is built is not contaminated, the contamination of the edge exclusion is detected, and as a result, detection may be caused later.
(2) In the case of a substrate formed up to edge exclusion, the contact surface between the substrate and the jig rubs due to the difference in thermal expansion between the substrate and the jig during heat treatment, or the substrate is placed on or taken out from the jig. Occasionally, the substrate and the jig are rubbed, and the film on the substrate is scraped to generate particles, which contaminates the substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and while maintaining the effect of the water vapor annealing treatment, contamination of the substrate due to transfer from the jig, contamination of the substrate due to particles and contamination during the treatment, and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a water vapor annealing jig, a water vapor annealing method, and a substrate transfer apparatus that can be more effectively reduced.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the following means is employed in the steam annealing jig, the steam annealing method, and the substrate transfer apparatus according to the present invention.
(1) That is, the steam annealing jig according to the present invention is located between an upper opening capable of receiving a flat substrate, a lower through hole communicating with the upper opening, and an upper opening and a lower through hole. And a support member that supports the lower surface of the substrate, and includes a susceptor that accommodates the substrate therein, and a lid member that closes the upper opening of the susceptor, and the lower through hole supports the lower surface of the substrate. A support for holding the susceptor in a floating state can be inserted from below, and water vapor molecules are introduced into the contact portion between the susceptor and the lid member within a temperature and pressure range for processing the substrate. And a fine flow path that prevents intrusion of particles and contamination having a predetermined particle diameter or more, and intrusion of particles and contamination from the lower surface side to the upper surface side of the substrate, Serial contact portion or the susceptor and the susceptor and the support portion and the substrate is prevented by the contact portion between the mounting surface to be mounted, characterized in that.

According to the steam annealing jig configured as described above, the substrate is housed in the susceptor, the upper opening of the susceptor is closed with a lid member, and the surroundings is made into a steam atmosphere, thereby forming the contact portion between the susceptor and the lid member. The water vapor passes through the fine channel and reaches the processing surface of the substrate while preventing the entry of particles and contamination into the processing surface of the substrate by the filter function of the fine channel. For this reason, the contamination of the substrate can be greatly reduced while maintaining the effect of the conventional water vapor annealing process.
Further, since the susceptor is provided with a lower through-hole through which a support for floating the substrate can be inserted from below, the susceptor is mounted on the susceptor by the substrate transfer device described later with the processing surface of the substrate facing upward. Can be placed. That is, a substrate transfer apparatus, which will be described later, places a substrate with the processing surface facing upward on a support inserted from the lower through-hole of the susceptor and protruding from the upper opening, and then the support is placed on the susceptor. The substrate can be placed on the susceptor with the processing surface of the substrate facing upward.
For this reason, since the processing surface of the substrate and the susceptor do not come into contact with each other, even if the susceptor is contaminated, the contamination is not transferred to the processing surface of the substrate. In addition, since the edge exclusion on the substrate processing surface does not contact the jig, even if the substrate and the susceptor are rubbed during heat treatment or substrate transfer, the film on the processing surface is scraped and particles are generated. There is no.
Therefore, it is possible to more effectively reduce the contamination of the substrate due to the transfer from the jig and the contamination of the substrate due to particles and contamination during the processing while maintaining the effect of the water vapor annealing treatment.

(2) Further, in the water vapor annealing jig according to the present invention, a temperature at which a substrate is processed at a contact portion between one susceptor and another susceptor when the plurality of susceptors are stacked and the plurality of susceptors are stacked. In addition, it is characterized in that a water vapor molecule can be introduced in a range of pressure and a fine flow path is formed which prevents intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter or more and contamination.

As described above, since a plurality of susceptors are provided, a plurality of substrates can be processed by stacking a plurality of these susceptors.
In addition, another susceptor is directly stacked on the susceptor, and a water vapor molecule can be introduced into the contact portion, and a fine channel that prevents intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter and contamination is formed. As for the substrate accommodated in the susceptor, the contamination of the substrate can be greatly reduced while maintaining the effect of the conventional water vapor annealing treatment.
Further, since the stacking height can be suppressed by directly stacking the susceptors without using the lid member, it is possible to contribute to an improvement in the number of substrates to be processed or a reduction in the size of the processing apparatus.

