JPH0714795A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The atmosphere in the lower part of the furnace opening of the reaction furnace is replaced with an inert gas to make the gas concentration in the lower part of the furnace opening uniform. [Structure] A gas introducing device 4 is provided in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for carrying in and processing a semiconductor substrate 2 from a furnace opening 3 in a reaction furnace 1, and an atmosphere of a lower part 3D of the furnace opening is provided at a discharge opening of the gas introducing device 4. A gas pipe 6 having a large number of gas outlets 5 is connected to replace with an inert gas.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for carrying a semiconductor substrate into a reaction furnace through a furnace opening for processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view showing the configuration of an example as seen from the front side.
FIG. 4 is a simplified perspective view for explaining the configuration and operation of the main part of the conventional device as viewed from the back side of FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the main part of the conventional device. In FIGS. 2 and 3, 1 is a reactor having a heater 8 on the outside of the reaction tube, 9 is a boat which is carried in and out of the reactor 1 through a furnace port provided at the lower end of the reactor, and 2 is mounted on the boat 9. A large number of wafers, 10 are elevators for loading and unloading the boat 9, 11 is a clean unit, 12 is a cassette loader, 13 is a cassette shelf, 14 is a substrate transfer machine, and 3A is a sealing surface. Conventionally, a boat 2 in which a large number of wafers 2 are placed in a reaction tube 7 of a reaction furnace 1
Are loaded on the mounting table 10A of the elevator 10 and carried in, and the wafers 2 are collectively processed, for example, collectively film-formed. When the furnace lower part 3D is sealed and the inside is replaced with N ₂ gas, N ₂ gas is flowing in from the gas discharge pipe 6A of the gas introduction device 4 installed in the upper part of the clean unit 11. The inflowing N ₂ gas was cleaned by the clean unit 11 to the boat 9
It blows out to the side, passes through the circulation duct 16 from the elevator 10 room, and returns to the clean unit 11 again. After that, the boat 9 is moved downward by the elevator 10 and conveyed from the reaction tube 7.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the inert gas discharged from the gas discharge pipe 6A of the gas introduction device 4 does not uniformly flow into the clean unit 11 and the gas discharge pipe 6A is discharged. Since the inflow amount is different between the inflow upper part of the clean unit 11 and the inflow lower part farther from it, there is a difference in the concentration of the N ₂ gas flowing out from the outflow upper part and the outflow lower part of the clean unit 11, and gas replacement is performed at an even concentration. There is a problem that you cannot do it.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, the apparatus of the present invention is provided with a gas introducing device 4 in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for carrying a semiconductor substrate 2 into a reaction furnace 1 through a furnace port 3 for processing. The furnace inlet lower part 3 is provided at the discharge port of the gas introducing device 4.
A gas pipe 6 having a large number of gas outlets 5 is connected to replace the atmosphere of D with an inert gas.

[0005]

[Operation] With the lower part 3D of the furnace opening sealed, the gas introduction device 4 is driven, and the inert gas discharged from the gas introduction device 4 is simultaneously blown out from a large number of gas outlets 5 of the gas pipe 6 to clean unit 11. Of the clean unit 11 from the upper part to the lower part of the inflow, and from the upper part of the clean unit 11 to the lower part of the outflow.
This means that the gas can be replaced with an inert gas having a uniform gas concentration.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the structure and operation of the essential parts of an embodiment of the device of the present invention. In this embodiment, a gas introduction device 4 is arranged on the side of the reaction furnace 1 in the semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and two gas discharges connected to the discharge ports of the gas introduction device 4 are provided. The pipe 6A is connected to a gas pipe 6 having a large number of gas outlets 5 that open to the upper inlet and the lower inlet of the clean unit 11 in order to replace the atmosphere in the furnace lower portion 3D with N ₂ gas.

In the above structure, the gas introducing device 4 is driven while the lower part 3D of the furnace opening is hermetically closed.
The inert gas to be discharged further is composed of two gas discharge pipes 6A and a large number of gas outlets 5 of the gas pipe 6 connected to these.
Uniformly flows up to the inflow lower from the inflow top of the clean unit 11 blown more simultaneously, will be uniformly flows out up to the outflow lower part from the outflow upper part of the clean unit 11, even the gas concentration of the N ₂ gas The gas can be replaced in the state. Further, the natural oxide film formed on the large number of wafers 2 placed on the boat 9 can be controlled uniformly.

[0008]

As described above, according to the present invention, the gas concentration of the inert gas in the lower part 3D of the furnace opening can be made uniform, and the inert gas is formed on a large number of semiconductor substrates 2 mounted on the boat 9. Since the gas pipe 6 having a large number of gas outlets 5 is a means for uniformly controlling the natural oxide film to be uniformly discharged and for uniformly discharging the inert gas, the gas outlets 5 of the gas pipe 6
By changing the length of the portion, the gas concentration of the inert gas can be controlled for each block such as the upper and lower parts of the outflow, so that not only the time for gas replacement can be shortened, but also the gas pipe 6 having many gas outlets 5 is used. As a result, the structure is simple and can be implemented at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration and an operation of a main part in one embodiment of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view showing a configuration of an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention as seen from the front side.

FIG. 3 is a simplified perspective view for explaining the configuration and operation of the main part of the conventional device seen from the back side of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the operation of the main part of the conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Reactor 2 Semiconductor Substrate (Wafer) 3 Furnace 3D Furnace Port 4 Gas Introducer 5 Gas Outlet 6 Gas Pipe 6A Gas Discharge Pipe

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a semiconductor substrate (2) is loaded into a reaction furnace (1) through a furnace port (3) and processed, and a gas introduction device (4) is provided, and the gas introduction device (4) is provided. 2) is connected to a gas pipe (6) having a large number of gas outlets (5) to replace the atmosphere in the lower part of the furnace (3D) with an inert gas.