WO2007081185A1

WO2007081185A1 - Heating apparatus for batch type reaction chamber

Info

Publication number: WO2007081185A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/000244
Authority: WO
Inventors: Taek-Yong Jang; Byung-Il Lee; Young-Ho Lee
Original assignee: Terasemicon Corporation
Priority date: 2006-01-16
Filing date: 2007-01-15
Publication date: 2007-07-19
Also published as: TW200737288A; TWI334159B; KR20070075770A; CN100594589C; KR100800504B1; CN101371342A

Abstract

A heating apparatus for a batch-type reaction chamber, in which a heater party including a plurality of heaters is arranged repeatedly along with a circumference of the reaction chamber, wherein each of the heaters has a temperature controlling part, a voltage applying line and a pair of a first and a second heating units, the pair of the first and the second heating units being separated from each other and serving as heating bodies for the reaction chamber and wherein the sum of the length of each pair of the first and the second heating units is fixed, each of the first heating units not having a same length and each of the second heating units not having a same, is provided.

Description

HEATING APPARATUS FOR BATCH TYPE REACTION

CHAMBER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a heating apparatus; and, more particularly, to a heating apparatus for a batch type reaction chamber adopting a heater for rapid thermal processing (RTP), capable of controlling a temperature in the reaction chamber with ease and establishing a uniform distribution of the temperature in the reaction chamber, by forming a different heating area having a different temperature for an upper and a lower processing spaces in the reaction chamber. Background Art

[2] In general, a process for manufacturing a semiconductor or a flat panel display, e.g., a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) and the like, includes a plurality of heat treatment processes. For example, a thin film deposition process, an activation process or a crystallization process includes the heat treatment process as a unit process. A widely used method for forming a thin film is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD), in which a product generated by reacting gaseous chemical compounds on a surface of heated basic material is deposited on the surface. In particular, the CVD process is a very important unit process included in the process for manufacturing the semiconductor, the flat panel display, e.g., the LCD, the PDP and the like.

[3] Fig. 1 shows a batch type CVD apparatus, e.g., a semiconductor manufacturing device for depositing a silicon thin film on a substrate, wherein a plurality of the substrates are processed. The microstructure of the thin films and the growth thereof are determined by nuclear generation and surface diffusion, affected by a substrate temperature, a reactor pressure and gas composition and varied by a heat treatment or subsequent processes.

[4] The semiconductor manufacturing device includes a reaction chamber 1 for providing a processing space; a heating device 2 for establishing a heat treatment environment in the reaction chamber 1 ; and a gas supplying device (not shown) for supplying source gas. Moreover, since corrosive and poisonous gases are used, the CVD apparatus includes a gas exhausting device having a cold trap, a scrubber or the like and a transfer device for maintaining cleanliness in the processing space. Furthermore, a batch type boat 3 for loading a plurality of semiconductor wafers 100 thereon includes a lifting device 4 for introducing the plurality of wafers 100 into the reaction chamber 1. In addition, an end effector 5 functions as a transfer device for loading/unloading the wafers 100 between the batch type boat 3 and a station.

[5] In the meantime, a Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) heater may be used for the heating device 2 in order to achieve the rapidness of a process or perform continuously other heat treatment processes in the reaction chamber 1.

[6] Graphite, Kanthal or ceramics is used as a heating resistor of the heating device 2.

Moreover, the heating device 2 cannot have a shape of a coil such as an electric heater by its molding properties, but is composed of a plurality of rod-shaped heating units 6 arranged in a longitudinal direction by dividing a columnar geometry of the reaction chamber 1.

[7] However, such a heating unit 6 has a drawback in that it is difficult to control a temperature and to establish the uniform distribution of the temperature throughout the processing space. Since both the thermal decomposition temperature of the source gas and the temperature of the wafers 100 are important factors affecting not only a film formation rate or a particle generation rate but also the product or the microstructure, the temperature should be controlled with more accuracy by the heating device 2.