(3) The water vapor annealing jig according to the present invention further includes a bottom member that is disposed under the susceptor and prevents particles and contamination from entering the lower surface of the substrate.

  By providing such a bottom member, the entry of particles and contamination into the lower surface of the substrate is prevented, so that contamination of the lower surface of the substrate can be reduced.

(4) In the steam annealing jig according to the present invention, at least one of the susceptor or the lid member is made of quartz, SiC, graphite, or non-alkali glass.

  Since these materials have a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of a substrate such as a liquid crystal TFT substrate or a silicon wafer, the expansion / contraction of the gap due to thermal expansion / thermal contraction and the relative deviation can be reduced. Moreover, since these materials have low reactivity with high-temperature and high-pressure water vapor, generation of particles and contamination can be suppressed.

(5) The water vapor annealing method according to the present invention is a water vapor annealing method using the water vapor annealing jig of the above (1), on the susceptor in which the substrate with the processing surface facing upward is accommodated, The lid member is placed so as to close the upper opening of the susceptor, and the substrate is heat-treated in a water vapor atmosphere around the water vapor annealing jig.

(6) Further, the water vapor annealing method according to the present invention is a water vapor annealing method using the water vapor annealing jig of (2) above, wherein a plurality of the susceptors in which a substrate having a process surface facing upward is accommodated. Stacking the steps, placing the lid member on the uppermost susceptor so as to close the upper opening of the susceptor, and performing a heat treatment on the substrate with a water vapor atmosphere around the water vapor annealing jig; Features.

  According to the above-described water vapor annealing method, it is possible to more effectively reduce the contamination of the substrate due to transfer from the jig and the contamination of the substrate due to particles or contamination during the treatment while maintaining the effect of the water vapor annealing treatment.

(7) A substrate transfer apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate transfer apparatus for placing or removing a substrate on or from a susceptor of the water vapor annealing jig of (1) or (2) above. The susceptor support means for horizontally supporting the susceptor, the susceptor transport means for placing or removing the susceptor on the susceptor support means, and being inserted from the lower through hole of the susceptor and protruding from the upper opening, the substrate can be supported at the upper end. Substrate support for holding the substrate and placing or removing the substrate on the support with the gripping hand positioned below the substrate with the processing surface facing upward And a support that raises and lowers the support relative to the susceptor support means so that the support is inserted from the lower through hole of the susceptor and protrudes from the upper opening or is removed from the susceptor. And the support is configured not to interfere with a gripping hand of the substrate transport means when the substrate is placed on or taken out from the support by the substrate transport means. And

  According to the above substrate transfer apparatus, in a state where the susceptor is horizontally supported by the susceptor support means, the support body is inserted from the lower through hole of the susceptor so as to protrude from the upper opening, and the processing surface of the substrate is directed upward. The substrate is placed on the support with the gripping hand positioned below the substrate, the gripping hand is pulled out from the bottom of the substrate, and the support is lowered relative to the susceptor, The substrate can be placed on the susceptor with the processing surface facing upward.

  According to the present invention, while maintaining the effect of the vapor annealing treatment, it is possible to more effectively reduce the contamination of the substrate due to transfer from the jig and the contamination of the substrate due to particles and contamination during the treatment. An effect is obtained.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the common part in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

[First Embodiment]
1A and 1B are diagrams showing a configuration of a water vapor annealing jig 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG. C) is a sectional view of only the susceptor 12 in (B).
As shown in FIG. 1, the water vapor annealing jig 10 according to the present embodiment includes a susceptor 12 that houses a flat substrate 1 therein, a lid member 14 that closes an upper opening 12 a of the susceptor 12, and a susceptor 12. And a lid member 14 that closes the lower through hole 12b.

