JPH0233920A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To treat wafers uniformly by a method wherein the cross-section of a reaction chamber is gradually reduced along the direction from the one end of the chamber to the other and the wafers near the one end and the wafers near the other end are brought into contact with the same number of gas particles. CONSTITUTION:The inner wall of a reaction chamber 1 is corrugated along its longitudinal direction. The cross-section of the reaction chamber 1 is gradually reduced along the direction from the gas introducing side 4a to the gas exhaust side 5a of the chamber 1. Reactive gas 4 is discharged from the gas exhaust side 5a of the reaction chamber 1 as exhaust gas. The flow speed of the gas is gradually accelerated. Therefore, even if the concentration of the gas 4 is low near the exhaust side 5a, wafers 2 near the exhaust side 5a are brought into contact with the same number of the particles of the gas 4 as the wafers 2 near the introducing side 4a. With this constitution, the wafers 2 are treated uniformly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs desired processing on a wafer by introducing a gas into a reaction chamber.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 5 shows the chemical vapor phase composition f% (C
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a horizontal reaction chamber used for VD) and oxidation/diffusion, and its cross-sectional shape is circular.

In the figure, 1 is a reaction chamber.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the case where the tube is housed in the reaction chamber 1. In the figure, 2 is a wafer, 3 is a boat in which the wafers 2 are arranged, 4 is a reaction gas introduced into the reaction chamber 1,
5 is exhaust gas discharged from the reaction chamber 1. 4a is the gas introduction side of the reaction chamber 1, and 5a is the gas discharge side.

Next, the operation will be explained. The wafer 2 is placed on the boat 3 and stored in the reaction chamber 1, and the reaction gas 4 is introduced from the gas introduction side 4a. The reactant gas 4 then passes through the gap with the wafer 2, or through the gap between the neem 2.Then, the reaction gas 4 causes a chemical reaction with the wafer 2 and processes the neem 2 (forming a film, etc.). Thereafter, the reaction gas 4 becomes exhaust gas 5 and is discharged from the gas discharge side 5a.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is configured as described above, the concentration of the reaction gas 4 on the gas discharge side 5a is lower than that on the gas introduction side 4a due to the above reaction, and the concentration of the reaction gas 4 on the wafer 2 is lower than that on the gas introduction side 4a. There was a problem in that the degree of treatment was different between the gas introduction side 4a and the gas discharge side 5a. Furthermore, when storing the boat 3 carrying the wafers 2 in the reaction chamber 1,
When the boat 3 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1 rub against each other, foreign matter is generated, and when the reaction gas 4 is introduced into the reaction chamber 1 in this state, there is a problem that this foreign matter flies up and adheres to the surface of the wafer 2. Ta.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to obtain a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can uniformly process wafers.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which foreign matter does not fly up when it occurs in a reaction chamber.

[Means to solve the problem]

In a first aspect, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention houses a wafer to be processed, and performs desired processing on the wafer by introducing gas from one end and discharging the gas from the other end. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has a cylindrical reaction chamber, and the cross-sectional area of the reaction chamber is gradually reduced from the one end toward the other end.

In a second aspect, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention stores the wafer to be processed on the lower surface of the inner wall, and performs desired processing on the wafer by introducing gas from one end and discharging the gas from the other end. The present invention is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a cylindrical reaction chamber, in which a lower surface of an inner wall of the reaction chamber has an uneven shape that repeats unevenness along the longitudinal direction of the reaction chamber.

[Effect]

In the first aspect of the invention, the cross-sectional area of the reaction chamber is gradually reduced from one end of the reaction chamber to the other end. The velocity of the gas increases near the edge. Therefore, even if the gas concentration is reduced at the other end, the number of gas particles that come into contact with the wafer near the other end per unit time is equal to the number of gas particles that come into contact with the wafer near the one end.

In the second aspect of the invention, the lower surface of the inner wall of the reaction chamber has an uneven shape that repeats unevenness along the longitudinal direction of the reaction chamber, so that when gas is introduced into the reaction chamber, a vortex is generated in the recess, and this vortex is formed. This traps foreign matter generated when the wafer is stored in the reaction chamber and focuses it on the wall of the recess due to the action of viscosity.

Therefore, foreign matter accumulates on the inner wall of the recess.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1(a) is a sectional view showing an example of a reaction chamber used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1(b) is a sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. 1(a).

FIG. 2 does not show the state when the wafer 2 to be processed is housed in the reaction chamber 1 shown in FIG. 1. The difference from the conventional reaction chamber 1 is that the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1 has a repeating wave shape in the longitudinal direction of the reaction chamber 1, and its cross-sectional area gradually increases from the gas inlet side 4a to the gas outlet side 5b of the reaction chamber 1. This is to make it smaller.

