JPS5939341A - Apparatus for heat treatment of thin plate shaped object to be treated - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten a heat treating time, by a method wherein a chamber is arranged in a main body and a heating member is arranged to the outer periphery of the chamber to perform the automation of heat treatment. CONSTITUTION:A cylindrical plasma generating chamber 2 comprising quartz is arranged in a main body 1 so as to direct the axis of the chamber 2 to a vetical direction. An electrode plate is fixed to the periphery of the chamber 2 while a high frequency power source 4 is arranged in the main body 1 and high frequency waves are applied to generate plasma in the main body 1. In addition, a projected part 5 is integrally formed to the front lower half surface part of the main body 1 and a various kind of buttons 7... are provided to the upper surface of the projected part 5 while casettes 9, 9 capable of accommodating semiconductor wafers 8 being thin plate shaped objects to be treated are arranged to the left and the right parts of the upper surface 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves heating a semiconductor sea urchin, etc.
chemical vapor deposition
) It relates to an apparatus that performs heat curing or diffusion treatment.

In CVD, a mixed reaction gas containing elements for film formation is heated in advance in a reaction chamber and sent onto a substrate, and the desired film is formed using a thermochemical reaction on the substrate.CVD is a low-pressure process. It has come to be carried out under plasma conditions or plasma conditions. For this reason, recently, an apparatus has been provided in which a heating coil is wound around a chamber whose interior is kept at a reduced pressure and in which a -0) electrode for plasma generation is arranged.

However, conventional equipment is inefficient because it heats the substrates and other objects to be processed one by one into the chamber, and the processing time is long (in short, the inside of the chamber after processing is Since the temperature may be high, extreme care must be taken when removing the phase to be treated.

Furthermore, if this is done automatically, the device itself will be large and the mechanism will be complicated. Therefore, a compact heat treatment apparatus that can automatically perform heat treatment is desired.

The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned needs, and its purpose is to automatically heat a large number of thin plate-like objects in a short time without having to do it manually, and to provide a compact heating method. To provide processing equipment.

(The heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention has a chamber arranged vertically in the apparatus main body, a heating member such as a high-frequency induction heating coil arranged around the chamber, and a plurality of heating members for the chamber. The gist is that a holder capable of holding a thin plate-shaped object to be processed can be inserted and removed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied as a plasma CVD apparatus. Inside the apparatus main body 1, which is approximately box-shaped, there is a cylindrical plasma generation chamber made of quartz. 2 in the vertical direction, that is, chamber 2
This chamber 2 is arranged so that its axis is in the vertical direction.
The upper end is closed and the lower end is open, and a high frequency induction heating coil 3, which is a heating member, is wound around the outer periphery. An electrode plate (not shown) is fixed around the chamber 2, and a high frequency power source 4 is provided within the main body 1, so that plasma is generated within the chamber 2 by applying high frequency waves.

Further, a projecting portion 5 is integrally formed on the lower front half of the main body 1, and various operation buttons 7 are provided on the upper surface 6 of the projecting portion 5.
..., and storage cassettes 9.9 capable of storing 25 semiconductor wafers 8, which are thin plate-shaped objects to be processed, are arranged on the left and right sides of the upper surface 6.

As shown in the internal structure diagram in FIG. 2, this storage cassette 9 consists of two plates 9a made of aluminum or Teflon.
, 9a facing each other and their upper ends connected by rods 10° 10.The lower end of the plate body 9a is placed on a plate-shaped support member 11, and as the support member 11 moves up and down, the storage cassette 9 moves upward. It is made to move up and down with respect to the overhanging part 5 through a hole 12 formed in 6.

Further, an opening 13 extending in the left-right direction is formed in the upper surface 6 of the projecting portion 5, and a pair of endless bells 14, 14, which are a pair of conveying members, are disposed within this opening 13. The base portion 14a of the endless belt 14 is located below the storage cassette 9, and the tip portions 14b of each endless belt 14 are spaced apart from each other and vibrate in opposition to each other. The upper surface of the endless belt 14 is located slightly above the upper surface 6 of the overhanging portion 5, so that when the storage cassette 9 is lowered, the lowest wafer 8 is placed on the endless belt 14.

Further, a sealing port 15 is formed extending from the center of the opening 13 into the apparatus main body 1, and a cylinder unit 16 is formed in this opening 15.
The base of an elevating member 170 that can be moved up and down by the above is exposed. This elevating member 17 is arranged such that its upper surface is located slightly below the upper surface of the endless belt 14 when the cylinder unit 16 is retracted.A window 18 is formed at the base of the elevating member 17. In this window 18, rollers 19 are provided for easily transferring the wafer 8 onto the elevating member 17, and furthermore, on both sides of the elevating member 1γ, the sea urchin that has been transferred to the base of the elevating member 17 is placed first. An endless belt 20 is provided for transporting the materials to other parts.