The substrate 1 to be processed is, for example, a liquid crystal TFT substrate 1 or a silicon wafer. The substrate 1 is circular in this example, but may be rectangular or other shapes. The substrate 1 may be a homogeneous material such as glass or silicon, a composite material with a semiconductor element formed on the surface, or the substrate 1 in an intermediate process.
Such a substrate 1 is accommodated in the susceptor 12 with the processing surface (the surface on which the semiconductor device is formed) facing upward. The details of the method for placing the substrate 1 on the susceptor 12 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the susceptor 12 is positioned between the upper opening 12a capable of receiving the substrate 1, the lower through hole 12b communicating with the upper opening 12a, and the upper opening 12a and the lower through hole 12b. And a support portion 12c that supports the lower surface of the substrate 1.
The lower through-hole 12b is formed so that a support 24 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) for supporting the lower surface of the substrate 1 and holding it in a state of floating from the susceptor 12 can be inserted from below.

The shape and dimensions of the susceptor 12 and the lid member 14 are set so that a processing space for introducing water vapor is formed between the substrate 1 and the lid member 14 in a state where the substrate 1 is accommodated in the susceptor 12.
At the contact portion between the susceptor 12 and the lid member 14, a fine channel is formed that can introduce water vapor molecules in a temperature and pressure range in which the substrate 1 is processed and prevents intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter and contamination. Is done.

  The flatness of the contact portion is set in the range of 10 to 20 μm, and the surface roughness Ra is also set equal to the flatness. With this configuration, when the lid member 14 is placed on the susceptor 12, the contact portion between the two is not completely brought into close contact with the upper opening 12 a so as to be airtightly closed. A fine flow path determined by is formed. This fine channel is about 1/10 of the maximum flatness, that is, in the range of about 1 to 2 μm, can introduce water vapor molecules, and has a particle size and contamination larger than a predetermined particle size (in this case, 1 to 2 μm). It was confirmed that the intrusion of can be prevented.

  At least one of the susceptor 12 or the lid member 14 is preferably made of quartz, SiC, graphite, or alkali-free glass. Since these materials have a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the substrate 1 such as a liquid crystal TFT substrate 1 or a silicon wafer, expansion / reduction of the gap due to thermal expansion / thermal contraction and relative shift can be reduced. Moreover, since these materials have low reactivity with high-temperature and high-pressure water vapor, generation of particles and contamination can be suppressed.

The bottom member 16 is disposed under the susceptor 12 and plays a role of preventing particles and contamination from entering the lower surface of the substrate.
The bottom member 16 may close the lower through hole 12b in an airtight manner. Alternatively, a fine flow path that can introduce water vapor molecules into the contact portion between the susceptor 12 and the bottom member 16 within a temperature and pressure range in which the substrate 1 is processed and prevents intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter and contamination. It may be formed.

