JP4668323B2 - Shower type vapor phase growth apparatus and vapor phase growth method therefor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus including a cover plate that covers the shower plate on a surface facing the substrate to be processed in the shower plate, and a transport unit that transports the cover plate, and the vapor phase growth thereof. It is about the method.

Conventionally, in the manufacture of light emitting diodes and semiconductor lasers, organometallic gases such as trimethylgallium (TMG) or trimethylaluminum (TMA) and hydrogen such as ammonia (NH ₃ ), phosphine (PH ₃ ) or arsine (AsH ₃ ). A vapor phase epitaxy method in which a compound semiconductor crystal is grown by introducing a compound gas into a growth chamber as a source gas contributing to film formation is used.

  The vapor phase growth method is a method in which a compound semiconductor crystal is grown on a substrate by introducing the above-mentioned source gas together with an inert gas into a growth chamber and heating it to cause a gas phase reaction on a predetermined substrate. In the production of compound semiconductor crystals using vapor phase epitaxy, it is always about how to secure the maximum yield and production capacity while reducing costs while improving the quality of growing compound semiconductor crystals. Highly demanded.

  FIG. 12 shows a schematic configuration of an example of a conventional vertical shower head type vapor phase growth apparatus used in the vapor phase growth method. In this vertical showerhead type vapor phase growth apparatus 100, a gas pipe 103 for introducing a reactive gas and an inert gas from a gas supply source 102 to a growth chamber 111 inside the reaction furnace 101 is connected. A shower plate 110 having a plurality of gas discharge holes for introducing a reaction gas and an inert gas into the growth chamber 111 is installed as a gas introduction portion above the growth chamber 111 inside the furnace 101.

  In addition, a rotating shaft 112 that can be rotated by an actuator (not shown) is installed at the lower center of the growth chamber 111 in the reaction furnace 101, and a susceptor 108 is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 112 so as to face the shower plate 110. Yes. A heater 109 for heating the susceptor 108 is attached to the lower part of the susceptor 108.

  Further, a gas exhaust unit 104 for exhausting the gas in the growth chamber 111 inside the reaction furnace 101 to the outside is installed at the lower part of the reaction furnace 101, and the gas exhaust unit 104 is connected via a purge line 105. The exhaust gas treatment device 106 for detoxifying the exhausted gas is connected.

  When the compound semiconductor crystal is grown in the vertical shower head type vapor phase growth apparatus 100 configured as described above, the substrate 107 is placed on the susceptor 108, and then the susceptor 108 is rotated by the rotation of the rotating shaft 112. It is done. Then, the substrate 107 is heated to a predetermined temperature through the susceptor 108 due to the heating of the heater 109, and the reaction gas and non-reacting gas are supplied from the plurality of gas discharge holes formed in the shower plate 110 to the growth chamber 111 inside the reaction furnace 101. An active gas is introduced.

  By the way, as a method of forming a thin film by supplying a plurality of reaction gases and reacting on a substrate, conventionally, a plurality of gases are mixed inside a shower head, and a substrate is discharged from a gas discharge hole provided in a large number on a shower plate. The method of blowing out the reaction gas was used.

  However, according to the above method, due to the influence of thermal radiation from the substrate and the susceptor, a gas phase reaction of the gas mixed on the surface of the shower head facing the substrate (hereinafter referred to as “shower surface”) occurs. The problem is that the product adheres and grows, covers the gas exhaust holes and eventually becomes clogged. In addition, there is a problem in that deposits on the shower surface fall on the substrate and cause defects.

  Furthermore, it is necessary to periodically remove the adhered product. For this reason, it is necessary to periodically open the film forming chamber and perform maintenance work.

  In order to solve these problems, for example, in the film forming apparatus 200 disclosed in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 13, a cover plate having discharge holes 203 corresponding to the gas ejection holes 202 of the shower head 201. 204 is used. In this film forming apparatus 200, the cover plate 204 is fastened and fixed with screws 205, 205, and the shower head 201 is covered, so that the deposit adheres not on the surface of the shower head 201 but on the surface of the cover plate 204. It will be. For this reason, by periodically replacing the cover plate 204, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defects such as disturbance of the gas flow to the surface of the substrate to be processed due to the influence of the adhered material and dropping of the adhered material on the substrate to be processed. Yes.

  Further, in the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus 300 disclosed in Patent Document 2, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the transfer arm 303 is moved to the film forming chamber 302 in order to remove the deposits attached to the shielding plate 301. Is used to move the shielding plate 301 and remove the deposits in the load lock chamber 304 outside the film formation chamber 302 to prevent contamination inside the film formation chamber 302. Accordingly, the deposits can be removed without opening the film formation chamber 302 to the atmosphere, and the time from the cleaning operation to the startup of the apparatus is shortened.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C, the vapor phase growth apparatus 400 disclosed in Patent Document 3 includes a tray 410 on which a wafer 401 is mounted at a lower end portion, and a lower end of the tray 410 inserted therein. And a reaction tube 420 in which a reaction gas flows in the horizontal direction in the horizontal direction, a susceptor 423 that holds and rotates the tray 410, and a wafer mounted on the tray 410. A heating device 424 that heats 401, and further includes a first tray receiver 430 that conveys the tray 410 to above the hole 421 and a second tray receiver 440 that conveys the tray 410 in the vertical direction. .

  Thus, the wafer 401 is transferred from the outside to the inside of the reaction chamber without opening to the atmosphere, and the tray 410 that holds the wafer 401 and the hole 421 provided in the reaction tube 420 are aligned with high accuracy. By providing a uniform gap between the substrate and the hole 421 of the reaction tube 420, it is possible to provide a vapor phase growth apparatus capable of performing stable film formation by stabilizing the flow of the source gas on the wafer surface. Yes.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-13131 (published on May 18, 1999) JP 9-36199 A (published February 7, 1997) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-191490 (released on July 14, 2005)

  However, in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the cover plate 204 is replaced, the film forming chamber is opened to the atmosphere, the screws 205 and 205 fastening the cover plate 204 are loosened, and the cover plate 204 is taken out. After cleaning and removing the product, the cover plate 204 is again aligned with the position of the gas ejection hole 202, the screws 205 and 205 are fastened, the film forming chamber is closed, and the start-up must be performed again. I must. For this reason, a very long time is required for the maintenance work. Moreover, it is generally considered that opening the growth chamber is very unfavorable in a vapor phase growth apparatus. This is because once the growth chamber is opened to the atmosphere, oxygen and impurities in the atmosphere are mixed, and moisture in the atmosphere adheres to the growth chamber wall surface. This is because vacuum replacement and baking of the growth chamber are necessary, and this operation takes a very long time.

  In addition, since the conditions inside the growth chamber greatly change before opening and after cleaning, there is a problem that high-quality crystallinity cannot be reproduced in the film quality grown on the substrate to be processed before replacement and after cleaning. Will also occur. Furthermore, there arises a problem that it is necessary to determine conditions again in order to obtain reproducibility.

