Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and reaction vessel

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus that affords improved uniformity to in-plane wafer and interwafer film thickness of a large number of wafers on which a film is simultaneously formed, having: a reaction tube having in an interior thereof a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates disposed in a direction perpendicular to a substrate processing surface can be processed; and a heating device provided to surround an outer circumference of the reaction tube, a gas inlet tube being provided on a side face of the reaction tube in a region for processing a substrate inside the reaction tube, so as to reach at least an outside of the heating device; and a gas spouting port being disposed in this gas inlet tube in a slit form so as to straddle at least a plurality of the substrates in a direction perpendicular to the substrate processing surface, for spouting gas from the gas inlet tube into the processing chamber.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly to the effective utilization thereof in a substrate processing technology in which, in a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a thermochemical reaction is utilized to administer a desired processing such as the fabrication of an oxide film or metal film on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also referred to as a wafer).[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]In a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, vertical-type semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are sometimes employed as substrate processing apparatuses for fabricating an oxide film or metal film on a wafer.[0005]Conventional vertical-type semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses of this type comprise a processing furnace configured from a reaction vessel and a heater in which...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

For example, there is a problem inherent to the apparatus shown in FIG. 18 in that, because the film formation gas is introduced from below and exhausted thereabove, the film formation gas is less likely to flow to the center of the wafers W and, accordingly, differences in film thickness between the center and outer circumferential portions of the wafers are generated and the wafer in-plane film thickness uniformity is affected.

There is a further problem inherent thereto in that, comparing the wafers W of positions in the lower part and the upper part of the wafer processing space 10, film formation differences between wafers located in the upper part and those in the lower part are generated due to consumption of the film formation gas occurring at the lower part and, accordingly, the wafers of the lower part are formed thicker and the wafer in-plane film thickness uniformity is affected.

In addition, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 19, even though the in-plane and interwafer film thickness uniformity are by and large satisfactory, the necessity for a plurality of gas nozzles of differing length translates to poor maintenance characteristics.

There is an additional problem in that, if the film formation conditions are altered, in most instances the changes in the film formation conditions cannot be accommodated without altering length and the number of the gas nozzles 16, while not altering the type of gas nozzles 16 restricts the conditions at which a film is able to be formed.

There is a problem inherent to the apparatus shown in FIG. 20 in that, because the gas nozzle 26 is provided in the wafer processing space 10, reaction product attaches to and accumulates thereon.

More specifically, this problem resides in the necessity for a maintenance operation to be performed on the holes of the gas nozzle 26 when a reaction product attaches to and accumulates thereon.

There is an additional problem in that, if the film formation conditions are altered, the gas nozzle type must be altered in order to alter the holes, and not altering the type of gas nozzle restricts the conditions in which film formation is possible.

A further problem resides in the increase in the size of the holes of the gas nozzle 26 caused by an etching processing performed to clean the reaction product and, accordingly, the need for the gas nozzle to be replaced to control the hole size.

In addition, there is a problem inherent to the apparatus shown in FIG. 21 in that the in-plane and interwafer film thickness uniformity are affected in the same way as described for the apparatus of FIG. 18.

A problem inherent to conventional substrate processing apparatuses in which a gas is introduced from below a reaction tube and exhausted thereabove as described above resides in the gas not being able to pass properly across the substrates and, in turn, the in-plane and intersubstrate film thickness uniformity being unable to be improved.

An additional problem inherent to conventional substrate processing apparatuses in which a gas is supplied via a gas nozzle from the side of a reaction tube and exhausted thereabove resides in the in-plane and interwafer film thickness uniformity being unable to be improved without the gas inlet tube being frequently maintained and replaced.

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