An arm member 21 is provided on the outside of the endless belt 20. This arm member 21 has a rod-shaped portion 21a extending from the upper end of its base, and is movable on guide rails 23 by casters 22 attached to the lower end of the base.

On the other hand, two guide rods 24.24 are erected on the bottom surface of the main body 1, and the lid 25 of the plasma generation chamber 2 is slidably inserted into the guide rods 24.24. A rod 26 having a threaded portion is threadedly inserted into the lid body 25, and by rotating this rod 26 with a motor 27, the lid body 25 moves up and down along the guide rods 24, 24. There is.

A sea urchin holder 28 is provided upright on the upper surface of the lid 25. The holder 28 is made up of four pillars 29 and a rod 30 that connects the upper ends of these pillars 29, and the holder 28 is shaped like a trapezoid when viewed from above. There is. A plurality of grooves 31 (50 in this embodiment) are bored in the pillars 29 at equal intervals in the vertical direction, and the end of the sea urchin -8 is fitted into the grooves 31. I'm trying to lock it.

In the above process, first, the left cassette 9 containing 25 wafers 8 is lowered slightly, and the lowest wafer among the wafers 8 stored in the cassette 9 is placed on the endless belt 14. I'll put it on. Then, the wafer 8 is sent out onto the lifting member 17 by the endless belt 14. At this time, the cylinder unit 16 is actuated by the limit switch, the elevating member 17 rises, and the endless belt 20 transports the sea urchin...-8 to the tip of the elevating member 17.

When the wafer 8 reaches the tip of the lifting member 17, the limit switch stops driving the endless belt 20.
The elevating member 17 descends to its original position. Then, Ueno-8 transfers to the tip of the arm member 21°21.

Next, the arm member 21.degree. 21 moves toward the Ueno holder 28 and locks the urchin in the groove 31 formed in the column 29 of the holder 28. In this case, the holder 28 is at the lowest position, and the first Ueno-8 is placed on the holder 28.
so that it is kept at the top of the page.

Next, the motor 27 is driven to raise the holding body 28 by one step, that is, by one interval of the groove portion 31.

Then, the sea urchin .

Thereafter, the left cassette 9 is further lowered by one stage to feed out the second sheet of ueno, which is held in the groove of the second stage of the holder 28 by the same operation as described above. Then repeat this operation until the wafer 8 in the cassette 9 on the left
After all (25 wafers) of... are held in the holder 28, the same operation is performed for the right cassette 9 to hold a total of 50 wafers 8... in the holder 28. .

Next, the motor 27 is driven to house the holder 28 in the chamber 2, and the lid 25 closes the chamber 2.
Close the bottom opening. Thereafter, plasma is generated in the chamber 2 by the high frequency power source 4, and the wafer 8, which is the object to be processed, is heated by the high frequency induction heating coil 3.
Then, plasma CVD treatment is performed.

After this, the chamber 2 is
The processed ueno-8... is returned to the cassette 9 one by one.

3 to 6 show another embodiment, and the same members as in the previous embodiment are given the same numbers.

That is, a chamber 2 is arranged in the vertical direction in the main body 1 of the apparatus.
A high frequency induction heating coil 3 is wound around the chamber 2. A high-frequency power source 4 is installed in the main body 1, and an electrode plate is operated to generate plasma within the channel (-2).

Further, a projecting portion 5 is formed on the front surface of the main body 1, and a support plate 32 is fixed to the inside of the main body 1.
Brackets 33, 33 are attached to the upper and lower ends of 2, and a rod 34 having a threaded portion formed between these brackets 33, 33 is supported so as to be rotated by a motor.

A support stand 35 is screwed onto the rod 34, and as the rod 34 rotates, the support stand J5 moves up and down along a guide rod (not shown). and support stand 35
A lid body 25 similar to that of the previous embodiment is provided, and a holder 28 for sea urchins is erected on the upper surface of this lid body 25.

In addition, a support plate 36 is horizontally installed in the center of the main body 1, and a pair of rotary plates 37, 37 are provided on the left and right sides of the upper surface of the support plate 36.
A cassette 9 for storing Ueno is placed on the tip of the rotary plate 37.37.