In general, a substrate mounting table (see 114 in FIG. 6) is provided inside a water vapor annealing apparatus (for example, the apparatus shown in FIG. 6) used in the water vapor annealing process. By directly placing the susceptor 12 on the substrate placement table, the lower through hole 12b may be closed to prevent entry of particles or the like.
Alternatively, even if the intrusion of particles or the like is not prevented at the contact portion between the susceptor 12 and the substrate mounting table, the intrusion of particles or the like from the substrate lower surface side to the substrate upper surface side is performed at the contact portion between the substrate 1 and the susceptor 12. You may block it. In this case, the support portion 12c of the susceptor 12 needs to have a shape that supports the substrate 1 so that a gap is not formed between the lower through hole 12b and the upper opening 12a when the substrate 1 is placed thereon. There is.
In any case, intrusion of particles and contamination from the lower surface side to the upper surface side of the substrate 1 may be caused by contact between the support portion 12c of the susceptor 12 and the substrate 1, or the susceptor 12 and the susceptor 12 placed thereon. It is necessary to be configured to be blocked by a contact portion with the placement surface (in the above example, the substrate placement table or the bottom member 16).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the substrate transfer apparatus 20 for placing or removing the substrate 1 on the susceptor 12 of the water vapor annealing jig 10. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 20.
As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate transfer apparatus 20 includes a support block 22 as a susceptor support means, a support 24, an elevating means 26, and a transfer robot 30 as a susceptor transfer means and a substrate transfer means. Yes.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the transfer robot 30. The transport robot 30 includes a gripping hand 31 that grips the substrate 1 and a moving mechanism 36 that moves the gripping hand 31 three-dimensionally.
In the present embodiment, the gripping hand 31 has a flat shape, and has a substrate gripping portion 33 that sucks and grips the lower surface of the substrate 1 and a susceptor gripping portion 34 that sucks and grips the lower surface of the susceptor 12 on its upper surface. . The gripping hand 31 sucks and grips the lower surface of the substrate 1 with the processing surface facing upward.
The moving mechanism 36 includes a base 37, an elevating mechanism 38 provided on the base 37 so as to be movable up and down, and an articulated arm 39 provided on the elevating mechanism 38 so as to be rotatable about the axis a1 and extendable. I have.
In the transport robot 30 configured as described above, the gripping hand 31 grips and grips the gripping hand 31 with the gripping hand 31 positioned below the substrate 1 or the susceptor 12, and the moving mechanism 36 three-dimensionally grips the gripping hand 31. By moving, the susceptor 12 is placed on or taken out from the support block 22 as susceptor support means, and the substrate 1 is placed on or taken out from the support 24.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the transfer robot 30 functions as a susceptor transfer unit that places or removes the susceptor 12 from the susceptor support unit (support block 22). Further, the transfer robot 30 has a gripping hand 31 for gripping the substrate 1, and the substrate 1 is placed on the support 24 in a state where the gripping hand 31 is positioned below the substrate 1 with the processing surface facing upward. Alternatively, it functions as a substrate transfer means for taking out.

In this embodiment, the transfer robot 30 is provided with the functions of both the susceptor transfer unit and the substrate transfer unit. Instead of such a configuration, the substrate transfer unit and the susceptor transfer unit are configured as separate devices. May be.
In addition, the substrate transport means can adopt various forms as long as the substrate 1 can be placed on or taken out from the support 24. The susceptor transport means can adopt various forms as long as the susceptor 12 can be placed on or taken out of the susceptor support means (support block 22).

As shown in FIG. 2, the susceptor support means in this example includes three support blocks 22 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and each support block 22 supports the susceptor 12 horizontally. It has become.
As shown in FIG. 3A, each support block 22 has a support surface 22a that supports the lower surface of the susceptor 12, and a contact surface 22b that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the susceptor 12 when centered. Further, the support block 22 is configured to be movable back and forth horizontally toward a predetermined center reference position C. After the susceptor 12 is placed on the support surface 22a, as shown in FIG. The support block 22 moves horizontally toward the center reference position C and the outer peripheral surface of the susceptor 12 is pushed by the contact surface 22b, so that the center of the susceptor 12 and the center reference position C are aligned.

  In this embodiment, the support block 22 is provided with both functions of a susceptor support means and a center alignment means for horizontally supporting the susceptor 12, but these are configured by independent mechanisms or devices. Also good.

As shown in FIG. 3C, the support 24 is configured to be inserted from the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 and protrude from the upper opening 12a so that the substrate 1 can be supported horizontally at the upper end. In the present embodiment, the support 24 has a plurality of support pins 24 a at the top thereof, and is configured to horizontally support the substrate 1 at the upper end of the support pins 24 a, and the support 24 by the transfer robot 30. The substrate 1 is configured not to interfere with the gripping hand 31 of the transfer robot 30 when the substrate 1 is placed on or taken out of the substrate 1.
Due to such a configuration, the substrate 1 can be placed on the support 24 with the processing surface of the substrate 1 facing upward.

