JP2010258265A - Heat treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat treatment apparatus which unifies the supply of gas to each work arranged in a reaction pipe using a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: A portion 162 for introducing a gas is arranged in a manifold 16 and has a gas outlet 166 which can emit the gas to a work 24 in an inner tube 14. The inner tube 14 is arranged on a position opposed to the gas outlet 166 with the work 24 sandwiched therebetween. The inner tube 14 has an opening 144 in the shape of a long hole so formed as to extend along the lengthwise direction of a reaction pipe 11 and a cover member 142 in the shape of a plate which can close at least a portion of the opening 144. The cover member 142 is supported in such a manner that an opposed position to the opening 144 can be adjusted. The cover member 142 is arranged in such a manner that the width of an open region of the opening 144 is narrowed toward a gas discharge portion 164. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus configured to heat-treat a plurality of workpieces housed in a reaction tube under a predetermined processing gas atmosphere.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, batch-type heat treatment apparatuses configured to arrange works such as semiconductor wafers in multiple stages and perform processes such as oxidation, diffusion, annealing, and CVD on these works have been widely used. In such a heat treatment apparatus, a gas supply nozzle disposed on the upstream side of the work is opposed to the gas supply nozzle with the substrate interposed therebetween so that gas flows uniformly to the work in the process tube. There are those configured to provide a plurality of exhaust ports on the side wall of the inner tube (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, in the above-described heat treatment apparatus, the gas is easily exhausted as it approaches the gas discharge unit, and therefore, the flow of the processing gas is likely to vary depending on the distance from the gas discharge unit. It may be difficult to heat-treat the work uniformly.

  Therefore, in the prior art, in order to make the pressure pressure and flow velocity distribution in the vertical direction uniform, the exhaust path is divided into fine zones and the supply of the processing gas is controlled for each zone. There was a thing (for example, refer to patent documents 2). In addition, there is a configuration in which a plurality of exhaust holes are provided in the vertical direction, and the opening area of the exhaust holes is configured to increase as the distance from the gas discharge unit increases (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-160537 JP 2001-77042 A JP 2000-31862 A

  However, when adopting a configuration in which the exhaust path is finely partitioned for each zone as in the technique according to Patent Document 2 described above, there is a disadvantage that the structure of the inner tube becomes complicated and as a result, the cost increases. .

  In addition, in the case of adopting a configuration in which the opening area of each exhaust hole of the inner tube is changed depending on the arrangement position as in the technique according to Patent Document 3 described above, in order to make the pressure and flow velocity in the furnace constant, the process It is necessary to determine the opening area of the exhaust hole provided in the inner tube so as to achieve the optimum exhaust for the conditions (temperature, pressure, supply gas flow rate, etc.). Therefore, for example, since the optimum shape of the exhaust hole changes every time the process condition is changed, it is necessary to replace the inner tube each time, resulting in an increase in cost and labor.

  The objective of this invention is providing the heat processing apparatus which can equalize supply of the gas with respect to each workpiece | work arrange | positioned in a reaction tube by simple structure.

  The heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is configured to perform heat treatment on a workpiece accommodated in a reaction tube under a predetermined processing gas atmosphere. The heat treatment apparatus includes a reaction tube, a manifold, a gas discharge unit, and a gas introduction unit.

  The reaction tube is composed of an outer tube and an inner tube each having a bottomed cylindrical shape opened in one direction. In the reaction tube, the work is carried into the inner tube from the open end side during the heat treatment.

  The manifold is configured to be joined to the open end of the reaction tube. The gas discharge unit is arranged in the manifold and configured to discharge the gas in the reaction tube from a space formed by the outer tube and the inner tube. The gas introduction pipe is disposed in the manifold and has a gas outlet that can eject gas to the workpiece in the inner tube.

  The inner tube has an opening and a cover member. The opening is disposed at a position facing the gas outlet with the workpiece interposed therebetween, and is formed in a long hole shape so as to extend along the length direction of the reaction tube. The cover member has a plate shape capable of closing at least a part of the opening, and is supported so that the relative position with respect to the opening can be adjusted.