Next, the operation will be explained. First, the boat 3 carrying the wafers 2 is stored in the reaction chamber 1. In this case, reaction chamber 1
Foreign matter 6 is generated due to the contact between the boat 3 and the boat 3, and accumulates at the lower part of the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1. Thereafter, the reaction gas 4 is introduced from the gas introduction side 4a of the reaction chamber 1 as in the conventional example. The reaction gas 4 passes between the wafers 2 lined up in the boat 3 in the reaction chamber 1 and the reaction chamber 1, and is discharged as exhaust gas 5 from the gas discharge side 5a of the reaction chamber 1. At this time, the cross-sectional area of the reaction chamber 1 is changed to the gas introduction side 4
Since the velocity of the reaction gas 4 gradually decreases from a to the gas discharge side 5b, the velocity of the reaction gas 4 gradually increases. Therefore, even if the concentration of the nearby reaction gas 4 is low on the gas discharge side 5a,
The number of particles of the reactive gas 4 that come into contact with the wafer 2 per unit time is equal near the gas introduction side 4a and near the gas discharge side 5a, thickness) will be equal.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the reaction gas 4 passes between the boat 3 and the reaction chamber 1. In this case, due to the waveform shape of the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1, a pressure difference is generated between the concave portion and the convex portion, and a vortex 7 of the reaction gas 4 is generated in the four portions. The vortex 7 entrains the foreign matter 6 and converges on the four walls of the reaction chamber 1 due to the action of viscosity.

Therefore, the foreign matter 6 is deposited in the concave portion, and since it is a convergence part of the vortex 7, the foreign matter does not fly up, and the foreign matter 6 is deposited on the wafer 2.
will not adhere to the surface.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views showing other embodiments of the present invention. In Figures 3 and 4, Figures 3(b) and 4(b) are line B-8' in Figure 3(a) and Figure 4(a), respectively.
A cross-sectional view taken along line c-c' is shown. In these embodiments, the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1 has an uneven shape that is not a corrugated shape. Even with such a shape, when a reaction gas is introduced into the reaction chamber 1, a vortex is generated in the recess as in the above embodiment, and this vortex converges on the inner wall of the recess. Therefore, the vortex does not engulf foreign matter, and the foreign matter does not accumulate in the recess and fly up, and does not adhere to the surface of the knee.

Note that the uneven shape of the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1 may be any shape as long as it is such that when a reaction gas is introduced into the reaction chamber 1, a vortex is generated in the four parts, and this vortex converges on the inner wall of the recessed part. good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the entire inner wall of the reaction chamber 1 is made uneven, but even if only the lower surface is made uneven, the effect that the foreign matter 6 will not fly up can be obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the first aspect, the cross-sectional area of the reaction chamber is gradually reduced from one end to the other end, so that when gas is introduced from the one end and discharged from the other end, , the velocity of the gas increases near the other end. Therefore, even if the gas concentration becomes thinner at the other end, the number of gas particles that come into contact with the knee per unit time is the same near the one end and near the direct loosening end, resulting in a reduction in wafer processing. This has the advantage that it can be done evenly.

Further, according to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 2, the lower surface of the inner wall of the reaction chamber has an uneven shape that repeats unevenness along the longitudinal direction of the reaction chamber, so that gas is introduced from one end of the reaction chamber, and the gas is introduced from the other end. When discharging more gas, a gas vortex is generated in the recessed portion of the inner wall of the reaction chamber, and this vortex converges on the four walls due to the action of viscosity. Therefore, even if foreign matter occurs on the lower surface of the reaction chamber, the foreign matter will be deposited in the recess and will not fly up when gas is introduced.

As a result, there is an effect that foreign matter does not adhere to the surface of the wafer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the reaction chamber used in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the reaction chamber shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the reaction chamber used in the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a reaction chamber used in conventional semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the reaction chamber shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the chamber. In the figure, 1 is a reaction chamber, 2 is a wafer, 4 is a reaction gas, 4a is a gas introduction side, 5 is an E ratio gas, and 5a is a gas discharge side. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a cylindrical reaction chamber that houses a wafer to be processed and performs desired processing on the wafer by introducing gas from one end and discharging the gas from the other end. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the reaction chamber is gradually reduced from the one end to the other end. (2) A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a cylindrical reaction chamber in which the wafer to be processed is housed on the lower surface of the inner wall, and the wafer is subjected to desired processing by introducing gas from one end and discharging the gas from the other end. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the lower surface of the inner wall of the reaction chamber has an uneven shape that repeats unevenness along the longitudinal direction of the reaction chamber.