  The shape and size of the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 described above can be appropriately set within a range in which the function of the support 24 can be achieved by the shape and size of the support 24. For example, the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 shown in FIG. 1 has a shape in which the entire inside is pulled out from the support portion 12c. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the portion into which the support pin 24a is inserted is fed. The extracted shape may be sufficient.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3C, and 3D, the substrate transfer apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment includes substrate alignment means for aligning the center position of the substrate 1 and the center reference position C. I have. The substrate alignment means includes three slide blocks 28 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The slide block 28 is configured to be movable back and forth horizontally toward the center reference position. After the substrate 1 is placed on the support 24, each slide block 28 is moved as shown in FIG. Advancing horizontally toward the center reference position C, alignment between the substrate center and the center reference position C is performed.

The elevating means 26 inserts the support 24 from the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 so as to protrude from the upper opening 12a (see FIG. 3 (C)) or detach from the susceptor 12 (see FIG. 3 (E)). The support 24 is moved up and down relative to the susceptor support. The protruding height of the support 24 from the upper opening 12 a is at least such that the gripping hand 31 and the susceptor 12 do not come into contact with each other when the substrate 1 is placed on the support 24.
In this embodiment, the elevating means 26 is configured to move the support 24 up and down, but instead of such a configuration, the susceptor support means (the support block 22 in this example) is moved up and down to support the support body. It is good also as a structure which raises / lowers 24 relatively with respect to a susceptor support means.

In the substrate transfer apparatus 20 configured as described above, the substrate is placed on the susceptor as follows.
The support block 22 is transported by the transport robot 30, placed on the support block 22, and the susceptor 12 is horizontally supported by the support block 22 (FIGS. 3A and 3B), the support 24 is moved. Inserted from the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 and protruded from the upper opening 12a (FIGS. 3C and 3D), the gripping hand 31 is placed below the substrate 1 with the processing surface of the substrate 1 facing upward. The substrate 1 is placed on the support 24 in a state where is positioned, the gripping hand 31 is extracted from the lower side of the substrate 1, and the support 24 is lowered relative to the support block 22 (FIG. 3 ( E)), placing on the susceptor 12 with the processing surface of the substrate 1 facing upward.

In addition, the substrate transfer apparatus 20 takes out the substrate 1 from the susceptor 12 in the following manner after completion of the water vapor annealing process described later.
The susceptor 12 containing the substrate 1 is transported by the transport robot 30, placed on the support block 22, and the support 24 is inserted from the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 and protrudes from the upper opening 12a. Is lifted from the susceptor 12, the gripping hand 31 of the transport robot 30 is inserted below the substrate 1, the lower surface of the substrate 1 is sucked and gripped, and the substrate is taken out from the susceptor 12.

  The center aligning means of the susceptor 12 and the center aligning means of the substrate 1 are not limited to those of the embodiment of the present invention, and other known center aligning means (for example, using image processing) is applied. Of course you can.

Next, a water vapor annealing method using the water vapor annealing jig 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
First, the bottom member 16 is placed on a substrate placement table (see 114 in FIG. 6) provided inside the water vapor annealing apparatus. The water vapor annealing apparatus is not particularly limited, and for example, a known apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-152567) or Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-127958) can be applied.
Subsequently, the susceptor 12 on which the substrate 1 is placed by the substrate transfer device 20 is transported by the transport robot 30 and placed on the bottom member 16. Subsequently, the lid member 14 is placed so as to close the upper opening 12 a of the susceptor 12. In this state, the processing vessel and the pressure vessel of the water vapor annealing apparatus are sealed, and a predetermined amount corresponding to the required type of annealing treatment (thermal oxide film formation, termination of defects in silicon, reflow of interlayer insulating film, etc.) The water vapor annealing process is performed according to the pressure, temperature, and time.

  In the above-described water vapor annealing method, the susceptor 12 may be directly placed on the substrate placement table without using the bottom member 16.

Next, operations and effects of the water vapor annealing jig 10, the water vapor annealing method, and the substrate transfer apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment will be described.
According to the water vapor annealing jig 10 having the above-described configuration, the filter function of the fine flow path formed at the contact portion between the susceptor 12 and the lid member 14 prevents particles and contamination from entering the processing surface of the substrate. The water vapor passes through the fine flow path and reaches the processing surface of the substrate. For this reason, the contamination of the substrate can be greatly reduced while maintaining the effect of the conventional water vapor annealing process.