  Further, the cover plate 204 is fastened with screws 205 and 205. If the screw portion is repeatedly removed and fastened repeatedly, the screw hole may be damaged. Furthermore, when the cover plate 204 is made of a brittle material such as quartz, the cover plate 204 itself may be damaged by the fastening force of the screws 205 and 205. Furthermore, the product sticking to the thread portion causes the screw 205/205 to be bitten and the screw 205/205 to be detached, so that the cover plate 204 cannot be removed and the shower head body can be replaced. There is sex.

  On the other hand, in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2, in the shielding plate 301, the shielding plate 301 can be taken out without opening the film forming chamber 302 to the atmosphere, and the shielding plate 301 is annular. In removal and carry-in, if only horizontal (lateral) positioning is accurately performed, re-loading is possible.

  However, with this method, the position of the shielding plate 301 in the rotational direction cannot be constrained. Also in the horizontal direction (lateral direction), there is a possibility that the shielding plate 301 or the like, which is the object to be transferred, moves due to external vibration or vibration during conveyance. As a result, there is a problem that position reproducibility in the horizontal direction (lateral direction) cannot be realized.

  In the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2, the object to be transported is positioned using a pin 305 or the like and delivered to the take-up side. However, if the object to be transported is completely fixed with the pin 305 or the like, there is no clearance when the object is transferred to the take-up side, so there is a possibility that the object will be carried in a state of being stuck or tilted. Reliability cannot be secured.

  If the transport arm 303 is provided with a pin and positioned and transported, when the shield plate 301 that is the transport object is unloaded, there should be no clearance between the pin and the place where the shield plate 301 is placed. It becomes impossible to take out the shielding plate 301 and carry it out. Therefore, when taking out the shielding plate 301, it is necessary to remove the pin or to take it out by another transport arm. In this case, a plurality of transfer arms, an increase in failure probability due to the presence of a plurality of mechanisms, and cost increase arise, and the problem arises that it is not particularly suitable for a mass production apparatus.

  Further, in the vapor phase growth apparatus 400 disclosed in Patent Document 3, the object to be transferred is the tray 410 on which the wafer 401 is mounted, and does not require high accuracy in the rotation direction. A configuration for accurate accuracy is not disclosed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and its purpose is to easily restrain the conveyance direction and the rotation direction of the conveyance object, and thus, a highly accurate and complicated conveyance object. It is an object of the present invention to provide a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus and a vapor phase growth method thereof that enable a highly reliable transfer.

  In order to solve the above problems, the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention supplies a source gas through a shower plate into a reaction furnace containing a substrate to be processed, and forms a film on the substrate to be processed. A cover plate that covers the shower plate on the side of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed is provided, and at least the cover plate is not released from the reaction furnace to the reaction furnace as an object to be conveyed. In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus provided with a transport means for transporting, the transport means is provided on a transport member for placing and transporting the cover plate, and on a side facing the transport member. And a holding member for receiving and mounting the cover plate conveyed in the outer periphery, and two or more pairs of notches are formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate. There are formed, and on the transport member and the holding member is characterized in that the projections corresponding to the notch of the cover plate is provided at least a pair, respectively.

  In order to solve the above problems, a vapor phase growth method for a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus according to the present invention supplies a source gas into a reaction furnace containing a substrate to be processed through a shower plate to the substrate to be processed. A cover plate that covers the shower plate on the side of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed is provided, and at least the cover plate is transferred from the outside of the reaction furnace to the inside of the reaction furnace. In a vapor phase growth method of a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus provided with a transfer means for transferring without opening to the atmosphere, the cover plate is placed and transferred by a transfer member of the transfer means, while facing the transfer member The holding member of the conveying means provided on the side that receives the cover plate that is conveyed by the conveying member is received and mounted, and the cover is Plate outer periphery to form a notch in two or more pairs of, and in the transport member and the holding member is characterized in providing at least a pair of projections corresponding to the notch of the cover plate, respectively.

  According to the invention, the cover plate is placed and transported by the transport member of the transport means, while the holding member of the transport means provided on the side facing the transport member is used by the transport member. The transported cover plate is received and placed and held, and at least two pairs of notches are formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate, and the transport member and the holding member have protrusions corresponding to the notches of the cover plate. At least a pair of each part is provided.

  That is, the transport member has at least one pair of protrusions, and when the cover plate is transported, the pair of protrusions are inserted into at least one pair of notches of the cover plate and transported. Therefore, during transportation, the cover plate is restrained at at least two points, so that the rotation direction of the cover plate does not change.

  Next, after the conveying member moves forward to the position of the holding member, when the cover plate is transferred to the holding member, the holding member side of the cover plate has at least one pair of notches. Since the protrusion corresponding to the pair of notches is formed, the cover plate can be transferred to the holding member without changing the rotation direction of the cover plate.

  Accordingly, the plurality of gas discharge holes of the shower plate and the plurality of cover plate holes of the cover plate are accurately positioned so as to communicate with each other, and the cover plate can be brought into close proximity to or in close contact with the shower plate.

  Therefore, it is easy to restrain the conveyance direction and the rotation direction of the conveyance object, and by extension, establish a highly accurate and complex conveyance method for the conveyance object, and enable a highly reliable conveyance. A phase growth apparatus and a vapor phase growth method thereof can be provided.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, one of the transfer member and the holding member of the transfer means has at least a moving mechanism in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. However, it is preferable that the other has at least a moving mechanism in a direction parallel to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed.

  Accordingly, at least one of the transport member and the holding member is moved up and down by the moving mechanism in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed, and the other is parallel to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. Move in parallel by the moving mechanism.

  Therefore, for example, the transfer member can move forward and backward in parallel to the substrate to be processed from outside the reaction furnace into the reaction furnace, and the holding member receives the cover plate at the height of the transfer position of the transfer member and reaches the vicinity of the shower plate or the close contact position. Can move up and down.

  Further, in the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, the movement mechanism in the vertical direction is provided on the conveyance member or the holding member of the conveyance means, and the movement mechanism in the parallel direction is provided when moving in the vertical direction. It is preferable that a passage recess for allowing the other side to pass in a plane is formed.

  As a result, the transfer member and the holding member can move up and down without colliding when the transfer object is delivered and when the holding member moves up and down.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, the protrusion provided on the transfer member and the holding member of the transfer means has a protrusion height equal to the height of the cover plate surface when the cover plate is placed. It is preferable that they are arranged so as to be at the same position or lower.

  Thereby, the protrusion part provided in the conveyance member and the holding member can be reliably inserted in the notch of the cover plate.

  Further, in the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, the notch formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate has a notch entrance portion that is larger than the outer diameter of the protrusion provided on the transport member and the holding member, respectively. It is preferably a V-shaped notch that is large and deforms small as it enters the inside.