  In this configuration, the opening shape of the opening can be arbitrarily adjusted by adjusting the position of the cover member. For this reason, it is possible to adjust the opening shape of the opening so as to achieve an optimum exhaust for the process conditions (temperature, pressure, supply gas flow rate, etc.) only by adjusting the position of the cover member.

  Normally, the cover member is arranged so that the width of the opening region of the opening becomes narrower as it approaches the gas discharge part. Furthermore, the amount of overlap between the cover member and the opening is adjusted in order to adjust the absolute amount of exhaust.

  Further, the cover member may be configured such that the width perpendicular to the length direction of the reaction tube becomes wider as it approaches the gas discharge portion, or the opening portion has a width perpendicular to the length direction of the reaction tube. It may be configured to become narrower as it approaches the gas discharge part. With this configuration, it is not necessary to rotate and tilt the cover member with respect to the opening, so that it is not necessary to form a flat portion on the inner tube in order to provide the opening.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make the gas supply to each workpiece arranged in the reaction tube uniform with a simple configuration.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the vertical furnace which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of an inner tube. It is a figure which shows the other example of a structure of an inner tube. It is a figure which shows the other example of a structure of an inner tube.

  An outline of a vertical furnace 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The vertical furnace 10 is configured to perform heat treatment on a plurality of workpieces 24 accommodated in a reaction tube under a predetermined processing gas atmosphere. An example of the work 24 includes a semiconductor wafer, but the example of the work 24 is not limited to this. In the following embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a vertical furnace will be described, but the scope of application of the technical idea according to the present invention is not limited to this.

  The vertical furnace 10 includes a reaction tube 11 including an inner tube 14 that can store a workpiece to be heat-treated and an outer tube 12 that is disposed so as to surround the inner tube 14. Both the inner tube 14 and the outer tube 12 are made of quartz having a bottomed cylindrical shape that is open in one direction, and is configured such that a workpiece 24 is carried into the inner tube 14 from the open end side during heat treatment. Yes.

  A heater 20 is disposed around the outer tube 12. A manifold 16 is joined to the open surfaces of the outer tube 12 and the inner tube 14. The manifold 16 has a cylindrical shape that is open in both directions.

  The manifold 16 includes at least a gas introduction part 162 and a gas discharge part 164. The gas introduction part 162 is connected to a gas supply device (not shown). The gas introduction unit 162 includes a gas introduction pipe 165 having a gas outlet 166 that can eject a processing gas to the workpiece 24 in the inner tube 14. A typical example of the material of the gas introduction pipe 165 includes SiC (silicon carbide), but is not limited thereto. For example, the gas introduction pipe 165 can be made of quartz.

  On the other hand, the gas discharge unit 164 is connected to the factory exhaust system via a pressure control mechanism or the like, and is configured to discharge the gas in the reaction tube 11 from the space formed by the outer tube 12 and the inner tube 14. Is done.

  The manifold 16 is provided with a furnace port, and a board 22 on which a plurality of workpieces 24 are mounted in multiple stages is carried in or out through the furnace port. The board 22 is mounted on a bottom lid 18 that can be lifted and lowered connected to a lifting mechanism (not shown). The bottom cover 18 is provided with a rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating the board 22. When the bottom cover 18 reaches the upper limit position of the lift range, the furnace port of the manifold 16 is closed.

Then, the outline of the inner tube 14 is demonstrated using FIG. 2 (A) and FIG. 2 (B). The inner tube 14 includes an elongated opening 144 formed so as to extend along the length direction of the reaction tube 11 (vertical direction in a vertical furnace). The opening 144 is arranged at a position facing the gas outlet 166 with the board 22 in between. Specifically, the flat portion 15 is provided on the wall surface of the inner tube 14 at a position facing the gas outlet 166 across the board 22, and the opening portion 144 is provided at a location corresponding to the installation region of the work 24 in the flat portion 15. Further, the inner tube 14 includes a plate-like cover member 142 that can close at least a part of the opening 144. The cover member 142 is supported so that the relative position with respect to the opening 144 can be adjusted. In this embodiment, in order to support the cover member 142 on the inner tube 14 in a position-adjustable state, the cover member 142 is provided with a long hole 148 and is disposed so as to penetrate the long hole 148. A cover member 142 is attached to a predetermined position of the inner tube 14 via a screw 146.

