JPH05166819A - Wafer heat treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a wafer heat treatment device which attains a rise in the operation rate of the wafer heat treatment device and shortens its down time by replacing a heat treatment tube without lowering the temperature. CONSTITUTION:This wafer heat treatment device comprises a gas treatment box 10 where a wafer 1 is charged and a controlled gas is introduced from a gas system 7 and a heat treatment tube 9 where the gas treatment box 10 is inserted from an insertion opening 9a and the wafer 1 is heat-treated by a heater 6 in such a fashion that its heating state may be controlled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer heat treatment apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a conventional example of a wafer heat treatment apparatus. In this figure, 1 is a wafer to be heat-treated, 2 is a boat on which the wafer 1 is placed, 3 is a tube made of quartz or SiC, 3 a is an insertion port of the tube 3, 4 is the wafer 1 in the tube 3. Fork for inserting the boat 2 therein, 5 is a cap for sealing the tube 3, 6 is a heater for controlling the temperature, and resistance heating, high frequency heating or the like is used.
Reference numeral 7 is a gas system for introducing a specific gas into the tube 3 and maintaining it in a gas atmosphere, and 8 is an exhaust system for discharging the gas in the tube 3.

Next, the operation will be described. The wafer 1 is placed on the boat 2 and then inserted into the tube 3 from the insertion opening 3 a by the fork 4. At this time, the cap 5 is the tube 3
It is designed to automatically cover the lid. Also,
The necessary gas is automatically introduced into the tube 3 from the gas system 7 to heat the wafer 1. After the heat treatment is completed, the fork 4 pulls out the boat 2 on which the wafer 1 is mounted. At this time, the cap 5 is automatically removed. In addition, since the tube 3 is fixed to the heater 6 due to the structure of the heat treatment apparatus, the temperature of the heater 6 should be lowered after regular cleaning of the tube 6, replacement of the tube 6 when it reaches the end of its life, or when the application is changed by changing the product type. I was going.

[0004]

Since the conventional wafer heat treatment apparatus is constructed as described above, the tube 3 is used.
Since the tube 3 is exchanged after the temperature of the tube 3 is lowered, there is a problem that the exchange requires a long time and the tube cannot be used during that time. In addition, there is a problem that it is not possible to easily change the intended use of the wafer heat treatment apparatus.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a heat treatment tube can be replaced and cleaned without lowering the temperature of the heater, and the application can be easily changed by changing the product type. The purpose is to obtain a heat treatment apparatus of.

[0006]

A wafer heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention includes a gas processing box in which a wafer is loaded and a gas controlled by a gas system is introduced, and the gas processing box is provided from at least one direction. The heat treatment tube is provided with an insertion port for inserting and heat-treats a wafer at a temperature controlled by a heater.

[0007]

Since the wafer heat treatment apparatus of the present invention inserts the wafer into the gas treatment box into which the gas is introduced, the temperature of the heater can be controlled even when the heat treatment tube is replaced, washed, or the application is changed by changing the product type. Easy to do without lowering.

[0008]

1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 denote the same parts, 9 is a heat treatment tube for heat treating the wafer 1, 9a is an insertion port formed in one direction of the heat treatment tube 9, and 10 is the wafer 1 A gas processing box in which gas processing is performed is configured so that the boat 2 on which the wafer 1 is mounted can be taken in and out, but details thereof are not shown. Reference numeral 11 is a cap for sealing the insertion opening 9a, and 12 is an exhaust system.

Next, the operation will be described. The boat 2 on which the wafer 1 is placed is inserted into the gas processing box 10, the gas from the gas system 7 is introduced and kept in the gas atmosphere, and then the gas processing box 10 is heated by the fork 4 to the heater 6
Then, the wafer 1 is heat-treated by being inserted into the heat treatment tube 9 whose temperature is controlled. Further, in order to further stabilize the temperature, the insertion port 9a of the heat treatment tube 9 is sealed with the cap 11 and heat treatment is performed. The flow rate of each gas from the gas system 7 to the gas processing box 10, the control of the gas exhaust amount by the exhaust system 12, and the temperature control of the heat treatment tube 9 by the heater 6 can be automatically controlled. There is. Next, after the heat treatment is completed, the gas treatment box 10 is taken out from the heat treatment tube 9 with the fork 4. At this time, the cap 11 is automatically opened.

The wafer heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is
Because of the above-described configuration, when the heat treatment tube 9 is replaced, washed, or the application is changed by changing the product type, it is only necessary to replace the gas processing box 10 and the boat 2, so that it is necessary to lower the temperature of the heater 6. Absent.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the gas treatment box 10 is inserted into and removed from the heat treatment tube 9 only from one direction, but as shown in the second embodiment shown in FIG. The gas treatment boxes 10 may be structured so that they can be individually taken in and out from both directions of the insertion ports 13a and 13b formed on both sides of the heat treatment tube 13. At this time, a plurality of gas treatment boxes 10 having different purposes can be used in combination. Further, in changing the application, the gas system 7 and the exhaust system 12 are changed,
For example, exclusive exhaust, by attaching a vacuum pump to the exhaust, HCl oxidation, low pressure oxidation, deposition, LPCVD
It is also possible to change etc. Further, the heat treatment tube 9 is in a closed state for the purpose of temperature stability and heat release prevention, but it may be in an open state. Further, in the above embodiment, the case of the horizontal heat treatment apparatus in which the gas treatment box 10 is moved in the horizontal direction is shown, but a vertical heat treatment apparatus in which the gas treatment box 10 is moved in the vertical direction may be used.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, a gas processing box in which a wafer is loaded and a gas controlled by a gas system is introduced, and an insertion port for inserting the gas processing box from at least one direction. Since the heat treatment tube is formed and heat-treats the wafer at the temperature controlled by the heater, downtime such as regular cleaning and replacement of the heat treatment tube can be shortened, and the use application can be easily changed. effective.

If the gas treatment box can be inserted and removed from both sides of the heat treatment tube,
There is an advantage that gas treatment boxes having different applications can be used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional example of a wafer heat treatment apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Wafer 2 Boat 6 Heater 7 Gas System 9 Heat Treatment Tube 9a Insertion Port 10 Gas Processing Box 11 Cap 12 Exhaust System 13 Heat Treatment Tube 13a Insertion Port 13b Insertion Port

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A gas processing box into which a wafer is loaded and a gas controlled by a gas system is introduced,
An apparatus for heat treating a wafer, comprising: a heat treatment tube having an insertion port for inserting the gas treatment box from at least one direction and performing heat treatment of the wafer at a temperature controlled by a heater.