  Thereby, when the conveying member on which the cover plate is placed is moved forward and the protrusion of the holding member is inserted into the notch of the cover plate, the protrusion can be easily inserted into the notch.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, the transport member is provided with a pressing member that presses the transport object toward the holding member when the transport object is transferred to the holding member. Is preferred. The pressing member preferably has an elastic force.

  Thereby, it can be made to insert in the notch of a cover plate in the projection part of a holding member easily by pressing a conveyance target object to the holding member side with a press member.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, the pressing member is provided at a position higher than the protrusion of the conveying member, and the conveying means has a conveying control means, and this conveying control is performed. The means moves the conveying member on which the cover plate is placed into the reaction furnace, moves the holding member upward to receive the cover plate, and then the cover plate is at the same height as the pressing member. The upward movement is stopped, the transport member is further moved forward, the notch of the cover plate is inserted into the protrusion of the holding member, and the holding member with the notch of the cover plate inserted into the protrusion is It is preferable that the transport member that has delivered the cover plate is moved out of the reaction furnace and moved up to the vicinity of or close to the shower plate.

  Thereby, conveyance control of the cover plate from the outside of the reactor to the vicinity of the shower plate or the close contact position can be performed without the conveyance member and the holding member being in contact with each other.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that a material having heat resistance and corrosion resistance is used for the pressing member.

  Thereby, the lifetime of the pressing member is not reduced by the gas and heat of the reaction furnace.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the vertical movement mechanism and the horizontal movement mechanism can be manually operated.

  Thereby, it can replace with an automatic operation and can carry out a parallel movement and a raising / lowering movement of a conveyance member and a holding member by manual operation.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the transport member has a structure for transporting a plurality of transport objects having different outer diameters.

  Thereby, it becomes possible to convey a to-be-processed substrate as a conveyance target object, for example.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the cover plate is disposed close to or in close contact with the shower plate.

  Thereby, for example, if the cover plate is brought into close contact with the shower plate, the cover plate may break due to a difference in temperature between the shower head and the reaction furnace. In this case, it is possible to prevent the cover plate from breaking by arranging the cover plate close to the shower plate.

  In the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention, as described above, the conveying means is provided on the conveying member for placing and conveying the cover plate, and on the side facing the conveying member. And a holding member that receives and holds the transported cover plate, and two or more pairs of notches are formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate, and the transport member and the holding member include At least a pair of protrusions corresponding to the cutouts of the cover plate are provided.

  Further, as described above, the vapor phase growth method of the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention is provided on the side facing the transfer member while the cover plate is placed and transferred by the transfer member of the transfer means. The holding member of the conveying means receives and holds the cover plate conveyed by the conveying member, and forms two or more notches on the outer periphery of the cover plate, and the conveying member The holding member is provided with at least one pair of protrusions corresponding to the notches of the cover plate.

  Therefore, it is easy to constrain the conveyance direction and rotation direction of the object to be transported. As a result, a highly accurate and complicated method for conveying the object to be transported is established, and a shower type that enables highly reliable transportation. The effect is to provide a vapor phase growth apparatus and a vapor phase growth method therefor.

(A) shows one Embodiment of the shower type vapor phase growth apparatus in this invention, Comprising: It is XX sectional drawing of the (b) which shows the structure of a conveyance fork, (b) is the said conveyance. It is a top view which shows the structure of a fork, (c) is a front view which shows the structure of the said conveyance fork. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the MOCVD apparatus as said shower type vapor phase growth apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the cover plate mounted in the conveyance fork in the said MOCVD apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the to-be-processed substrate mounted in the conveyance fork in the said MOCVD apparatus. (A) is a top view which shows the structure of the holding member in the said MOCVD apparatus, (b) is the YY sectional view taken on the line of (a). In the said MOCVD apparatus, it is a top view which shows the relationship between a conveyance fork and a holding member when delivering a cover plate. It is a top view which shows the structure of the cover plate in the said MOCVD apparatus. It is a top view which shows the relationship between the gas discharge hole of a shower plate in the said MOCVD apparatus, and a cover plate hole. (A)-(f) is sectional drawing which shows typically the conveyance flow when carrying in the cover plate in the said MOCVD apparatus to a holding member with a conveyance fork. It is a top view which shows the conveyance flow when a conveyance fork evacuates after carrying in the cover plate in the said MOCVD apparatus to a holding member with a conveyance fork. (A)-(d) is explanatory drawing which shows the conveyance flow of a conveyance fork when carrying out the cover plate hold | maintained at the holding member with a conveyance fork. It is a block diagram which shows typically an example of the conventional vertical shower head type vapor phase growth apparatus used for a vapor phase growth method. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cover plate in the other conventional vertical shower head type vapor phase growth apparatus. (A), (b) is sectional drawing which shows the conveyance mechanism of the cover plate in other conventional vertical shower head type vapor phase growth apparatuses. (A) is a block diagram showing another conventional vapor phase growth apparatus having a substrate transport mechanism, (b) is a perspective view showing a first tray receiver which is a substrate transport mechanism, c) is a plan view showing a second tray receiver as a substrate transport mechanism. FIG.

  One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a vertical showerhead type MOCVD apparatus 10 which is an example of a MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus as a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus of the present invention. Indicates.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a reaction furnace 2 having a growth chamber 1 that is a hollow portion, a susceptor 4 on which a substrate 3 to be processed is placed, and the susceptor 4. It includes a shower head 20 which is a gas supply means having a shower plate 21 on the bottom surface.

  A heater 5 and a support base 6 for heating the substrate 3 to be processed are provided below the susceptor 4, and a rotating shaft 7 attached to the support base 6 is rotated by an actuator or the like (not shown), thereby the susceptor 4. The heater 5 rotates while maintaining the state in which the upper surface of the susceptor 4 (the surface facing the shower plate 21) is parallel to the facing shower plate 21. A cover plate 8 serving as a heater cover is provided around the susceptor 4, the heater 5, the support base 6 and the rotary shaft 7 so as to surround the susceptor 4, the heater 5, the support base 6 and the rotary shaft 7. .

  Further, the MOCVD apparatus 10 includes a gas discharge unit 11 for discharging the gas inside the growth chamber 1 to the outside through the peripheral gas discharge port 1a, a purge line 12 connected to the gas discharge unit 11, and the purge And an exhaust gas treatment device 13 connected to the line 12. Thereby, the gas introduced into the inside of the growth chamber 1 is discharged to the outside of the growth chamber 1 through the gas discharge unit 11, and the discharged gas is introduced into the exhaust gas treatment device 13 through the purge line 12. 13 is detoxified.

  Further, the MOCVD apparatus 10 includes a group III gas supply source 31 serving as a supply source of a group III gas and a carrier gas as a source gas containing a group III element, and a group III supplied from the group III gas supply source 31. Group III gas pipe 32 for supplying the group gas to the showerhead 20 and a group III gas supply amount capable of adjusting the amount of group III gas supplied from the group III gas supply source 31 It has a mass flow controller 33 which is an adjustment unit. The group III gas supply source 31 is connected to the gas mixing chamber 25 of the shower head 20 via a mass flow controller 33 by a group III gas pipe 32. In addition, the description regarding the valves attached to piping is abbreviate | omitted.