And, below the rotary plate 37, a sounding material 38 is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the transfer member 38 & The angle piece 390
SI 1 non-dani knit 410 with the base self-installed inside the main body 1
Fix it to the rod 42.

On the other hand, the cylinder unit 41 is fixed to a support stand 44 which is slidably inserted into guide rods 43 and 43 installed in the front and back +oJ in the main body 1, and the support stand 44 is guided by the cylinder unit 45, o T) The transfer member 38 is moved up and down by the operation of the cylinder unit 41σ, and moved backward by the movement of the cylinder unit 45. It has become.

In the above, the plate 9a of the cassette 9 with 9 J sets (-, 8・'Y housed -) is placed on the rotary plate 37 so as to be parallel to the =1 plane of the main body 1, and the 4th The state is as shown in the figure.Next, drive the motor and make a lot.

34 is rotated, and the support base 35, the lid body 25, and the holding body 28 are lowered together and positioned at the lowest end.

At the same time, one rotary plate 37 is rotated approximately 90 degrees to position the cassette 9 near the upper part of the holder 28.

Next, the cylinder unit 41 is operated to transfer the transfer member 3.
8, and the tongue-shaped piece 40 of the transfer member 38...
each stops at a height located between the wafers 8 stored in the cassette 9. This state is shown in FIG.

Next, the cylinder unit 45 is activated to move the transfer member to the right in the figure. Then, each tongue-like piece 40・
... will be inserted between Ueno -8.... When this state is reached, the operation of the cylinder 45 is stopped, the cylinder unit 41 is operated again, and the transfer member 38 is slightly raised. Then, the tongue-like piece 40...
・will lift up the sea urchin...-8... in the cassette 9.

Then, once Ueno-8 is placed on the tongue-shaped piece 40, the operation of the cylinder unit 41 is stopped, and the cylinder unit 45 is activated again.

Then, the sea urchins... Sea urchins...-8... are held by the holding body 28 at the same time.
It will be locked in. After this ShilJy Dani Knit 4
By activating 1.45V, the transfer member 38 is returned to its original position. Then, by performing the same operation as above on the wafers in the cassette 9 placed on the other rotary plate 37, two cassettes (for example, 50 wafers) are stored in the holder 28.
The wafer 8 is held.

From this state, the rod 34Y is further rotated, and the support base 35 is raised until the lid 25 closes the lower end opening of the chamber 2.The holder 28 is thereby loaded into the sealed chamber 2 while holding the wafer 8. It will be done.

In this state, plasma is generated in the chamber 2 by the high frequency power supply 4, and by the high frequency induction coil 3,
Ueno-8 in chamber 2 is subjected to plasma CVD treatment.

Once this process has been completed, half of the wafers 8 in the chamber 2 are transferred to the cassette 9 by the reverse operation.
The process is complete.

It should be noted that what has been shown above is merely an example of the implementation of the present invention.
The heating member wound around the chamber 2 is not limited to a high frequency induction heating coil, but may also be a resistance heating coil, a heating lamp, or the like. In addition, in the embodiment, plasma CV
Although the apparatus 7 according to the present invention is shown for the D treatment, it goes without saying that the apparatus according to the present invention can also be used for thermosetting or diffusion treatment of a thin plate-shaped workpiece.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since the chamber is arranged vertically, it is possible to achieve compactness, and since a large number of objects to be processed can be processed simultaneously in the chamber, the processing The time can be greatly shortened, and the work efficiency is improved compared to conventional manual work since the workpieces are automatically fed to and taken out from the workpiece holder. At the same time, the risk of damaging the object to be processed is reduced, and the product yield is greatly improved, among other effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the heat treatment apparatus, and FIG. The figure is a front view of another embodiment, FIG. 4 is a side view showing the internal structure of the same embodiment, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the transfer member, and FIG. 6 is a side view explaining the operation of the same embodiment. It is a diagram. In the drawings, 1 is the main body of the apparatus, 2 is the channo (-13 is the heating member, 8 is the thin plate-shaped object to be processed, and 28 is the holding body. Patent applicant: Tokyo Denshi Kagaku Co., Ltd., agent, patent attorney, 2) Partial Patent Attorney Kuni Ohashi Production Volume Patent Attorney Kuni
Yama Yu Figure 2 Figure 4 No.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A chamber arranged vertically within the apparatus main body, a heating member arranged around the outer periphery of the chamber, and a holder capable of holding a plurality of thin plate-shaped objects to be processed and capable of being inserted into and removed from the chamber. A heat treatment apparatus for a thin plate-shaped object, comprising: