JP3320753B2 - Multi-chamber type vacuum processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-chamber vacuum processing apparatus, and more particularly to a simplified multi-chamber vacuum processing apparatus suitable for vacuum processing having a plurality of processes including a plurality of heat treatment steps. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus adopts a structure in which each chamber is arranged around a separation chamber as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, for example. ing. That is, each of the gate valves G surrounds the separation chamber SEP.
A load lock chamber L / L and a plurality of other process chambers are provided via V.

[0003] Among the process chambers, SP1 to SP7
(Represented simply by SP) is a sputtering chamber, H
T1 and HT2 (represented by HT) are heating chambers for heating a wafer to, for example, 300 ° C., AL
Is an annealing chamber, for example, 500 ° C. to 7
A chamber for heating the wafer to 00 ° C., and CL is a cooling chamber. For maintenance of the separation chamber SEP located at the center, an empty space may be provided at one of the places where the process chamber can be disposed, or the process chamber at the place may be taken out. (References: Japanese Patent Application No. 2-404777, Japanese Patent Application No. 3-22057).

[0004] These devices are used when the following processing is performed on a semiconductor wafer. For example, in the case of FIG. 3 (C), the semiconductor wafer is transferred from the load lock chamber L / L to the sputter chamber SP6 via the separation chamber SEP, where a desired sputter process is performed. Is transferred to the heating chamber HT via the separation chamber SEP and heated, and then the wafer is transferred to the annealing chamber AL via the separation chamber SEP, where it is processed and then transferred to the next sputtering chamber SP7 via the separation chamber SEP. After performing predetermined processes one after another, the process finally moves to the cooling chamber CL, and after the cooling, the load lock chamber L
Remove the processed wafer from / L.

[0005]

In the structure of the conventional multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus as described above, the number of process chambers increases as the number of processing steps increases. When securing an empty space, the number of process chambers further increases. FIG. 3 shows the separation chamber S.
Although the EP has a hexagonal shape, it is limited to arrange six chambers around the separation chamber in view of the number and complexity of ancillary equipment such as an exhaust device and a pipe. An apparatus configuration that can handle several processing steps has not been developed yet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus which can sufficiently cope with the increase in the number of processing steps.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a plurality of vacuum chambers are provided around a separation chamber, and at least one of the plurality of vacuum chambers is
It consists of a heat treatment process chamber containing a plurality of heat treatment units. In this heat treatment process chamber, one of the heat treatment units is selected, and an object to be processed is exchanged with the separation chamber. In a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus provided with a mechanism for performing a heat treatment, a gas valve, an exhaust device, and an exhaust valve are connected to a heat treatment chamber, and a heat insulation plate is provided between each of a plurality of heat treatment units.

The mechanism for selecting one of the plurality of heat treatment units can simplify the apparatus when the heat treatment process chamber includes an elevator mechanism that moves in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the wafer is transferred. .

According to the configuration of the present invention described above, unit boxes for executing different heat treatments are provided in each of the heat treatment process chambers connected to the separation chamber via the gate valve. Can be moved to the position of the gate valve by the elevator mechanism, and each unit box can exchange the object to be processed between the separation chambers. Therefore, since a plurality of required processes can be individually performed in one heat treatment process chamber, a larger number of process chambers can be provided for the separation chamber, so that more processes can be executed than in the conventional case.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the figures are to the extent that the present invention can be understood.
It merely shows the dimensions, shape and arrangement of the components.

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a main part of a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device, and FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to these drawings. In each of the drawings, components that are substantially the same as the components described in FIG. 3 described above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

In FIG. 2, a load lock chamber L / L and four process chambers (PS1, SP1) are provided around a separation chamber SEP located at the center.
1, SP12, SP13). Of these, the process chambers SP11 to SP13 are the same sputter chambers as the conventionally provided sputter chamber, but a heat treatment process chamber PS1 is newly provided in the present invention.