  The MOCVD apparatus 10 also includes a V-group gas supply source 34 serving as a supply source of a V-group gas and a carrier gas that are source gases containing a V-group element, and V supplied from the V-group gas supply source 34. V group gas supply amount capable of adjusting the supply amount of the V group gas supplied from the V group gas pipe 35 and the V group gas supply source 34 for supplying the group gas to the shower head 20 And a mass flow controller 36 serving as an adjustment unit. The group V gas supply source 34 is connected to the gas mixing chamber 25 of the shower head 20 via a mass flow controller 36 by a group V gas pipe 35. In addition, the description regarding the valves attached to piping is abbreviate | omitted.

  The mass flow controllers 33 and 36 are controlled by a control unit (not shown).

  Here, in this embodiment, examples of the group III element include Ga (gallium), Al (aluminum), and In (indium), and examples of the group III gas containing the group III element include trimethyl. One or more organic metal gases such as gallium (TMG) or trimethylaluminum (TMA) can be used.

In the present embodiment, examples of the group V element include N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), and As (arsenic), and examples of the group V gas containing the group V element include ammonia ( One or more of hydrogen compound gases such as NH ₃ ), phosphine (PH ₃ ), or arsine (AsH ₃ ) can be used.

  Further, as the carrier gas, for example, hydrogen gas or nitrogen gas can be used.

  In the present embodiment, a refrigerant supply unit 22 is provided between the gas mixing chamber 25 and the shower plate 21. The refrigerant supply unit 22 includes a refrigerant device 37 for cooling the shower plate 21. The refrigerant is supplied from the refrigerant through the refrigerant supply pipe 38. For example, general water can be used as the refrigerant, but it is not necessarily limited to water, and other liquid and gas refrigerants can be used.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a cover plate 26 that covers the shower plate 21 is provided on the substrate 3 side of the shower plate 21, and the cover plate hole H <b> 2 of the cover plate 26 has a shower as described later. It arrange | positions so that it may correspond to the gas discharge hole H1 of the plate 21 1: 1.

  The cover plate 26 is supported by a horseshoe-shaped holding member 50 in a state of being disposed close to the shower plate 21. The holding member 50 is moved up and down by a vertical movement mechanism, that is, a lifting rod 53 as a lifting mechanism. It can be done. When the substrate to be processed 3 is formed, the amount of up and down movement of the cover plate 26 is adjusted so that the gap with respect to the surface of the shower plate 21 is substantially zero. In the above description, the cover plate 26 is disposed close to the shower plate 21, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cover plate 26 may be disposed in close contact with the shower plate 21.

  Here, in this embodiment, when the cover plate 26 is contaminated with a product after performing a plurality of batch processes in forming the substrate 3 to be processed, the holding member 50 that holds the cover plate 26 is used. The cover plate 26 disposed on the holding member 50 is lowered by the elevating rod 53 and delivered to the transport fork 40 as the transport member fastened to the transport rod 14. Since the transfer fork 40 moves backward via the drive motor 15 or a manual handle (not shown), the transfer fork 40 holding the cover plate 26 can be moved outside the growth chamber 1 without releasing the atmosphere from the inside of the growth chamber 1. Is to be evacuated. The drive motor 15 has a structure that can be easily removed, and has a structure in which a manual handle for manually driving is attached instead of the drive motor 15.

The cover plate 26 exiting the growth chamber 1 moves to the inside of the load lock chamber 16 arranged next to the growth chamber 1, and the growth chamber 1 and the load lock chamber 16 are completely separated by a gate valve (not shown). Is done. Furthermore, in the load lock chamber 16, after replacing the inside with a safe gas, for example, N ₂ gas, the cover plate 26 is taken out to the glove box chamber 17 through a door (not shown), and the space of the glove box chamber 17 is removed. The maintenance work of the cover plate 26 is performed inside. At this time, the inside of the glove box chamber 17 is completely shielded from the atmosphere. The inside of the glove box chamber 17 is sealed with, for example, an inert gas such as N _2, and the work is performed with gloves or the like interposed.

  Next, the characteristic conveyance fork 40 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 (a), (b), and (c). FIG. 1A is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1B showing the conveying fork 40 in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged plan view of the conveying fork 40, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the transport fork 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, the transport fork 40 according to the present embodiment has a connection base 41, and the connection base 41 is fastened to the tip of the transport rod 14 with a fastening screw. By being fixed, the transport fork 40 is integrated with the transport rod 14.

  Two spring fixing brackets 42 and 42 are arranged on the transport fork 40, and a pressing spring 43 as a pressing member is fastened via the spring fixing brackets 42 and 42.

  The pressing spring 43 is attached at a position 15 mm higher than the surface portion of the drop prevention protrusion 45 in the transport fork 40. That is, the pressing spring 43 is designed to have a gap of 0.5 mm even when the cover plate 26 is mounted on the transport fork 40, and the cover plate 26 is designed not to interfere with the pressing spring 43.

  In this embodiment, in consideration of the possibility of exposure to a high temperature / corrosive environment, the press spring 43 is made of Inconel metal that is resistant to high temperature / corrosive environment and does not lose its spring property. ing. However, in the present invention, the material of the pressing spring 43 is not particularly specified, and various materials can be selected according to the environment in which it is used.

  Further, the transport fork 40 has a stepped portion 44 on which the cover plate 26 is mounted processed to a depth of 3 mm with respect to the surface of the fall prevention projection 45.

  The definition of the depth 3 mm of the step portion 44 is that the thickness of the cover plate 26 is designed to be 5 mm. Therefore, when the cover plate 26 is placed on the step portion 44, the cover plate 26 is easily protruded by about 2 mm. It defines the depth of the step that can be removed.

  As described above, the conveyance fork 40 is formed with the drop prevention protrusion 45 that protrudes by 3 mm from the stepped portion 44. The drop prevention protrusion 45 is dropped due to vibration or a problem during conveyance. It is provided in order not to do so. In the present embodiment, the fall prevention protrusion 45 has an arc shape along the outer periphery of the cover plate 26, and along the outer periphery of the cover plate 26, not only the connection base 41 side but also the tip side of the stepped portion 44. That is, it is also provided at the front end side of the fork-shaped transport fork 40.

  In addition, positioning protrusions 46 and 46 are formed at two locations on the transport fork 40 as protrusions that protrude toward the front end side of the transport fork 40 at the same height as the surface of the fall prevention protrusion 45. These two positioning projections 46 and 46 are distributed and processed at an angle of 30 degrees with respect to the center point of the cover plate 26 with respect to the center point of the cover plate 26 about the axis of the transport rod 14 as a center line. ing. The protrusion width of the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 is 8 mm, and the diameter of the most distal portion is half of the notch (described later) length (angle) from the outermost diameter of the cover plate 26 that is a carrying object to be mounted. It is processed as follows. However, the angle, protrusion shape, dimensional relationship, and the like of the present invention are not limited to this embodiment. In addition, the outer diameter of the cover plate 26 which is a conveyance object in the present embodiment is designed to be 230 mm.

