Heating – Work chamber having heating means – Work chamber having gaseous material supply or removal...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-02
2001-12-11
Lu, Jiping (Department: 3749)
Heating
Work chamber having heating means
Work chamber having gaseous material supply or removal...
C432S152000, C432S241000, C118S725000, C392S416000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328560
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention concerns a high pressure gas processing apparatus for semiconductors.
As a method of processing ULSI semiconductors such as silicon wafers, a so-called pressure-filling method of wiring films (high pressure reflow process) has been known in which an oxide insulator film having contact holes is formed on a semiconductor substrate, an aluminum alloy film is formed on the oxide film and then high temperature/high pressure circumstance is formed with an inert gas such as argon gas to fill the aluminum alloy film to the deepest portion in the contact holes (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Hei 7-193063; being hereby fully incorporated by reference).
In addition, it has also been known a high pressure oxidation method of forming an oxide insulation film in a low temperature region by using a gas mixture comprising oxygen, moisture, argon and the like, further, a high pressure oxynitridation method of mixing also nitrous oxide gas to form a gate oxide film.
A pressure-processing apparatus used for such processing includes, for example, such an apparatus in which a processing chamber capable of placing works such as wafers is formed to the inside of a vertical cylindrical pressure vessel having an upper lid and a lower lid, and the periphery of a portion for pressing the work is surrounded with a heating unit, for example, of an ohmic wire heating system (so-called electric heater).
Further, the pressure vessel of this type is adapted, for example, to load and unload works from below by opening/closing a lower lid, in which a pressure control unit capable of charging/discharging a processing gas or conducting evacuation relative to the processing chamber is often provided to an upper lid disposed fixedly (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication Hei 7-65857; being hereby fully incorporated by reference).
By the way, in the pressure-processing for semiconductors as described above, it is a most important subject that various powdery dusts (particles) are not deposited on the works.
In view of the above, worry of involving powdery dusts contained in atmospheric air or powdery dusts deposited on works themselves or on a supporting device for supporting the works upon loading/unloading the works relative to the pressure vessel can be coped with to some extent, for example, by keeping the circumstance clean where the pressure vessel is installed (such as location of the pressure vessel in a clean room).
Further, it is a customary means for powdery dusts occurring by abrasion of sealing materials used for valve portions or pipeline connection portions equipped in a supply source for a processing gas or various kinds of equipments to eliminate them by disposing filters in place in pipelines. The filter is considered useful for removing powdery dusts mixed in a processing gas in a case of recovering the processing gas from a pressure vessel on every termination of one cycle of processing and then reutilizing the same.
Furthermore, referring limitatively to a case of newly manufacturing a pressure vessel, it has been attempted to suppress occurrence of powdery dusts caused by the processing chamber itself by using rust proof metal such as stainless steels for the material of forming the pressure vessel.
However, in a case where powdery dusts occur due to rust or the like formed on the inner surface of the pressure vessel such in a case where the pressure vessel is an existent one, and it is not formed with the rust proof metal, or in a case where powdery dusts occur from a heat insulating structure or a heating unit disposed to the inside of the pressure vessel, it is actually very much difficult to inhibit deposition of powdery dusts (in particulate form) to works, except for gaseous impurities that can be adsorbed and removed by a gettering material.
Further, since the existent pressure-processing apparatus (refer to Japanese Patent Publication Hei 7-65857; being hereby fully incorporated by reference) is a sheet-to-sheet type cluster tool type device adapted to load and unload works to and from a pressure vessel on every processing of a sheet of the work, there is a problem of poor processing efficiency for semiconductors.
Particularly, in a case where works are semiconductor silicon wafers, it is considered important that an inert gas, (particularly, impurity components contained therein) and a work do not take place reaction, powdery dusts (particles) occurring from heaters or a heat insulating structure zone do not deposit on the works and regional deviation or fluctuation with lapse of time is not caused in the temperature and the pressure in the processing chamber during entire processing and on every processing, but they are not always satisfactory in the existent pressure-processing apparatus.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the foregoing situations and it is an object thereof to provide a pressure-processing for semiconductors capable of thoroughly inhibiting deposition of powdery dusts on works in a pressure-processing of semiconductors and capable of obtaining semiconductors at high and constant quality.
In accordance with the present invention, the following technical means are adopted for attaining the foregoing object.
That is, a pressure-processing for semiconductors according to the present invention comprises, a processing chamber formed in a pressure vessel and having a portion which can place works and charge and discharge a processing gas, heating units disposed so as to surround the portion of placing the works in the processing chamber around a vertical axis, an inner vessel made of a hermetically sealing material disposed between the inside of the heating units and the portion for placing the works to isolate them from each other, a gas introducing portion disposed in the lower portion of the inner vessel and a filter for collecting powdery dusts disposed to the gas introducing portion.
Since the constitution described above is adopted, when a processing gas is supplied into a pressure vessel for pressure-processing of works (semiconductors) in a processing chamber, since the processing gas can reach the works only by passing a gas introducing portion of an inner vessel, and a filter is disposed to the gas introducing portion, powdery dusts contained in the processing gas (including powdery rusts or the like formed in the pressure vessel) are always captured by the filter and are prevented from depositing on the works.
Accordingly, semiconductors at high and constant quality can be obtained after the processing.
Further, the pressure vessel is generally adapted such that a heat insulating structure formed in the shape of an inverted cup is disposed to the inside and the heating unit is disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating structure. Further, the pressure vessel is often adapted to allow loading and unloading of works by opening a lower portion (lower lid) thereof and it is often adapted in this structure such that the processing gas is supplied to the pressure vessel from an upper portion (upper lid) thereof.
In this case, the processing gas basically flows from the upper portion along the inner circumferential surface downwardly in the pressure vessel and then flows upwardly from the lower portion (lower opening portion of the heat insulating structure) in a space for locating the heating unit. Further, when the heating unit is in a heating state, heat from the heating unit conducts always upwardly to make the space for locating the heating unit and a portion thereabove as a high temperature region (at about several hundreds to 1000° C.), whereas a relatively low temperature range (about 200° C. or lower) is maintained below the space for locating the heating unit.
In view of the above, it is suitable that the gas introducing portion disposed to the inner vessel is positioned on the side of the lower portion in the inner vessel with a view point of making the flow of the processing gas to the p
Fujikawa Takao
Ishii Takahiko
Kadoguchi Makoto
Masuda Tsuneharu
Narukawa Yutaka
Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
Lu Jiping
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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