  For this reason, since the cover member 142 can be slid in the length direction of the long hole 148 by loosening the screw 146, the opening area of the opening 144 can be easily adjusted. Moreover, since the long hole 148 is formed to be slightly larger than the body portion of the screw 146, the cover member 142 can be rotated and inclined with respect to the opening 144. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2B, the cover member 142 can be fixed to the inner tube 14 at a position where the width of the opening region of the opening 144 becomes narrower as it goes downward.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the inclination angle and position of the cover member 142, the shape of the opening region of the opening 144 can be easily adjusted, and the vertical flow velocity and pressure can be adjusted. It is possible to obtain an optimum exhaust resistance with respect to the distribution of. For this reason, since it becomes possible to easily adjust the exhaust gas in response to the change in the process conditions, it is possible to perform a uniform heat treatment on each workpiece 24.

  In addition, the shape and dimensions of the exhaust opening 144 of the inner tube 14 can be adjusted with a simple configuration, and there is no need to replace parts such as the inner tube 14 even if the gas flow rate and pressure conditions change. In addition, the structure of the reaction tube 11 is not complicated at that time.

  Subsequently, another configuration example of the inner tube 140 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B). Here, the opening 145 is formed as it is on the curved peripheral surface of the inner tube 40 without providing a flat portion at the position where the opening 145 is formed. On the other hand, the cover member 143 is formed on a cross-sectional arc, and the cover member 143 is supported so as to be slidable in the vicinity of the opening 145.

  The cover member 143 has a curvature cross section corresponding to the inner wall surface of the inner tube 140, and the width thereof is configured to become wider as it approaches the gas discharge part 164, that is, as it goes downward. For this reason, even if it does not incline the cover member 143, it becomes possible to adjust so that the width | variety of the opening area | region of the opening part 145 may become so narrow that it goes below.

  Moreover, the other structural example of the inner tube 140 is demonstrated using FIG. 4 (A) and FIG. 4 (B). As shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the opening 149 has a width that is perpendicular to the length direction of the reaction tube 11 becoming closer to the gas discharge unit 164, that is, as it goes downward. Configured. Similarly to the above, the configuration shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is also adjusted so that the width of the opening region of the opening 145 becomes narrower downward without tilting the cover member 143. It becomes possible.

  In the configuration shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B described above, it is not necessary to form a flat portion on the inner tubes 140, 141. Simplification is possible, and costs can be reduced.

  The above description of the embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

10-vertical furnace 12-outer tube 14-inner tube 16-manifold 142-cover member 144-opening 146-screw 148-long hole 165-gas introduction tube 166-outlet

Claims (3)

A heat treatment apparatus configured to perform heat treatment on a plurality of workpieces accommodated in a reaction tube under a predetermined treatment gas atmosphere,
A reaction tube composed of an outer tube and an inner tube each having a bottomed cylindrical shape opened in one direction, and a reaction tube in which a work is carried into the inner tube from the open end side during heat treatment;
A manifold configured to be joined to an open end of the reaction tube;
A gas discharge portion arranged in the manifold and configured to discharge gas in the reaction tube from a space formed by the outer tube and the inner tube;
A gas inlet having a gas outlet that is arranged in the manifold and capable of jetting gas to the work in the inner tube;
With
The inner tube is disposed at a position facing the gas outlet with the workpiece interposed therebetween, and an elongated hole-shaped opening formed so as to extend along the length direction of the reaction tube;
A plate-like cover member capable of closing at least a part of the opening, the cover member supported so as to be capable of adjusting a relative position with respect to the opening, and
The said cover member is the heat processing apparatus arrange | positioned so that the width | variety of the opening area | region of the said opening part may become so narrow that it approaches a gas discharge part.   2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is configured such that a width orthogonal to a length direction of the reaction tube becomes wider as the gas discharge portion is approached.   2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening portion is configured such that a width perpendicular to a length direction of the reaction tube becomes narrower as the gas discharge portion is approached.

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