  When the cover plate 26 that is the object to be transported is mounted on the transport fork 40, it is as shown in FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in the transport fork 40, the inner stepped portion 47 is further processed on the inner periphery of the stepped portion 44 so that transport objects having different outer diameters can be transported simultaneously. The inner stepped portion 47 has a depth of 2 mm, and the inner stepped portion protrusions 48 and 48 are processed at the boundary height with the stepped portion 44. As a result, the inner stepped portion 47 can be positioned with high accuracy, and as shown in FIG. 4, for example, the substrate 3 to be processed can be transferred into the growth chamber 1 with high accuracy. It has become. For example, when the substrate 3 to be processed, which is the object to be transferred, is transferred by the transfer fork 40, it is necessary to provide a holding member separate from the holding member 50 for receiving the substrate 3 to be processed. A holding member separate from the holding member 50 may be smaller in diameter than the holding member 50. Moreover, in this Embodiment, although the cover plate 26 and the to-be-processed substrate 3 which are conveyance objects are all cyclic | annular things, in this invention, a conveyance object is not limited to a shape.

  Further, the total thickness of the transport fork 40 is 8 mm by calculating the deflection due to the weight of the cover plate 26. In the present embodiment, assuming that the cover plate 26 is carried out in a corrosive environment at a high temperature, the material of the transport fork 40 is molybdenum, which is a metal having high heat resistance and corrosion resistance. . However, in the transport fork of the present invention, various materials can be used depending on the use environment, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  By adopting the shape of the transport fork 40 having the above configuration, it is possible to mount different types of transport objects having different outer diameters on the same transport fork 40. Further, by providing the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 and the inner stepped protrusions 48 and 48 on the stepped portion 44 and the inner stepped portion 47, respectively, it is possible to reliably perform rotation restraint (θ direction) and horizontal positioning. It has become. Furthermore, by providing the fall prevention protrusion 45, it is possible to safely convey the object to be conveyed without dropping it even in an unexpected situation.

  Next, the structure of the horseshoe-shaped holding member 50 on which the cover plate 26 carried by the transport fork 40 is placed will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A is an enlarged plan view of the holding member 50, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of FIG. 5A), and FIG. 6 shows the conveyance fork 40 and the holding member 50 at the conveyance coupling position. It is an enlarged plan view at a certain time.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, similarly, the holding member step portion 51 having a depth of 3 mm is processed in the holding member 50 of the present embodiment. The outer diameter of the holding member stepped portion 51 is designed to be 240 mm with a clearance with respect to the cover plate 26 since the outer diameter of the conveyed cover plate 26 is 230 mm. This is because when the cover plate 26 is unloaded, if there is no clearance, the cover plate 26 rides on the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 as protrusions. The clearance is set such that the cover plate 26 does not fall from the opening portion of the holding member step portion 51 even when the cover plate 26 moves inside the holding member step portion 51 for some unexpected reason. The maximum value is 0.5 mm.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 are also processed in the holding member 50, and the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 are pressed against the cover plate 26 by the pressing spring 43 of the transport fork 40. By inserting the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b of the cover plate 26 into 52, the cover plate 26 can be positioned (rotation restraint and horizontal position).

  In addition, elevating rods 53 for moving the holding member 50 to the surface of the shower plate 21 are attached to the holding member 50 at, for example, three locations, and the holding member 50 is raised and lowered by a drive motor or a manual handle (not shown). Is possible. When the holding member 50 is raised, the transport fork 40 must pass through the holding member 50 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the holding member 50 is provided with relief notches 54 and 54 as passage recesses so that the drop prevention protrusions 45 and 45 formed at the tip of the transport fork 40 do not interfere with the holding member 50. By providing the relief notches 54 and 54, the transport fork 40 can be driven without interfering with the holding member 50. The relationship between the positions immediately before driving is such that when the holding member 50 and the transport fork 40 come to the center position, that is, the mounting position of the cover plate 26, the clearance width W is set to 0.5 mm with respect to the traveling direction, and left and right By setting each direction to 0.5 mm, the conveyance fork 40 and the holding member 50 are designed so as not to collide and be damaged.

  Next, the conveyance fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and the holding member side cutout of the cover plate 26 into which the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 of the transfer fork 40 and the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 of the holding member 50 are inserted. 26b and 26b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the cover plate 26.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the cover plate 26 of the present embodiment is formed with transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b as a total of four cutouts in the circumferential direction. Yes. As described above, one or more notches are present on each of the conveying fork 40 side and the holding member 50 side.

  First, the conveyance fork side cutouts 26a and 26a will be described.

  The transport fork side cutouts 26 a and 26 a are provided at the same angle and the same number as the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 of the transport fork 40. In addition, although it is two places in this Embodiment, it does not necessarily restrict to this. That is, if there are two or more notches, positioning and rotation restraint are possible.

  Further, as for the notch locations, at least two or more positioning protrusions 46 and 46 of the transport fork 40 must exist at opposite locations. The reason is the same as above.

  Further, it is desirable that the shape of the conveyance fork side cutouts 26a and 26a be V-shaped from the viewpoint of positioning and rotation restraint. This is because, when the shape is the same as that of the positioning projections 46 and 46 of the transport fork 40, for example, if the tip portions are R, there is a problem that rotation restraint cannot be reliably performed. Further, by adopting the V shape, the outermost diameter portions of the transport fork side cutouts 26 a and 26 a become larger than the outer diameter of the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 of the transport fork 40, and the cover plate 26 is pressed by the pressing spring 43. Thus, when the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 enter the notches 26a and 26a on the transport fork side, there is an advantage that some positional deviation can be absorbed. In the present embodiment, in consideration of the above-described merits, the entrances of the transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a are formed to be 2 mm larger than the outer diameter of the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 of the transport fork 40. As a result, the clearance is 1 mm on each side, and it is possible to absorb the positional deviation when the cover plate 26 is mounted.

  Next, the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b will be described.

  The holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b have the same cutout shape as that of the transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a, and the V shape is adopted. The reason is the same as described above. The number and shape of the cutouts are the same as the cutouts 26a and 26a on the conveying fork side because of the ease of processing.

  However, the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b must be in a state in which the gas discharge hole H1 of the shower plate 21 installed in the upper part and the cover plate hole H2 of the cover plate 26 completely coincide with each other. This must be taken into account when assembling.

  Next, the positional relationship between the shower plate 21 and the cover plate 26 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the shower plate 21.