  Further, since the susceptor 12 is provided with a lower through hole 12b into which a support 24 for floating the substrate 1 can be inserted from below, the substrate transfer device 20 causes the substrate processing surface to face upward. It can be placed on the susceptor 12 as it is. That is, the substrate transfer device 20 places the substrate 1 with the processing surface facing upward on the support 24 inserted from the lower through hole 12b of the susceptor 12 and protruding from the upper opening 12a. By lowering 24 relative to the susceptor 12, the substrate 1 can be placed on the susceptor 12 with the processing surface of the substrate 1 facing upward.

For this reason, since the processing surface of the substrate 1 and the susceptor 12 do not come into contact with each other, even if the susceptor 12 is contaminated, the contamination is not transferred to the substrate. In addition, since the edge exclusion on the substrate processing surface does not come into contact with the jig, even if the substrate 1 and the susceptor 12 are rubbed during heat treatment or substrate transport, the film on the processing surface is scraped and particles are generated. There is nothing to do.
Therefore, it is possible to more effectively reduce the contamination of the substrate due to the transfer from the jig and the contamination of the substrate due to particles and contamination during the processing while maintaining the effect of the water vapor annealing treatment.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the water vapor annealing jig 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The water vapor annealing jig 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of the susceptors 12 of the water vapor annealing jig 10 according to the first embodiment described above.
Further, when a plurality of susceptors 12 are stacked as shown in FIG. 5, water vapor molecules can be introduced into the contact portion between one susceptor 12 and another susceptor 12 within a temperature and pressure range in which the substrate 1 is processed. A fine flow path is formed to prevent intrusion of particles and contamination having a particle size larger than that. The setting conditions for the fine flow path can be the same as those described in the first embodiment.
The structure of other parts is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. In addition, the substrate transfer apparatus 20 described above can be used to place the substrate 1 on the susceptor 12 with the processing surface of the substrate 1 facing upward.

Next, a water vapor annealing method using the water vapor annealing jig 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
First, the bottom member 16 is placed on a substrate placement table provided inside the water vapor annealing apparatus.
Subsequently, the substrate 1 is placed on the susceptor 12 by the substrate transfer device 20, and the susceptor 12 is transported by the transport robot 30 and placed on the bottom member 16. Thereafter, similarly, the substrate 1 is placed on the susceptor 12 and conveyed, and the susceptors 12 are stacked by the number of processed substrates 1. When the susceptors 12 are stacked, the lid member 14 is placed on the uppermost susceptor 12 so as to close the upper opening 12a. In this state, the processing vessel and the pressure vessel of the water vapor annealing apparatus are sealed, and a predetermined amount corresponding to the required type of annealing treatment (thermal oxide film formation, termination of defects in silicon, reflow of interlayer insulating film, etc.) The water vapor annealing process is performed according to the pressure, temperature, and time.
In the above-described water vapor annealing method, the susceptor 12 may be directly placed on the substrate placement table without using the bottom member 16.

According to the water vapor annealing jig 10 and the water vapor annealing method according to the present embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
That is, since a plurality of susceptors 12 are provided, a plurality of substrates can be processed by stacking these susceptors 12 in a plurality of stages.
In addition, since another susceptor 12 is directly stacked on the susceptor 12, water vapor molecules can be introduced into the contact portion, and a fine flow path that prevents intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter or contamination is formed. For the substrates accommodated in the susceptors 12 other than the upper stage, the contamination of the substrates can be greatly reduced while maintaining the effect of the conventional water vapor annealing process.
In addition, since the stacking height can be suppressed by directly stacking the susceptors 12 without using the lid member 14, it is possible to contribute to an improvement in the number of substrates 1 to be processed or a reduction in the size of the processing apparatus.