[8] The temperature, affected by radiation and convection of the heat, should be established uniformly throughout the reaction chamber 1 for a heat treatment process.

[9] Since the volume of the batch type processing space is many times larger than that of single type processing space, it is necessary to carry out the temperature control for every sector, i.e., an upper and a lower processing spaces in order to establish a uniform temperature distribution in the batch type processing space. In detail, the upper reaction chamber is required to be heated up to temperatures lower than those at the lower reaction chamber to compensate a temperature distribution due to the heat convection, thereby establishing the uniform distribution of the temperature throughout the reaction chamber 1. Substantially, the coil type electric heater includes a heating unit, i.e., a heating coil whose upper and lower parts are divided to control the temperature for the upper and the lower reaction chambers respectively, thereby establishing the uniform distribution of the temperature throughout the reaction chamber 1.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[10] However, since the rod- shaped heating unit for the RTP is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the reaction chamber, it is difficult to establish a different heating temperature for each sector of the entire processing space, i.e., the upper and the lower sectors, resulting in the degradation in a plurality of unit processes for the heat treatments. Technical Solution [11] It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus for a batch type reaction chamber adopting a heater for Rapid thermal processing (RTP), capable of controlling a temperature in the reaction chamber with ease and establishing a uniform distribution of the temperature in the reaction chamber, by forming a different heating area having a different temperature for an upper and a lower processing spaces in the reaction chamber.

Advantageous Effects

[12] In accordance with the present invention, a heating apparatus for a batch type reaction chamber adopting a heater for the RTP is provided with a plurality of heating units divided into upper portions and lower portions for an upper and a lower processing spaces of the reaction chamber respectively, the location of the boundary on the longitudinal axis between the upper portions and the lower portions being varied, thereby controlling the temperature of the upper and the lower processing spaces and establishing a uniform distribution of the temperature throughout the chamber. Brief Description of the Drawings

[13] The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[14] Fig. 1 illustrates a semiconductor manufacturing system executing heat treatments;

[15] Fig. 2 depicts an external appearance of a heating apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and

[16] Fig. 3 presents the heating apparatus in a concrete way in accordance with the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[17] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described herein in connection with one embodiment may be implemented within other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual elements within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, appropriately interpreted, along with the full range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled. In the drawings, like numerals refer to the same or similar functionality throughout the several views.

[18] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating apparatus for a batch-type reaction chamber, in which a heater party including a plurality of heaters is arranged repeatedly along with a circumference of the reaction chamber, wherein each of the heaters has a temperature controlling part, a voltage applying line and a pair of a first and a second heating units, the pair of the first and the second heating units being separated from each other and serving as heating bodies for the reaction chamber; and wherein the sum of the length of each pair of the first and the second heating units is fixed, each of the first heating units not having a same length and each of the second heating units not having a same length.

[19] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating method for a batch-type reaction chamber, in which a heater party including a plurality of heaters is arranged repeatedly along with a circumference of the reaction chamber, wherein each of heaters has a temperature controlling part, a voltage applying line and a pair of a first and a second heating units, the pair of the first and the second heating units being separated from each other and serving as heating bodies for the reaction chamber; and wherein the sum of the length of each pair of the first and the second heating units is fixed, each of the first heating units not having a same length and each of the second heating units not having a same length, the method comprising the step of: controlling a temperature in the reaction chamber by adjusting heat generated from each of the first and the second heating units respectively. Mode for the Invention

[20] The present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[21] Fig. 2 depicts an external appearance of a heating apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 3 presents the heating apparatus in a concrete way in accordance with the present invention.

[22] As described above, the heating apparatus, capable of controlling a temperature respectively for an upper and a lower reaction chambers, is installed in a batch-type reaction chamber 1 in accordance with the present invention.

