JP2009010165A - Substrate treating equipment and method of manufacturing semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve productivity by suppressing the deformation of a thermal insulating plate of a treating furnace thermal insulating part during a heat treatment and obtaining desired thermal insulating properties in substrate treating even when the thermal insulating part is small. <P>SOLUTION: Substrate treating equipment includes: a treatment chamber in which a substrate is treated while held by a holding part of a substrate holder 12; a heating device which heats the treatment chamber; a lid 21 which enables the substrate to be carried in the treatment chamber while the substrate holder is mounted; a thermal insulating part which is provided between the holding part of the substrate holder and the lid to block heat from the heating device; a first thermal insulating member superposed and supported on the thermal insulating part; and a second thermal insulating member whose heat resistance is superior to that of the first insulating member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device by subjecting a substrate such as a silicon wafer to heat treatment such as thin film formation, impurity diffusion, and annealing.

  As one of the substrate processing apparatuses, a vertical heat treatment furnace is provided, and a predetermined number of substrates are accommodated in a multi-stage in a horizontal posture in a processing chamber of the vertical heat treatment furnace, and a thin film is formed on the substrate and annealed. There is a batch type substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate. In the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate is held by a substrate holder (boat), and is loaded into the processing chamber by a lifting device (boat elevator) from a furnace port at the lower end of the processing furnace. Get rid of. Further, in the state where the boat is loaded, the furnace port portion is airtightly closed by a lid (seal cap) on which the boat elevator is placed.

  Since there is heat radiation from the furnace port portion, the temperature distribution in the processing chamber is deteriorated, so that a heat insulating portion is provided at the lower portion of the boat in order to suppress heat radiation from the furnace port portion. The heat insulating portion is configured to be loaded with a required number of heat insulating plates. As the heat insulating plate, a SiC heat insulating plate or an opaque quartz heat insulating plate is used, and these heat insulating plates are used alone or in combination. Yes. For example, an SiC heat insulating plate having excellent heat resistance is used in the upper portion of the heat insulating portion, and an opaque quartz heat insulating plate having excellent heat insulating properties is used in the lower portion.

  In the structure of the conventional heat insulating part, the SiC heat insulating plate has good heat resistance but not good heat insulating property. Therefore, the lower opaque quartz heat insulating plate is heated by the heat penetrating the SiC heat insulating plate portion, and the strength is increased by heating. However, when the substrate processing is repeatedly performed, the opaque quartz heat insulating plate is deformed.

  On the other hand, in order to prevent deformation of the heat insulating plate, if all of them are SiC heat insulating plates, the heat insulating property as the heat insulating portion is deteriorated, and the O-ring that hermetically seals the furnace port portion may be burned out.

  Furthermore, when all the SiC heat insulating plate is used and the SiC heat insulating plate is loaded so as to obtain the required heat insulating property, the length of the heat insulating portion is increased, and the area to be loaded with the substrate for the product is reduced. There has been a problem that the number of substrates is reduced and productivity is lowered.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-21895

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention suppresses deformation of a heat insulating plate, and even if there are few heat insulating portions, a desired heat insulating property can be obtained, and productivity can be improved. Is to provide.

  The present invention provides a processing chamber for processing a substrate while holding it on a holding portion of a substrate holder, a heating device for heating the processing chamber, and the substrate can be carried into the processing chamber while placing the substrate holder. A cover body, a heat insulating section that is provided between the holding section and the cover body of the substrate holder, and insulates heat from the heating device, and is superposed on and supported by the heat insulating section. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus including a heat insulating member and a second heat insulating member that has better heat resistance than the first heat insulating member.

  The present invention also includes a step of holding a substrate on a holding portion of a substrate holder, a step of carrying the substrate holder into a processing chamber through a lid while placing the substrate holder, and heating the processing chamber by a heating device. The first heat insulating member that is superposed on and supported by the heat insulating portion provided between the holding portion of the substrate holder and the lid, and the second heat insulating member that is superior in heat resistance than the first heat insulating member, And a step of processing the substrate while insulating heat from the heating device.