  As is apparent from the description of each of the above embodiments, according to the present invention, while maintaining the effect of the vapor annealing treatment, the substrate is contaminated by transfer from the jig, or the substrate is caused by particles or contamination during the treatment. As a result, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect of more effectively reducing contamination.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes meanings equivalent to the description of the scope of claims and all modifications within the scope.

It is a block diagram of the jig | tool for water vapor | steam annealing concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the board | substrate transfer apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the board | substrate transfer method by the board | substrate transfer apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the conveyance robot in a board | substrate transfer apparatus. It is a block diagram of the water vapor | steam annealing jig | tool concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the conventional water vapor annealing apparatus. 3 is a configuration diagram of a steam annealing jig of the prior application 1. FIG. It is a block diagram of the jig | tool for water vapor | steam annealing of the prior application 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 10 Water vapor annealing jig 12 Susceptor 12a Upper opening 12b Lower through hole 14 Lid member 16 Bottom member 20 Substrate transfer device 22 Support block (susceptor support means)
24 Support 26 Lifting means 28 Slide block 30 Transfer robot 31 Grasping hand

Claims (7)

An upper opening capable of receiving a flat substrate, a lower through hole communicating with the upper opening, and a support portion positioned between the upper opening and the lower through hole and supporting the lower surface of the substrate; A susceptor to house the inside,
A lid member that closes the upper opening of the susceptor,
The lower through-hole is formed so that a support for supporting the lower surface of the substrate and holding it in a floating state from the susceptor can be inserted from below.
In the contact portion between the susceptor and the lid member, a fine flow path capable of introducing water vapor molecules in a range of temperature and pressure for processing the substrate and preventing intrusion of particles having a predetermined particle diameter and contamination, is formed.
Intrusion of particles and contamination from the lower surface side to the upper surface side of the substrate is prevented by a contact portion between the support portion and the substrate or a contact portion between the susceptor and the placement surface on which the susceptor is placed. ,
A water vapor annealing jig characterized by the above.   A plurality of the susceptors, and when the plurality of susceptors are stacked, water vapor molecules can be introduced into a contact portion between one susceptor and another susceptor within a temperature and pressure range in which the substrate is processed, and a predetermined particle size or more. The steam annealing jig according to claim 1, wherein a fine flow path for preventing intrusion of particles and contamination is formed.   The water vapor annealing jig according to claim 1, further comprising a bottom member that is disposed under the susceptor and prevents particles and contamination from entering the lower surface of the substrate.   The water vapor annealing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the susceptor or the lid member is made of quartz, SiC, graphite, or alkali-free glass. A steam annealing method using the steam annealing jig according to claim 1,
The lid member is placed on the susceptor in which the substrate with the processing surface facing upward is accommodated so as to close the upper opening of the susceptor, and the water vapor annealing jig is surrounded by a water vapor atmosphere on the substrate. A water vapor annealing method, wherein heat treatment is performed on the water vapor. A steam annealing method using the steam annealing jig according to claim 2,
The susceptor containing the substrate with the processing surface facing upward is stacked in a plurality of stages, the lid member is placed on the uppermost susceptor so as to close the upper opening of the susceptor, and around the water vapor annealing jig. And performing a heat treatment on the substrate in a water vapor atmosphere. A substrate transfer apparatus for mounting or taking out a substrate from a susceptor of the steam annealing jig according to claim 1 or 2,
Susceptor support means for horizontally supporting the susceptor;
Susceptor transporting means for placing or removing the susceptor on the susceptor support means;
A support that is inserted from the lower through hole of the susceptor and protrudes from the upper opening and can support the substrate at its upper end;
A substrate carrying means for holding a substrate and holding or taking out the substrate from the support in a state where the grasping hand is positioned below the substrate with the processing surface facing upward;
Elevating means for raising and lowering the support relative to the susceptor support means so that the support is inserted from the lower through-hole of the susceptor and protrudes from the upper opening or is removed from the susceptor,
The support is configured not to interfere with a gripping hand of the substrate transport unit when the substrate is placed on or taken out from the support by the substrate transport unit.
A substrate transfer apparatus.

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