  In the shower plate 21 set in the MOCVD apparatus 10, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of gas discharge holes H1 are arranged at a pitch of 10 mm in the circumferential direction vertical horizontal direction. The diameter of the gas discharge hole H1 at this time is an outer diameter of 6 mm and an inner diameter of 4 mm. Further, the height of the gas discharge hole H1 is defined to be equal to the thickness of the cover plate 26. On the other hand, in the cover plate 26, the same number of cover plate holes H2 are present at the same position as the gas discharge holes H1 of the shower plate 21. At this time, the gas discharge hole H1 is present 1: 1 in the outer diameter of the cover plate hole H2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the relationship between the gas discharge hole H1 of the shower plate 21 and the cover plate hole H2 of the cover plate 26 is designed to be concentric with a clearance of 1 mm. That is, all of the gas discharge holes H1 must be equally inserted into the cover plate hole H2. This is because if the positioning in the horizontal direction and the rotation direction (θ direction) is not performed reliably, the gas discharge hole H1 and the cover plate hole H2 may interfere with each other and may be destroyed.

  The layout error allowed in the above design dimensions is within 0.5 mm in the horizontal direction and 0.2 degrees or less in the rotation direction (θ direction). With the above configuration, it can be confirmed that the transfer is reliably performed within the above error.

  Next, the transfer flow of the cover plate 26 to the growth chamber 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (f) and FIG. FIGS. 9A to 9F and FIG. 10 are schematic views showing a flow from carrying the cover plate 26 into the growth chamber 1 from the external glove box chamber 17 until it is aligned with the gas discharge hole H1 of the shower plate 21. It is.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9A, the cover plate 26 is mounted on the transport fork 40 inside the glove box chamber 17 shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the transport fork side cutouts 26 a and 26 a of the cover plate 26 are pressed against the drop prevention protrusion 45 of the transport fork 40 and the cover plate 26 is placed on the stepped portion 44 of the transport fork 40. . In this state, the rotation direction (θ direction) of the cover plate 26 is restrained by the positioning protrusions 46.

  In this state, the transfer rod 14 is carried into the growth chamber 1 through the load lock chamber 16. In this embodiment, the stroke of the transport fork 40 at this time is defined at a position to the center of the shower plate 21 of the growth chamber 1, and the distance is a long stroke of 15000 mm.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the transport fork 40 is stopped 4 mm before the center of the holding member 50. This is because the transport plate 40 is stopped 4 mm before the center of the holding member 50 so that the cover plate 26 does not interfere with the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 existing on the holding member 50 side shown in FIG. It is to do.

  At this time, the clearance between the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 and the transport fork 40 is designed with a maximum error of +0.5 mm, and the total gap is 1.5 mm.

  In this state, the transport fork 40 is stopped, and then the holding member 50 is raised and the cover plate 26 is scooped up by the holding member 50 as shown in FIG. The scooping amount at this time is, for example, 5 mm. The reason is that the cover plate 26 is completely detached from the stepped portion 44 of the transport fork 40 and is 2 mm lower than the height of the pressing spring 43 mounted on the transport fork 40.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 9D, the transport fork 40 is moved backward by 1 mm. This is because the cover plate 26 interferes with the pressing spring 43 when the holding member 50 is raised without being retracted.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 9E, the cover member 26 is raised to the same height as the pressing spring 43 by raising the holding member 50 by 7 mm. At this time, the height deviation between the cover plate 26 and the pressing spring 43 is designed to allow up to 2 mm. The reason for this is that even if the cover plate 26 rides on the holding member protrusion 52 shown in FIG.

  Further, regarding the thickness of the pressing spring 43 at this time (the thickness in the vertical direction), the thickness of the cover plate 26 is +2 mm. In the present embodiment, the cover plate 26 is designed with a thickness of 5 mm. As a result, the pressing spring 43 has a thickness of 7 mm in the vertical direction.

  By adopting the above-described configuration, the holding member 50, the transport fork 40, the pressing spring 43, and the like can be driven safely along with the transport flow so that each can be safely and without interference with a margin of 0.5 mm or more. It is configured so that it can be conveyed even in a state in which a deviation in machining accuracy is taken into account.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9 (f), the transport fork 40 is advanced, and the cover plate 26 is pressed against the holding member protrusion 52 by the pressing spring 43 mounted on the transport fork 40. In the present embodiment, up to 5 mm including the elasticity of the pressing spring 43 is pressed by the transport fork 40, and the cover plate 26 is positioned by the holding member side notches 26b and 26b by the holding member protrusion 52.

  After the pressing is completed and the positioning is completed, the transport fork 40 is retracted to the glove box chamber 17 and the holding member 50 is raised as shown in FIG. Thereby, the insertion of the cover plate hole H2 of the cover plate 26 into the gas discharge hole H1 of the shower plate 21 arranged on the upper part of the MOCVD apparatus 10 is completed.

  Thereby, the conveyance positioned with high accuracy is completed.

  Next, the flow for carrying out the cover plate 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 11A to 11E are flowcharts for carrying the cover plate 26 from the inside of the growth chamber 1 to the glove box chamber 17 that is the outside.

  In carrying out the cover plate 26, since there is no influence of positioning or the like, the cover plate 26 can be carried out in a very simple step.

  That is, when the cover plate 26 is carried out, as shown in FIG. 11A, first, the transport fork 40 is inserted 7 mm before the center of the holding member 50 through the transport rod 14. In this state, the holding member 50 is lowered below the bottom surface of the transport fork 40.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the cover plate 26 is placed on the transfer fork 40, and as shown in FIG. Retreat to the glove box chamber 17 through the load lock chamber 16.

  Thereby, carrying out of the cover plate 26 is completed.

  As a result, in the present embodiment, the conveyance direction and the rotation direction of the conveyance object are easily restricted, and a highly accurate and complicated conveyance method for the conveyance object is established, thereby enabling highly reliable conveyance. ing. In particular, in this embodiment, the positioning accuracy of the object to be transported is ± 0.5 mm or less. This is because the cover plate 26 must be mounted on the holding member 50 on which the cover plate 26 is mounted, particularly when the cover plate 26 existing below the shower plate 21 is pulled. In particular, since the cover plate 26 rotates through the holding member 50, a shift in the conveyance accuracy directly affects the touch around the rotation. If the positioning accuracy of the object to be transported is within ± 0.5 mm, the deviation in the radial direction is 0.25 mm with a deviation of ½, and the deviation is limited to 0 mm in actual adjustment.

  In the present embodiment. By not opening the reaction furnace 2, the state inside the reaction furnace 2 is not greatly changed, so that it is possible to ensure the stability of film quality crystallinity.

  Furthermore, since the cover plate 26 that is the object to be transported can be transported without directly touching a human hand, the cover plate 26 that is in a high temperature state immediately after the end of growth and in a corrosive environment inside the reactor 2 is dangerous. It can be safely transported without being exposed to.

  In addition, by forming the transport fork 40 according to the present embodiment, it becomes possible to load and unload transport objects having different outer diameters with the same mechanism without changing the front end of the transport fork 40, and to reduce the cost of the mechanism members. Reduction is possible.

