Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2001-11-13
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C219S405000, C219S411000, C118S724000, C118S050100, C392S416000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316748
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device and a method of for manufacturing a semiconductor device by use of the apparatus.
The conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device is used to carry out a heat treatment to a semiconductor wafer or to form a thin film over the semiconductor wafer.
FIG. 1
is a schematic cross sectional elevation view illustrative of the conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device has the following elements. A chamber
1
is provided for treating semiconductor wafers. The chamber
1
may comprise a quartz-based cylindrically shaped chamber. A heater
2
is provided around a side wall of the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
. A quartz boat
6
is accommodated in the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
for mounting plural semiconductor wafers
3
. A gas supply type
9
is provided and a gas discharge tube is also provided. A shutter
11
is also provided on a bottom portion of the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
. A boat elevator
8
is provided which has a top portion which supports the bottom of the quartz boat
6
. A stainless steal scavenger stores the quartz boat
6
. The boat elevator
8
is used to move the quartz boat
6
mounting the semiconductor wafers
3
at a speed in the range of 10-20 cm/min. between the stainless steal scavenger and the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
, where the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
is heated at a temperature in the range of 700-1200° C. The quartz boat
6
has multiple stages on which the plural semiconductor wafers
3
are mounted. A top level stage of the quartz boat
6
firstly enters into the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
and also finally come out the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
. A bottom level stage of the quartz boat
6
finally enters into the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
and also firstly come out the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
. This means that the semiconductor wafer mounted on the top level stage of the quartz boat
6
is subjected to the heat treatment in the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
for a longest time, whilst the semiconductor wafer mounted on the bottom level stage of the quartz boat
6
is subjected to the heat treatment in the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
for a shortest time. A difference is caused in the time duration for subjecting the wafer to the heat treatment between the semiconductor wafers
3
over position, whereby a variation in characteristic or performance is caused between the semiconductor wafers
3
.
Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 4-297025 discloses a second conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
FIG. 2
is a schematic cross sectional view illustrative of the second conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device. A cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
is provided for carrying out a heat treatment to a semiconductor wafer. A heater
22
is also provided around a side wall of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
. An upper shutter
23
is provided on the top portion of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
. A lower shutter
24
is provided on the bottom portion of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
. A wafer boat
26
is provided which has multiple stages for mounting plural semiconductor wafers
3
. The wafer boat
26
is supported by a boat elevator
8
. A cylindrically shaped top preliminary chamber
20
A is further provided over the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
, wherein the cylindrically shaped top preliminary chamber
20
A and the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
are separated from each other by the above upper shutter
23
. The bottom portion of the cylindrically shaped top preliminary chamber
20
A is separated by the above upper shutter
23
from the top potion of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
. A top shutter
27
is also provided on the top portion of the cylindrically shaped top preliminary chamber
20
A. A cylindrically shaped bottom preliminary chamber
20
B is further provided under the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
, wherein the cylindrically shaped bottom preliminary chamber
20
B and the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
are separated from each other by the above lower shutter
24
. The top portion of the cylindrically shaped bottom preliminary chamber
20
B is separated by the above lower shutter
24
from the bottom potion of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
. A bottom shutter
25
is also provided on the bottom portion of the cylindrically shaped bottom preliminary chamber
20
B. In a first step, the bottom shutter
25
is opened to enter the wafer boat
26
into the cylindrically shaped bottom preliminary chamber
20
B and then the bottom shutter
25
is closed. In a second step, the lower shutter
24
is opened to move the wafer boat
26
from the cylindrically shaped bottom preliminary chamber
20
B to the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
and then the lower shutter
24
is closed for subsequent heat treatment to the semiconductor wafers
3
amounted on the wafer boat
26
. After the heat treatment was carried out, the upper shutter
23
is opened to move the wafer boat
26
from the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
into the cylindrically shaped top preliminary chamber
20
A. This second conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device is free from the above problem engaged with the first conventional apparatus. Namely, a top level stage of the wafer boat
26
firstly enters into the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
and also firstly come out the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
. A bottom level stage of the wafer boat
26
finally enters into the cylindrically shaped chamber
1
and also finally come out the cylindrically shaped main chamber
1
. This means that no difference is caused in the time duration for subjecting the wafer to the heat treatment between the semiconductor wafers
3
over position, whereby no variation in characteristic or performance is caused between the semiconductor wafers
3
. The above second conventional apparatus has the two preliminary chambers, for which reason the above second conventional apparatus is much higher in height than the first conventional apparatus. Namely, a high roof of a storage room for installing the apparatus is necessary. Otherwise, it is necessary to reduce the height of each of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
and the top and bottom preliminary chambers
20
A and
20
B. This reduction in the height of each of the cylindrically shaped main chamber
21
and the top and bottom preliminary chambers
20
A and
20
B requires a reduction in height of the wafer boat
26
or reduction in the number of the multiple stages for mounting the wafers. Namely, the number of the semiconductor wafers
3
mounted on the single wafer boat
26
is reduced. A productivity of the semiconductor device is thus reduced.
Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 6-349752 discloses a third conventional apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device
FIG. 3
is a schematic perspective view illustrative of the third conventional apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor device. A reactor
35
is provided which has a cylindrically shaped reactor core
31
which extends in a vertical direction. The reactor
35
comprises a rear portion and a front portion, wherein a rear half of the cylindrically shaped reactor core
31
is formed in the rear portion of the reactor
35
and a front half of the cylindrically shaped reactor core
31
is formed in the front portion of the reactor
35
. The rear portion of the reactor
35
has a heater
35
. The front portion of the reactor
35
comprises a pair of doors
33
and
34
to make an opening
36
between them. Namely, the doors
33
and
34
may slide in the direction parallel to the arrow marks “A” and “B” and on the rear portion of the reactor
35
. The opening
36
between the opened doors
33
and
34
Fuqua Shawntina T.
NEC Corporation
Walberg Teresa
Young & Thompson
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