  According to the present invention, the processing chamber for processing while holding the substrate on the holding portion of the substrate holder, the heating device for heating the processing chamber, and the substrate in the processing chamber while mounting the substrate holder. A lid that can be carried in, a heat insulating part that is provided between the holding part and the lid of the substrate holder, and insulates heat from the heating device, and is superposed on and supported by the heat insulating part. Since it comprises the first heat insulating member and the second heat insulating member that is more heat resistant than the first heat insulating member, the second heat insulating member supplements the strength of the first heat insulating member while performing heat insulation with the first heat insulating member. The heat insulation performance of 1 heat insulation member can be used effectively, the space which a heat insulation part occupies can be made small, the area | region of the holding part of a board | substrate holder can be expanded, and productivity can be improved.

  According to the invention, the step of holding the substrate on the holding portion of the substrate holder, the step of carrying the substrate holder into the processing chamber via the lid while placing the substrate holder, and the processing chamber by the heating device A first heat insulating member that is heated and superposed on a heat insulating portion provided between the holding portion of the substrate holder and the lid, and a second heat insulating member that is more heat resistant than the first heat insulating member; In the heat insulation step, the second heat insulating member supplements the strength of the first heat insulating member while performing heat insulation with the first heat insulating member. The heat insulating performance of the first heat insulating member can be effectively used, the space occupied by the heat insulating portion can be reduced, the region of the holding portion of the substrate holder can be enlarged, and the productivity can be improved.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, an example of a substrate processing apparatus in which the present invention is implemented will be described with reference to FIG.

  The illustrated substrate processing apparatus 1 is a batch type vertical substrate processing apparatus, and includes a housing 2 in which a main part is arranged. A pod stage 3 is connected to the front side of the housing 2, and a pod 4 that is a substrate transfer container is transferred to the pod stage 3. The pod 4 stores, for example, 25 wafers as substrates to be processed, and is set on the pod stage 3 with a lid (not shown) closed.

  A pod transfer device 5 is arranged on the front side in the housing 2 at a position facing the pod stage 3. In the vicinity of the pod transfer device 5, a pod shelf 6, a pod opener 7 and a substrate number detector 8 are arranged. The pod shelf 6 is disposed above the pod opener 7, and the substrate number detector 8 is disposed adjacent to the pod opener 7. The pod transport device 5 transports the pod 4 among the pod stage 3, the pod shelf 6, and the pod opener 7. The pod opener 7 opens the lid of the pod 4, and the number of substrates in the pod 4 with the lid opened is detected by the substrate number detector 8.

  Furthermore, a substrate transfer machine 10, a notch aligner 11, and a substrate support (boat) 12 are disposed in the housing 2. The substrate transfer machine 10 has an arm (tweezer) 13 that can take out, for example, five substrates, and is placed at the position of the pod opener 7 by moving the arm 13 back and forth, rotating, and moving up and down. The pod 4 transports the substrate between the notch aligner 11 and the boat 12. The notch aligner 11 detects notches or orientation flats formed on the substrate and aligns the notches or orientation flats of the substrate at a certain position.

  Further, a processing furnace 14 is disposed at the upper part on the back side in the housing 2. The boat 12 loaded with a plurality of substrates is loaded into the processing furnace 14 and subjected to heat treatment.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the processing furnace 14. The processing furnace 14 has a reaction tube 16 made of silicon carbide (SiC). The reaction tube 16 has a cylindrical shape whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is opened, and a flange is formed at the opened lower end. A quartz adapter 17 is disposed below the reaction tube 16 so as to support the reaction tube 16.

  The adapter 17 has a cylindrical shape with an open upper end and a lower end, and a flange is formed at each of the opened upper end and the lower end. The lower surface of the lower end flange of the reaction tube 16 is in contact with the upper surface of the upper end flange of the adapter 17. A reaction vessel 18 is constituted by the reaction tube 16 and the adapter 17, and the reaction vessel 18 defines a processing chamber 20. A heater 19 is disposed as a heating device around the reaction vessel 18 excluding the adapter 17.

  The lower part of the reaction vessel 18 is opened to insert the boat 12, and the open part (furnace port) is airtightly closed with an O-ring sandwiched by a seal cap 21 which is a furnace port lid. The boat 12 is placed on the seal cap 21, and the seal cap 21 can be lifted and lowered together with the boat 12 by lifting means (boat elevator). A space between the seal cap 21 and the boat 12 serves as a heat insulating part 22 to suppress heat dissipation from the furnace port part.