  As described above, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 and the vapor phase growth method thereof according to the present embodiment, the source gas is supplied into the reaction furnace 2 containing the substrate 3 to be processed via the shower plate 21 to form the substrate 3 to be processed. A cover plate 26 that covers the shower plate 21 is provided on the side of the shower plate 21 facing the substrate 3 to be processed, and at least the cover plate 26 is transported from the reaction furnace 2 to the inside of the reaction furnace 2. Is provided with a conveying means for conveying without opening to the atmosphere.

  The transport means is provided on the side opposite to the transport fork 40 on which the cover plate 26 is placed and transported, and receives and holds the cover plate 26 transported by the transport fork 40. The holding member 50 is provided. Further, two or more pairs of transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b are formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate 26, and the cover plate 26 is provided on the transport fork 40 and the holding member 50. At least a pair of positioning protrusions 46 and 46 and holding member protrusions 52 and 52 corresponding to the transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b are provided.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the cover plate 26 is placed and transported by the transport fork 40, while it is transported by the transport fork 40 by the holding member 50 provided on the side facing the transport fork 40. The cover plate 26 is received and placed and held, and at least two pairs of transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b are formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate 26, and the transport fork 40 and the holding member are formed. 50 includes at least a pair of positioning protrusions 46 and 46 and holding member protrusions 52 and 52 corresponding to the notches 26a and 26a and the holding member side notches 26b and 26b of the cover plate 26, respectively.

  That is, the transport fork 40 has at least one pair of positioning projections 46, 46, and when the cover plate 26 is transported, the pair of positioning projections 46, 46 are connected to at least one pair of transport fork side cutouts 26 a. 26a is inserted and conveyed. Accordingly, the cover plate 26 is restrained at at least two points during conveyance, so that the rotation direction of the cover plate 26 does not change.

  Next, after the transport fork 40 moves forward to the position of the holding member 50, when the cover plate 26 is transferred to the holding member 50, at least one pair of holding member side cutouts 26b is provided on the holding member 50 side of the cover plate 26. Since the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 corresponding to the pair of holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b are formed on the holding member 50, the rotation direction of the cover plate 26 does not change. The cover plate 26 can be transferred to the holding member 50.

  Accordingly, the plurality of gas discharge holes H1 of the shower plate 21 and the plurality of cover plate holes H2 of the cover plate 26 are accurately positioned so as to communicate with each other, and the cover plate 26 is brought into close proximity to or in close contact with the shower plate 21. Can do.

  Therefore, the MOCVD apparatus 10 that easily restrains the conveyance direction and the rotation direction of the conveyance object, and thus establishes a highly accurate and complicated conveyance method of the conveyance object, and enables highly reliable conveyance. And a vapor deposition method thereof.

  Further, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, one of the transfer fork 40 and the holding member 50 has at least a moving mechanism in the vertical direction with respect to the surface of the shower plate 21 facing the substrate 3 to be processed. Has at least a moving mechanism in a direction parallel to the surface of the shower plate 21 facing the substrate 3 to be processed.

  Accordingly, at least one of the transfer fork 40 and the holding member 50 is moved up and down by the moving mechanism in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the shower plate 21 facing the substrate 3 to be processed, and the other is moved to the substrate 3 to be processed in the shower plate 21. It moves in parallel with the moving mechanism in the direction parallel to the facing surface.

  Accordingly, the transfer fork 40 can move forward and backward in parallel to the substrate 3 to be processed from the outside of the reaction furnace 2 into the reaction furnace 2, and the holding member 50 receives the cover plate 26 at the height of the transfer position of the transfer fork 40, etc. It is possible to move up and down to the vicinity of 21 or close contact position.

  Further, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, one of the transfer fork 40 or the holding member 50 having a movement mechanism in the vertical direction is planar with the other having a movement mechanism in the parallel direction when moving in the vertical direction. Relief cutout portions 54 and 54 that pass through are formed.

  Accordingly, when the cover plate 26 is delivered and when the holding member 50 is moved up and down, the transport fork 40 and the holding member 50 can move up and down without colliding.

  Further, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the positioning projections 46 and 46 and the holding member projections 52 and 52 provided on the transport fork 40 and the holding member 50 have a projection height and the cover plate 26 is placed thereon. It is arrange | positioned so that it may become the same position as the height of the surface of the cover plate 26, or lower than it.

  Accordingly, the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 and the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 provided on the transfer fork 40 and the holding member 50 are provided on the transfer fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b of the cover plate 26, respectively. It can be surely inserted.

  Further, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the transport fork side cutouts 26a and 26a and the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate 26 are provided in the transport fork 40 and the holding member 50, respectively. This V-shaped notch has a notch entrance portion larger than the outer diameters of the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 and the holding member projections 52 and 52, and is deformed smaller as it enters the inside.

  Accordingly, when the transport fork 40 on which the cover plate 26 is placed is moved forward, the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 of the holding member 50 are easily inserted into the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b of the cover plate 26. The holding member protrusions 52 and 52 can be inserted into the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b.

  In the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the transport fork 40 is provided with a pressing spring 43 as a pressing member that presses the cover plate 26 against the holding member 50 when the cover plate 26 is transferred to the holding member 50. ing. The pressing member preferably has an elastic force.

  As a result, the cover plate 26 is pressed against the holding member 50 side by the pressing spring 43, so that the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 of the holding member 50 can be easily moved to the holding member side cutouts 26b and 26b of the cover plate 26. Can be inserted.

  In the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the pressing spring 43 is provided at a position higher than the positioning protrusions 46 and 46 of the transport fork 40, and the transport means has a transport control means. The control means moves the transport fork 40 on which the cover plate 26 is placed into the reaction furnace 2, moves the holding member 50 up and receives the cover plate 26, and then the cover plate 26 is the same as the pressing spring 43. When it reaches the height position, the ascending movement is stopped, the transport fork 40 is further moved forward, and the holding member side notches 26b and 26b of the cover plate 26 are inserted into the holding member protrusions 52 and 52 of the holding member 50. , The holding member 50 in which the notches 26b and 26b on the holding member side of the cover plate 26 are inserted into the holding member protrusions 52 and 52, Raised moved until near or close contact rate 21, Eject moves the transport fork 40 passes the cover plate 26 to the reactor 2 outside.

  Thus, the transport plate 40 can be transported from the outside of the reaction furnace 2 to the vicinity of the shower plate 21 or the close contact position without the transport fork 40 and the holding member 50 being in contact with each other. This control is performed by a drive motor 15 that drives the transport fork 40 and a drive motor (not shown) that drives the elevating rod 53.

  Further, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, a material having heat resistance and corrosion resistance is used for the pressing spring 43. Thereby, the life of the pressing spring 43 is not reduced by the gas and heat of the reaction furnace 2.

  In the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the vertical movement mechanism and the horizontal movement mechanism can be manually operated.

  Accordingly, the transport fork 40 and the holding member 50 can be translated and moved up and down by manual operation instead of automatic operation.

