JPH04124817A - Horizontal furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an apparatus for rotating a reaction tube without lowering the temperature of said tube, when the reaction tube is deformed by heat at the time of high temperature treatment, by equipping means for rotating the reaction tube. CONSTITUTION:A horizontal furnace for heating a reaction tube 1 by heater 3 to heat-treat an object in the reaction tube 1 is equipped with means for rotating the reaction tube 1. For example, the reaction tube 1 for accommodating the holding jig 7 of the object 6 such as semiconductor wafer is heated by the heater 3 and supported by a roller 5 built in a block 4. Also, the part of the reaction tube 1 coming in contact with the roller 5 is thicker than other parts and non-slip means are formed at the circumference of the reaction tube 1 held by the roller 5 and on the surface of the roller 5 so that one of rollers 5 is rotated by driver and the weight of the reaction tube 1 is applied to the roller 5. Therefore, the reaction tube 1 can be rotated by the rotation of the roller 5.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding an improvement to prevent deformation of a reaction tube of a horizontal heat treatment furnace for heat treating a workpiece at high temperature, if the reaction tube is deformed due to heat during high temperature treatment, the temperature of the reaction tube will be reduced. The purpose of this horizontal heat treatment furnace is to provide a horizontal heat treatment furnace in which a reaction tube can be rotated without reducing the reaction temperature, the reaction tube is heated by a heater, and the material to be treated in the reaction tube is heat treated. The tube is configured to include means for rotating the tube.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an improvement for preventing deformation of a reaction tube of a horizontal heat treatment furnace for heat treating objects to be treated at high temperatures.

In the manufacturing process of recent semiconductor devices, there is a process in which objects to be processed are treated at high temperatures, and if the reaction tube deforms in the heat treatment furnace used for this process, the jig that holds the object to be processed must be moved in and out of the reaction tube. During this process, this jig comes into contact with the inner wall of the reaction tube, generating dust.

Under the above circumstances, there is a need for a horizontal heat treatment furnace that can prevent reaction tubes from being deformed by heat during high-temperature treatment.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional horizontal heat treatment furnace will be explained in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the schematic structure of a conventional horizontal heat treatment furnace.

As shown in the figure, a reaction tube 11 containing a holding jig 7 for a workpiece 6, such as a semiconductor tool, is heated by a heater 13 and supported by a block 14.

This reaction tube 11 is provided with a joint 11a at one end, and the gas supplied into the reaction tube 11 is supplied to this joint 11a.
The gas is supplied through a gas supply pipe 12 having a joint 12a that is in close contact with the gas.

Such a horizontal heat treatment furnace is used to perform high-temperature treatment of the workpiece 6 in the semiconductor device manufacturing process, but if the perfectly round reaction tube 11 is exposed to high temperature for a long time, the reaction tube 11 will become flat in the vertical direction. It is deformed in shape.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional horizontal heat treatment furnace described above, when processing the workpiece at high temperature, the reaction tube is deformed due to high temperature heating, and when the jig that holds the workpiece is moved in and out of the reaction tube, There is a problem in that this jig comes into contact with the inner wall of the reaction tube, generating dust, and in order to restore the deformation of the reaction tube, the temperature of the reaction tube must be lowered and the reaction tube must be rotated. There was a problem.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a horizontal heat treatment furnace that can rotate a reaction tube without reducing the temperature of the reaction tube when the reaction tube is deformed by heat during high-temperature treatment. It is something.

[Means to solve the problem]

The horizontal heat treatment furnace of the present invention is a horizontal heat treatment furnace that heats a reaction tube with a heater and heat-treats the object to be treated within the reaction tube, and is configured to include means for rotating the reaction tube.

[Effect]

That is, in the present invention, since a means for rotating the reaction tube of the horizontal heat treatment furnace is provided, thermal deformation of the reaction tube due to high temperature can be prevented.
It becomes possible to restore the temperature by rotating the reaction tube without lowering the temperature of the reaction tube.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A horizontal heat treatment furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a horizontal heat treatment furnace according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, a reaction tube 1 containing a holding jig 7 for an object 6 to be processed, such as a semiconductor wafer, is heated by a heater 3 and supported by rollers 5 built into a block 4.

This reaction tube l is provided with a joint part 1a at one end,
Gas is supplied into the reaction tube 1 through a gas supply pipe 2 having a joint 2a that is in close contact with this joint 1a.

The reaction tube 1 supported by the roller 5 of the present invention has a wall thickness thicker at the contact part with the roller 5 than other parts, as shown in the AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 1(b). The periphery of the reaction tube 1 held by the rollers 5 and the surface of the rollers 5 are provided with anti-slip means, such as frosted glass or grooved knurling.

20 One of the rollers 5 is rotated by a drive device (not shown), and since the weight of the reaction tube 1 is applied to the roller 5, the reaction tube 1 can be rotated by the rotation of the roller 5.

When the object to be processed 6 in the reaction tube 1 is heated to a high temperature, the material forming the reaction tube 1, for example, quartz, is softened by this heat, and the perfectly circular reaction tube 1 becomes flat, and the object housed therein becomes flat. A problem occurs in which the holding jig 7 for the object to be processed 6 and the inner wall of the reaction tube 1 rub against each other and dust is generated, but in the present invention, the holding jig 7 is taken out and the next holding jig 7 is inserted. In the meantime, the roller 5 supporting the reaction tube 1 is rotated by a drive device (not shown) without turning off the power to the heater 3 and reducing the temperature of the reaction tube 1, and the roller 5 formed on the surface of the roller 5 is rotated by a drive device (not shown). The anti-slip means makes it possible to correct the flatness of the reaction tube 1 by rotating the reaction tube 1 by 90 degrees.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, it is possible to rotate the reaction tube without lowering the temperature of the reaction tube by improving the extremely simple structure. It has the advantage that it can be used in an undeformed state, and it becomes possible to provide a horizontal heat treatment furnace that can be expected to significantly improve reliability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a horizontal heat treatment furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of a conventional horizontal heat treatment furnace. In the figure, ■ is the reaction tube, 1a is the joint, 2 is the gas supply pipe, 2a is the joint, 3 is the heater, 4 is the block, 5 is the roller, 6 is the object to be processed, and 7 is the holding jig. . ta+ Side sectional view bl A sectional view Diagram showing a horizontal heat treatment furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention Bottom figure Side sectional view showing the schematic structure of a conventional horizontal heat treatment furnace

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A horizontal heat treatment furnace for heating a reaction tube (1) with a heater (3) and heat-treating a workpiece (6) in the reaction tube (1), the reaction tube (1) A horizontal heat treatment furnace characterized by comprising means for rotating the furnace.