  The boat 12 has a substrate holding portion, and a large number of, for example, 25 to 100 wafers 23 are held in multiple stages with a gap in a substantially horizontal state on the substrate holding portion. The boat 12 is loaded into and removed from the reaction tube 16 (processing chamber 20) by an elevator (boat elevator) (not shown).

  FIG. 3 shows the heat insulating portion 22.

  The heat insulating portion 22 includes a heat insulating plate holder 24 made of SiC and a heat insulating plate loaded in the heat insulating plate holder 24, and the heat insulating plate is supported by the heat insulating plate holder 24 in a horizontal state at a plurality of locations. . The heat insulating plate further includes a first heat insulating plate 26 and a second heat insulating plate 27, and it is preferable that the first heat insulating plate 26 and the second heat insulating plate 27 have a disk shape and have the same diameter.

  In addition, the first heat insulating plate 26 is a member having excellent heat insulation, for example, made of quartz, preferably opaque quartz, and the second heat insulating plate 27 is a member having higher heat resistance than the first heat insulating plate 26, For example, it is made of silicon carbide (SiC).

  A heat resistant heat insulating plate, that is, the second heat insulating plate 27 is loaded on the upper portion of the heat insulating plate holder 24, that is, the substrate holding part side. In addition, a required number of the second heat insulating plates 27 are loaded below the heat insulating plate holder 24, and the first heat insulating plates 26 are placed on the second heat insulating plate 27 in a superposed state.

  The second heat insulating plate 27 having excellent heat resistance is loaded in the upper part of the heat insulating portion 22 where the temperature is higher, and the combined heat insulating plate of the first heat insulating plate 26 and the second heat insulating plate 27 is loaded in the lower portion. Is done. By combining the first heat insulating plate 26 and the second heat insulating plate 27, the heat insulating property is ensured by the first heat insulating plate 26. In addition, the first heat insulating plate 26 is placed on the second heat insulating plate 27 having excellent heat resistance. 2 The entire surface is supported by the heat insulating plate 27, and deformation due to a decrease in strength is prevented.

  Note that all the heat insulating plates loaded in the heat insulating plate holder 24 may be a combination of the first heat insulating plate 26 and the second heat insulating plate 27. In the above description, the boat 12 and the heat insulating portion 22 are separated from each other, but may be integrated. For example, the lower portion of the boat 12 may be extended to the seal cap 21, and the first heat insulating plate 26 and the second heat insulating plate 27 may be loaded on the lower portion of the seal cap 21 to form the heat insulating portion 22.

  Next, the reaction tube 16 is made of SiC in order to enable processing at a high temperature of 1200 ° C. or higher. When the reaction tube 16 made of SiC is extended to the furnace port and the furnace port is sealed with the seal cap 21 through an O-ring, the heat is transmitted through the reaction tube 16 to the seal. There is a risk that the O-ring, which is a sealing material, will melt due to high temperatures. If the seal portion of the reaction tube 16 is cooled so as not to melt the O-ring, the reaction tube 16 is broken due to a difference in thermal expansion due to a temperature difference.

  Therefore, the heating region by the heater 19 in the reaction vessel 18 is configured by the reaction tube 16 made of SiC, and the portion outside the heating region by the heater 19 is configured by the adapter 17 made of quartz. Heat transfer from the reaction tube 16 can be reduced, and the furnace port can be sealed without melting the O-ring and without damaging the reaction tube 16.

  As for the seal between the reaction tube 16 made of SiC and the adapter 17 made of quartz, if the surface accuracy of both is improved, the reaction tube 16 made of SiC is arranged in the heating region of the heater 19, so that a temperature difference occurs. Without thermal expansion. Therefore, the flange portion at the lower end of the reaction tube 16 made of SiC can be kept flat, and there is no gap between the adapter 17, so the SiC reaction tube 16 can be sealed only by placing it on the quartz adapter 17. Sex can be secured.

  The adapter 17 is provided with a gas supply port 28 and a gas exhaust port 29 integrally with the adapter 17. A gas introduction pipe 31 is connected to the gas supply port 28, and an exhaust pipe 32 is connected to the gas exhaust port 29.