  In the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the transport fork 40 has a structure for transporting a plurality of transport objects having different outer diameters. Specifically, an inner stepped portion 47 is provided.

  Thereby, it becomes possible to convey the to-be-processed substrate 3 as a conveyance object.

  Further, in the MOCVD apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the cover plate 26 is disposed close to or in close contact with the shower plate 21.

  Thereby, for example, if the cover plate 26 is brought into close contact with the shower plate 21, the cover plate 26 may be cracked due to a difference in temperature between the shower head 20 and the reaction furnace 2. In this case, the cover plate 26 can be prevented from cracking by arranging the cover plate 26 close to the shower plate 21.

  The present invention can be applied to a vertical vapor phase growth apparatus using a shower plate that supplies a reactive gas to the surface of a substrate to be processed from a plurality of gas discharge holes of the shower plate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Growth chamber 2 Reactor 3 Processed substrate 4 Susceptor 10 MOCVD apparatus 14 Transfer rod 15 Drive motor 16 Load lock chamber 17 Glove box chamber 20 Shower head 21 Shower plate 22 Refrigerant supply part 25 Gas mixing chamber 26 Cover plate 40 Transfer fork ( Conveying member)
41 Connecting Base 42 Spring Fixing Bracket 43 Pressing Spring (Pressing Member)
44 Step 45 Drop prevention protrusion 45 Drop prevention protrusion 46 Positioning protrusion (protrusion)
47 Inner stepped portion 48 Inner stepped portion protrusion 50 Holding member 51 Holding member stepped portion 52 Holding member protruding portion (projecting portion)
53 Lifting rod 54 Relief notch (passing recess)

Claims (12)

A raw material gas is supplied into a reaction furnace containing a substrate to be processed through a shower plate to form a film on the substrate to be processed, and the shower plate is disposed on the side of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. In a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus comprising a cover plate for covering, and having a conveying means for conveying at least the cover plate as an object to be conveyed from outside the reaction furnace to the reaction furnace without opening to the atmosphere,
The transport means is a transport member that mounts and transports the cover plate, and a holding member that is provided on a side facing the transport member and receives and holds the cover plate transported by the transport member. And with
The outer periphery of the cover plate has two or more pairs of notches are formed, and on the transport member and the holding member, the projection portion corresponding to the notch of the cover plate is provided at least one pair respectively,
The conveying member and the holding member of the conveying means are respectively
One has at least a moving mechanism in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed, and the other has at least a moving mechanism in the direction parallel to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. And
One of the conveying members or holding members of the conveying means having the moving mechanism in the vertical direction is formed with a passing recess that allows the other having the moving mechanism in the parallel direction to pass in a plane when moving in the vertical direction. A shower type vapor phase growth apparatus. A raw material gas is supplied into a reaction furnace containing a substrate to be processed through a shower plate to form a film on the substrate to be processed, and the shower plate is disposed on the side of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. In a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus comprising a cover plate for covering, and having a conveying means for conveying at least the cover plate as an object to be conveyed from outside the reaction furnace to the reaction furnace without opening to the atmosphere,
The transport means is a transport member that mounts and transports the cover plate, and a holding member that is provided on a side facing the transport member and receives and holds the cover plate transported by the transport member. And with
Two or more pairs of cutouts are formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate, and the conveying member and the holding member are provided with at least a pair of protrusions corresponding to the cutouts of the cover plate, respectively.
The conveying member and the holding member of the conveying means are respectively
One has at least a moving mechanism in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed, and the other has at least a moving mechanism in the direction parallel to the surface of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. And
Above the conveying member, a shower-type vapor phase growth apparatus characterized by pressing member for pressing the conveying object on the holding member side when transferring the object to be transported to the holding member. The protrusions provided on the conveying member and the holding member of the conveying means are
Protrusion height, shower-type vapor phase growth according to claim 1, characterized in that it is arranged such that the height and the same or a lower position than that of the cover plate surface upon mounting the cover plate apparatus. The protrusions provided on the conveying member and the holding member of the conveying means are
3. The shower type vapor phase growth according to claim 2 , wherein the height of the protrusion is arranged to be equal to or lower than the height of the surface of the cover plate when the cover plate is placed. apparatus. Wherein the conveying member, according to claim 1 or 3 shower-type, wherein the pressing member for pressing the conveying object on the holding member side when transferring the object to be transported to the holding member is provided Vapor growth equipment. The notch formed on the outer periphery of the cover plate is
It is a V-shaped notch in which a notch entrance is larger than the outer diameter of the projection provided on each of the conveying member and the holding member, and is deformed smaller as it enters the inside. The shower type vapor phase growth apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The pressing member is provided at a position higher than the protrusion of the conveying member,
The transport means has a transport control means, and the transport control means
Move the conveying member carrying the cover plate into the reaction furnace,
After the holding member is moved upward to receive the cover plate, the upward movement is stopped when the cover plate is at the same height as the pressing member,
Move the transport member further to insert the cover plate notch into the protrusion of the holding member,
Move the holding member, in which the notch of the cover plate is inserted into the protrusion, to the vicinity of or close to the shower plate,
6. The shower type vapor phase growth apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conveying member that has delivered the cover plate is moved out of the reaction furnace. 6. The shower type vapor phase growth apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a material having heat resistance and corrosion resistance is used for the pressing member. The shower type vapor phase growth apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the moving mechanism in the vertical direction and the moving mechanism in the horizontal direction can be manually operated. The conveying member is a shower-type vapor phase growth apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that it has a structure for transporting a plurality of different transport objects outside diameters. The shower type vapor phase growth apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the cover plate is arranged close to or in close contact with the shower plate. A raw material gas is supplied into a reaction furnace containing a substrate to be processed through a shower plate to form a film on the substrate to be processed, and the shower plate is disposed on the side of the shower plate facing the substrate to be processed. In a vapor phase growth method of a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus comprising a cover plate that includes a cover plate that covers and conveys at least the cover plate as an object to be conveyed from outside the reaction furnace to the reaction furnace without opening to the atmosphere. ,
While placing and transporting the cover plate by the transport member of the transport means,
In the holding member of the conveying means provided on the side facing the conveying member, the cover plate conveyed by the conveying member is received and placed and held,
The cover plate the outer circumference to form a notch in two or more pairs of, and in the transport member and the holding member, at least a pair set respectively a protrusion corresponding to the notch of the cover plate,
Each of the conveying member and the holding member of the conveying means is
On the one hand, at least a mechanism for moving the shower plate in the direction perpendicular to the surface facing the substrate to be processed is provided, and on the other hand, at least a mechanism for moving the shower plate in a direction parallel to the surface facing the substrate to be processed is provided. ,
One of the transport members or holding members of the transport means provided with the vertical movement mechanism allows the other of the parallel movement mechanisms to pass in a plane when moving in the vertical direction. A vapor phase growth method for a shower type vapor phase growth apparatus, characterized in that a recess for passage is formed .