[23] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a plurality of heating units 12 divided into upper portions and lower portions for providing heat to an upper and a lower processing spaces respectively. The heating units 12 are arranged along with a circumference of the reaction chamber 1 including the upper and the lower proc essing spaces to provide heat to the reaction chamber 1. An upper and a lower portions of the heating unit 12 are integrated to form a heater 14. The upper and the lower portions of the heating unit 12 have an independent applying line and a temperature controlling device 10, thereby providing a different temperature, i.e., a different caloric value, for the upper and the lower processing spaces. Furthermore, the heaters 14 are arranged along with the circumference of the reaction chamber 1 to form a heater group 16, while the location of the boundary on the longitudinal axis between the upper and the lower portions is varied (i.e., a different stage).

[24] As shown in Fig. 3, the heating units 12 have the upper portions with types of Hl,

H2, H3 and the lower portions with types of Hl', H2', H3', which are repeated in regular sequence along the circumference of the reaction chamber 1 to form the heater group 16. Since the identical heating area, e.g., Tl, T2, T3, is allotted to the identical type, it is desirable to couple the identical types to share the applying lines and the temperature controlling devices. Referring to Fig. 3, the heater group 16 is composed of three heating parties, which include three heaters 14, i.e., three pairs of heating units 12 respectively, three pairs of heating units 12 providing heat to three heating areas Tl, T2 and T3. However, the numbers of pairs of heating units 12 and the heating parties may be varied and determined experimentally depending on the volume of the entire processing space as well as the caloric value, the size of the heating unit and the like.

[25] Meanwhile, the heating units 12 are provided with a form of 'U"in order to keep the applying lines and the ground line away from the heating areas. Moreover, a horizontal part of the "U"- shaped heating units may be an additional heating section 20 for providing additional heat, as shown in Fig. 3.

[26] The heater group 16 may control the temperatures of the heating areas, e.g., Tl, T2,

T3, by using a temperature controlling device. For example, since the heat may be concentrated on the upper processing space of the batch type reaction chamber 1 as described above, the heating temperature should be established to satisfy inequalities: Tl < T2 < T3. In order to satisfy the inequalities, the temperature of the Hl should be decreased and the temperature of the H3'should be increased, thereby establishing the uniform distribution of the temperature throughout the reaction chamber 1.

[27] Further, the control of the temperature in the reaction chamber 1 may be carried out by a control unit. The control of the temperature may be achieved by preparing a temperature sensor in the heating areas, connecting the temperature sensor functioning as a detecting means to an input port of the control unit, where a temperature control box is installed for performing a feedback procedure depending on the established temperature in the reaction chamber 1 to uniformize the temperature of each heating area, and connecting an output port of the control unit having the temperature control box to the temperature controlling device of each heating unit 12. In order to achieve the feedback procedure, the heating unit may be driven to set up a proper range of the temperature, and the temperature controlling device may be controlled to maintain the proper range of the temperature.

[28] While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

[1] A heating apparatus for a batch-type reaction chamber, in which a heater party including a plurality of heaters is arranged repeatedly along with a circumference of the reaction chamber, wherein each of the heaters has a temperature controlling part, a voltage applying line and a pair of a first and a second heating units, the pair of the first and the second heating units being separated from each other and serving as heating bodies for the reaction chamber; and wherein the sum of the length of each pair of the first and the second heating units is fixed, each of the first heating units not having a same length and each of the second heating units not having a same length.

[2] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first heating units having the same length shares the temperature controlling part and the voltage applying line; and wherein each of the second heating units having the same length shares the temperature controlling part and the voltage applying line.

[3] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second heating units has a shape of "U".

[4] A heating method for a batch-type reaction chamber, in which a heater party including a plurality of heaters is arranged repeatedly along with a circumference of the reaction chamber, wherein each of heaters has a temperature controlling part, a voltage applying line and a pair of a first and a second heating units, the pair of the first and the second heating units being separated from each other and serving as heating bodies for the reaction chamber; and wherein the sum of the length of each pair of the first and the second heating units is fixed, each of the first heating units not having a same length and each of the second heating units not having a same length, the method comprising the step of: controlling a temperature in the reaction chamber by adjusting heat generated from each of the first and the second heating units respectively.