  The inner wall of the adapter 17 is on the inner side (projects) from the inner wall of the reaction tube 16, and the side wall (thick part) of the adapter 17 communicates with the gas supply port 28 and extends in the vertical direction. A gas introduction path 33 is provided, and the gas introduction path 33 is inside the reaction tube 16 and opens on the upper surface of the adapter 17.

  A nozzle 34 is inserted and fixed at the upper end of the gas introduction path 33. That is, the nozzle 34 is connected to the upper surface of a portion of the adapter 17 that protrudes inward from the inner wall of the reaction tube 16, and the nozzle 34 is supported by the upper surface of the adapter 17. With this configuration, the nozzle connection portion is not easily deformed by heat and is not easily damaged. There is also an advantage that the nozzle 34 and the adapter 17 can be easily assembled and disassembled.

  The processing gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 31 to the gas supply port 28 is supplied into the reaction pipe 16 through the gas introduction path 33 and the nozzle 34. The nozzle 34 is configured to extend along the inner wall of the reaction tube 16 above the upper end of the substrate arrangement region, that is, above the upper end of the boat 12.

  Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

  In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1 is controlled by the controller 35.

  First, when the pod 4 containing a plurality of wafers 23 is placed on the pod stage 3, the pod 4 is transferred from the pod stage 3 to the pod shelf 6 by the pod transfer device 5, and the pod shelf Store in 6. Next, the pod transport device 5 transports and sets the pod 4 stored in the pod shelf 6 to the pod opener 7, opens the lid of the pod 4 by the pod opener 7, and detects the number of substrates. The number of wafers 23 accommodated in the pod 4 is detected by the vessel 8.

  Next, the wafer transfer machine 10 takes out the wafer 23 from the pod 4 at the position of the pod opener 7 and transfers it to the notch aligner 11. In the notch aligner 11, the notch is detected while rotating the wafer 23, and the notches of the plurality of wafers 23 are aligned at the same position based on the detected information. Next, the substrate transfer machine 10 takes out the wafer 23 from the notch aligner 11 and transfers it to the boat 12.

  Similarly, when one batch of wafers 23 is transferred to the boat 12, the boat in which a plurality of wafers 23 are loaded in the processing furnace 14 (processing chamber 20) set to a temperature of about 600 ° C., for example. 12, and the processing chamber 20 is sealed with the seal cap 21. Next, the furnace temperature is raised to the heat treatment temperature, and the processing gas is introduced from the gas introduction pipe 31 into the processing chamber 20 through the gas supply port 28, the gas introduction path 33, and the nozzle 34. .

  The processing gas includes nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2) and the like. When the wafer 23 is heat-treated, the wafer 23 is heated to a temperature of, for example, about 1200 ° C. or higher.

  When the heat treatment of the wafer 23 is completed, for example, after the temperature in the furnace is lowered to a temperature of about 600 ° C., the boat 12 supporting the heat-treated wafer 23 is unloaded from the processing furnace 14 and supported by the boat 12. The boat 12 is kept at a predetermined position until all the wafers 23 are cooled.

  Next, when the wafer 23 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, the substrate transfer machine 10 takes out the wafer 23 from the boat 12 and transfers it to the empty pod 4 set in the pod opener 7. Next, the pod transfer device 5 transfers the pod 4 containing the wafer 23 to the pod shelf 6 or the pod stage 3 to complete a series of processes.

  In the description of the above embodiment, a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that heat-treats a plurality of substrates at a time is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a single-wafer type is used. It may be.

  The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can also be applied to a substrate manufacturing process.

  An example in which the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to one step of a manufacturing process of a SIMOX (Separation by Implanted Oxygen) wafer which is a kind of SOI (Silicon On Insulator) wafer will be described.

  First, oxygen ions are ion-implanted into a single crystal silicon wafer by an ion implantation apparatus or the like. Thereafter, the wafer into which oxygen ions are implanted is annealed at a high temperature of 1300 ° C. to 1400 ° C., for example, 1350 ° C. or higher, for example, in an Ar, O 2 atmosphere using the substrate processing apparatus of the above embodiment. By these processes, a SIMOX wafer in which a SiO2 layer is formed inside the wafer (a SiO2 layer is embedded) is produced.

