JPH11233447A - Structure of vertical surface treatment equipment for semiconductor substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent the surfaces of semiconductor substrates from reacting with oxygen at the time of heating in a state that concentration of oxygen left in a furnace core tube is high, by introducing inert gas in a hollow strut, and jetting the inert gas from nozzle holes arranged on the hollow strut. SOLUTION: A strut 11 is disposed upright to be hollow on the upper surface of a retaining table 9 which is attached on the upper surface of a lid plate 6 so as to protrude into a furnace core tube 1. Inert gas such as nitrogen gas is introduced in the furnace core tube 1 from a supplying port 15 arranged on the lid plate 6. Nozzle holes for jetting the inert gas to the surfaces of the respective semiconductor substrates 10 are bored on the hollow strut 11. The inert gas is jetted at the time of start of treatment, and the surfaces of the respective semiconductor substrates 10 are in the inert gas atmosphere. As a result, the surfaces of the respective semiconductor substrates 10 can be surely prevented from reacting with oxygen left in the furnace core tube 1 at the time of heating with a heating means 5, in the state that concentration of the residual oxygen in the furnace core tube 1 is high.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vertical surface for applying a surface treatment such as a polyimide baking treatment to a surface of a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer used for manufacturing a semiconductor chip. It relates to the structure of the processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a vertical surface treatment apparatus of this kind is provided with a heating means outside a vertical furnace tube having a lower end opened, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-29237. On the other hand, a cover plate for the opening at the lower end of the furnace tube is disposed below the furnace tube so as to move up and down, and a plurality of columns installed on the upper surface of the cover plate are covered with a plurality of columns. A large number of semiconductor substrates, which are to be processed, are mounted in a multi-stage manner, and each of the semiconductor substrates is inserted into the core tube by the upward movement of the lid plate. And in this state, a reaction gas is supplied into the furnace tube while each of the semiconductor substrates is heated by heating means.

[0003]

In a vertical surface treatment apparatus of this kind, when polyimide is baked, when exposed to a high-temperature atmosphere containing oxygen, the polyimide reacts with oxygen to reduce the film thickness. Occurs. Therefore, conventionally, at the start of the baking treatment of the polyimide, while the furnace tube is kept at a low temperature, a large number of semiconductor substrates are inserted into the furnace tube by the upward movement of the lid plate, and then the reaction is carried out in the furnace tube. By supplying a gas and heating the semiconductor substrates with heating means in a state where the oxygen concentration in the furnace tube is sufficiently lowered, it is possible to make the surface of each semiconductor substrate react with oxygen remaining in the furnace tube. I try to prevent it.

At the end of the baking process, the heating by the heating means and the supply of the reactant gas are stopped and the reactor is left as it is, so that the lid plate is moved down while the temperature in the furnace tube is sufficiently lowered. By taking out each semiconductor substrate from the furnace tube, the surface of each semiconductor substrate after the surface treatment is prevented from reacting with oxygen in the atmosphere.

That is, in the conventional vertical surface treatment apparatus, a long waiting time until the oxygen concentration in the furnace tube is sufficiently lowered at the start of the treatment, and a long waiting time until the temperature of the furnace tube is sufficiently lowered at the end of the treatment. Since the time required for one process becomes longer due to the need for waiting time, there is a problem that the work efficiency is low and the cost is increased.

An object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a vertical surface treatment apparatus capable of solving this problem.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above technical object, the present invention provides a method of disposing heating means outside a vertical furnace tube having an open lower end, while providing a heating device at a lower portion of the furnace tube. A cover plate for the opening at the lower end of the core tube is arranged so as to move up and down, and a plurality of columns are provided on the upper surface of the cover plate so that a large number of semiconductor substrates are mounted in a multi-stage manner. In the vertical surface treatment apparatus, at least one of the columns is configured as a hollow column, and an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is introduced into the column. The support column is provided with a nozzle hole for ejecting an inert gas to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. "

[0008]

In this configuration, at the start of the process, when a number of semiconductor substrates mounted on the pillars on the upper surface of the lid plate are inserted into the furnace tube by the upward movement of the lid plate, each pillar is By supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen gas into the hollow pillars and ejecting the inert gas from the nozzle holes to the surface of each semiconductor substrate, the surface of each semiconductor substrate becomes inert gas. Because it will be the atmosphere of
Even if heating is performed by the heating means in a state where the concentration of oxygen remaining in the furnace tube is high, it is possible to reliably prevent the surface of each semiconductor substrate from reacting with oxygen remaining in the furnace tube.

Also, at the end of the treatment, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is supplied into the hollow pillars of the pillars,
By ejecting an inert gas from a nozzle hole to the surface of each semiconductor substrate, the surface of each semiconductor substrate is
In addition to the inert gas atmosphere, each semiconductor substrate can be quickly and forcibly cooled by the inert gas, so that each semiconductor substrate in the furnace tube is moved downward by the lid plate while the temperature is not sufficiently lowered. Even when taken out of the furnace tube, the surface can be reliably prevented from reacting with oxygen in the atmosphere.

Therefore, according to the present invention, is it possible to reduce the waiting time until the oxygen concentration in the furnace tube falls sufficiently at the start of the treatment and the waiting time until the temperature of the furnace tube falls sufficiently at the end of the treatment? Alternatively, it can be omitted in some cases, and the time required for one processing can be greatly shortened. Therefore, the working efficiency is high and the cost can be significantly reduced.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In this figure, reference numeral 1 designates a furnace tube made of quartz and having a reaction gas supply port 2 provided at one end and an opening 3 provided at the other end.
Is vertically attached to the supporting member 4 with the opening 3 at the other end facing downward, and radiates infrared rays toward the inside of the furnace tube 1 outside the furnace tube 1. Heating means 5 is provided.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a quartz lid plate for the opening 3 at the lower end of the core tube 1. The lid plate 6 is moved by a lifting mechanism 7 to a position in contact with the lower end of the core tube 1 and the core. It is configured to move up and down between the tube 1 and a position largely separated downward, and the cover plate 6 is provided with a reaction gas outlet 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes a quartz support that is mounted on the upper surface of the cover plate 6 so as to protrude into the furnace tube 1, and a plurality of columns 11 erected on the upper surface of the support 9. The insertion grooves 11a of the semiconductor substrate 10 are provided at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction.
It is configured such that a large number of semiconductor substrates 10 are loaded in a multistage manner with respect to one.

Reference numerals 12, 13, and 14 denote a heat reflection film made of a glossy metal such as gold. Each of the columns 11 is formed in a hollow shape, and an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas is provided in the inside 11b of the supply port 1 provided in the cover plate 6.
5, while each of the hollow columns 11 is
The nozzle hole 11c for ejecting the inert gas toward the surface of each semiconductor substrate 10 is formed.

In this configuration, at the start of processing,
When a large number of semiconductor substrates 10 mounted on the support on the upper surface of the cover plate 6 are inserted into the furnace tube 1 by the upward movement of the cover plate 6, the inside 11 b of each hollow support 11 is not filled with nitrogen gas or the like. By supplying an active gas and ejecting an inert gas from the nozzle holes 11c to the surface of each of the semiconductor substrates 10, the surface of each of the semiconductor substrates 10 becomes an inert gas atmosphere. Even when heating is performed by the heating means 5 in a state where the oxygen concentration remaining in the furnace 1 is high, it is possible to reliably prevent the surface of each semiconductor substrate 10 from reacting with the oxygen remaining in the furnace tube 1.

At the end of the process, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is supplied into the interior 11b of each hollow column 11 so that the nozzle holes 1
By injecting the inert gas from 1c, the surface of each of the semiconductor substrates 10 becomes an atmosphere of the inert gas, and each semiconductor substrate 10 can be quickly and forcibly cooled by the inert gas. Even if each semiconductor substrate 10 in 1 is taken out of the furnace tube 1 by the downward movement of the cover plate 6 in a state where its temperature does not sufficiently fall, the surface thereof is
Reaction with oxygen in the atmosphere can be reliably prevented.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of columns 1
Although the case where all of 1 were hollow was shown, the present invention
The present invention is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that only a part of the plurality of pillars 11 may be hollow, and an inert gas may be ejected from the hollow pillar to the surface of each semiconductor substrate. No.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Furnace tube 2 Reactant gas supply port 3 Opening 5 Heating means 6 Cover plate 10 Semiconductor substrate 11 Column 11a Insertion groove of semiconductor substrate 11b Inside column 11c Nozzle hole 15 Inert gas supply port

Claims (1)

[Claims] A heating means is provided outside a vertical furnace tube having a lower end opened, and a lid plate for an opening at a lower end of the furnace tube is vertically moved below the furnace tube. A vertical surface treatment apparatus comprising a plurality of columns arranged so that a large number of semiconductor substrates are mounted in a multi-stage manner on the upper surface of the cover plate; The column is configured as a hollow column, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is introduced into the column, and an inert gas is jetted into the hollow column against the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A structure of a vertical surface treatment apparatus for a semiconductor substrate, wherein a nozzle hole is provided.