As can be understood from FIG. 1, the process chamber PS1 for heat treatment has the following configuration. The exhaust device 20 and the exhaust valve 22 are connected. Further, the process chamber PS1 incorporates an elevator 12 driven by a vertical drive mechanism 10. The elevator 12 is equipped with three heat treatment units, ie, a heating unit HTU, an annealing unit ALU, and a cooling unit CLU, and a heat insulation plate 30 is provided between the units.

Each heat treatment unit includes a plurality of heat insulating unit boxes 14 having substantially the same shape. Further, these unit boxes 14 include a heating holder 32 having a sheathed heater 16 (which may be replaced by heating by a lamp heater), an annealing holder 34 also having a sheathed heater 17 (same as above), and a cooling system having a cooling pipe 18. Holder 36
Are mounted individually. In addition, each of these unit boxes usually includes a power source, a cooling water source, a temperature control device, and the like, but these are omitted. The wafers 42, 44, 46 to be processed are placed on these plates in the separation chamber SE.
It is sent from P via the gate valve GV and loaded,
Heating, annealing, and cooling are performed.

FIG. 1 shows that the elevator 12 moves up and down (arrow 4).
1) Connect the annealing unit ALU to the gate valve G
V and stop just in front of the gate valve GV
Is opened and closed, and the wafer 44 is sent from the separation chamber SEP onto the annealing holder 34 (arrow 4).
0) Indicates the state. The wafer transfer mechanism is omitted.

The gas valves 52 and 54 are provided when a gas needs to be supplied into the process chamber PS1. If the gas to be supplied differs from unit to unit, each unit is also provided with a gate valve to make the unit box close to hermetically sealed to spatially isolate the units.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a plurality of heating, annealing, and cooling units can be collectively arranged in one process chamber for heat treatment. A substantially larger number of processing vacuum chambers can be provided around the periphery than before, and the space utilization efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a main part of a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, focusing on a heat treatment process chamber.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the B-
It corresponds to a B sectional view.

FIGS. 3 (A), (B) and (C) are plan views each showing an example of a chamber configuration of a conventional multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

SEP: Separation chamber L / L: Load lock chamber GV: Gate valve SP, SP1 to SP1
3: Sputter chamber HT, HT1, HT2: Heating chamber AL: Annealing chamber CL: Cooling chamber PS1: Heat treatment process chamber HTU: Heating unit ALU: Annealing unit CLU: Cooling unit 10: Vertical drive mechanism 12: Elevator 14: Heat insulation Unit box 16: Sheath heater 17: Sheath heater 18: Cooling pipe 20: Exhaust device 21: Exhaust valve 30: Heat shut-off plate 32: Heating holder 34: Annealing holder 36: Cooling holder 40: Briefly showing a transport mechanism 41: Showing the vertical movement of the elevator 42, 44,
46: Wafer 52, 54: Gas valve

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/68 H01L 21/205 H01L 21/324

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A multi-chamber vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers around a separation chamber; wherein the plurality of vacuum chambers include a plurality of process chambers including a heat treatment process chamber and a load lock chamber. The heat treatment process chamber has a built-in heat treatment unit including a heating unit incorporating a sheathed heater, an annealing unit, and a cooling unit incorporating a cooling pipe, and selects one of the plurality of heat treatment units to be processed. Between the separation chamber and the heat treatment process chamber, the mechanism includes an elevator mechanism that moves in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the vacuum chamber is disposed, and a gas valve is provided to the heat treatment process chamber. And the exhaust device and the exhaust valve are connected, A plurality of heat treatment units, wherein a plurality of heat treatment units are provided with a heat insulation plate, a plurality of heat treatment units of the heat treatment process chamber are supplied with different gases for each unit, and the plurality of heat treatment units of the heat treatment process chambers are provided. Has a gate valve connected to each unit,
A multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus characterized in that each unit box constituting each unit is made to be close to closed, and the units are spatially isolated from each other. 2. The multi-chamber vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said annealing unit has a built-in sheath heater.