  In addition to the SIMOX wafer, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to one step of a manufacturing process of a hydrogen anneal wafer or an Ar anneal wafer. In this case, the wafer is annealed at a high temperature of about 1200 ° C. or higher in a hydrogen atmosphere or an Ar atmosphere using the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. This can reduce crystal defects in the wafer surface layer on which the IC (integrated circuit) is made, and can improve crystal integrity. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to one step of the epitaxial wafer manufacturing process.

  The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied even in the case of performing a high temperature annealing process performed as one process of the substrate manufacturing process as described above.

  The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can also be applied to a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (device).

  In particular, a heat treatment process performed at a relatively high temperature, for example, a thermal oxidation process such as wet oxidation, dry oxidation, hydrogen combustion oxidation (pyrogenic oxidation), HCl oxidation, boron (B), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As ), An antimony (Sb) or other impurity (dopant) is preferably applied to a thermal diffusion process for diffusing the semiconductor thin film.

  The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can also be applied when performing a heat treatment step as one step of such a semiconductor device manufacturing step.

(Appendix)
The present invention includes the following embodiments.

  (Appendix 1) A processing chamber for processing a substrate while holding it on a holding portion of a substrate holder, a heating device for heating the processing chamber, and the substrate can be carried into the processing chamber while the substrate holder is placed on the processing chamber. A cover body, a heat insulating section that is provided between the holding section and the cover body of the substrate holder, and insulates heat from the heating device, and is superposed on and supported by the heat insulating section. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a heat insulating member; and a second heat insulating member that has better heat resistance than the first heat insulating member.

  (Additional remark 2) The said 1st heat insulation member is a substrate processing apparatus of Additional remark 1 which is excellent in heat insulation than the said 2nd heat insulation member.

  (Supplementary note 3) The substrate processing apparatus according to supplementary note 1, wherein the first heat insulating member is positioned closer to the holding portion than the second heat insulating member and is superposed.

  (Additional remark 4) The said 1st heat insulation member is a substrate processing apparatus of Additional remark 1 currently formed with the quartz material.

  (Supplementary note 5) The substrate processing apparatus of Supplementary note 1, wherein the first heat insulating member is formed of an opaque quartz material.

  (Additional remark 6) The said 2nd heat insulation member is a substrate processing apparatus of Additional remark 1 currently formed with the silicon carbide material.

  (Additional remark 7) The said heat insulation part is a substrate processing apparatus of Additional remark 1 currently formed with the silicon carbide material.

  (Supplementary note 8) The substrate processing apparatus according to supplementary note 1, wherein the first heat insulation member and the second heat insulation member are each formed in a plate shape and have the same main surface size.

  (Additional remark 9) The said 1st heat insulation member and the said 2nd heat insulation member are each formed in disk shape, and the substrate processing apparatus of Additional remark 1 which makes the main surface size the same size.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus in which the present invention is implemented. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the processing furnace used for this substrate processing apparatus. It is a fragmentary figure which shows the heat insulation part of this processing furnace.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing apparatus 12 Boat 14 Processing furnace 19 Heater 20 Processing chamber 21 Seal cap 22 Heat insulation part 23 Wafer 26 1st heat insulation board 27 2nd heat insulation board

Claims (2)

  A processing chamber for processing a substrate while holding it on a holding portion of a substrate holder, a heating device for heating the processing chamber, and a lid that allows the substrate to be loaded into the processing chamber while placing the substrate holder. And a heat insulating part that is provided between the holding part of the substrate holder and the lid, and insulates heat from the heating device, and a first heat insulating member that is superposed on and supported by the heat insulating part, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a second heat insulating member that is more heat resistant than the first heat insulating member.   A step of holding the substrate on a holding portion of the substrate holder, a step of carrying the substrate holder into the processing chamber through a lid while placing the substrate holder, and heating the processing chamber by a heating device, A first heat insulating member that is superposed on and supported by a heat insulating portion provided between the holding portion and the lid, and a second heat insulating member that is more heat resistant than the first heat insulating member, from the heating device. And a step of processing the substrate while insulating heat.

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