Reaction tube, processing device, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Abstract

The present invention provides a reaction tube, a processing apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which reduce pressure differences in a substrate placement area of ​​a processing chamber and uniformize the flow of gas discharged from an exhaust portion. The reaction tube is configured to have a processing chamber formed therein, the processing chamber having a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end, and a regulating portion configured to suppress the flow of gas discharged from the exhaust portion. The regulating portion regulates the flow of gas from the gas supply portion to the exhaust portion in the processing chamber, thereby uniformizing the flow of gas discharged from the exhaust portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a reaction tube, a processing apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Background Art

[0002] As a processing device for processing substrates, the following vertical processing device is known, which has a reaction tube with a processing chamber formed therein, and is arranged in a manner such that a predetermined number of substrates are arranged in the processing chamber in an up and down direction. The substrate can be heated to a predetermined temperature and a processing gas can be supplied into the processing chamber to process the substrate.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a gas supply unit is provided at one end and an exhaust unit is provided at the other end across a substrate installation region of the processing chamber in order to improve exhaust efficiency of the processing chamber.

[0004] For example, in a vertical processing apparatus in which substrates are arranged in a vertical direction, if a pressure difference occurs in a substrate installation region of a processing chamber, the film thickness uniformity of each substrate may deteriorate.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2017 / 010125 Pamphlet Summary of the Invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] The present disclosure provides a structure capable of reducing a pressure difference in a substrate installation region of a processing chamber and making the flow of gas exhausted from an exhaust portion uniform.

[0010] Solutions to Problems

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a reaction tube is provided, which has a processing chamber formed therein, wherein the processing chamber is provided with a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end, and is provided with a regulating portion. The regulating portion is configured to suppress the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion, and the flow of the gas from the gas supply portion to the exhaust portion in the processing chamber is regulated by using the regulating portion, so that the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion is uniform.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the pressure difference in the substrate installation region of the processing chamber and make the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion uniform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0015] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of line A-A.

[0016] Figure 3 It is from Figure 1 Side view looking in the direction of arrow B.

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Magnified view near the fin shown.

[0018] Figure 5A and 5B Schematic diagram illustrating the flow of gas in a processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus applicable to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5A 1 is a diagram showing the flow of gas in a processing furnace of a conventional substrate processing apparatus. Figure 5B It is a diagram showing the flow of gas in the processing furnace of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6 Graph showing gas flow rates in a processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus to which an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0020] Figure 7 Graph showing the gas pressure in the processing furnace of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a control system of a substrate processing apparatus applicable to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a process of forming a film on a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0023] Figure 10 The diagram shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and illustrates a configuration in which a plurality of laterally long small quadrilateral openings are arranged in a vertical direction.

[0024] Figure 11 This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a form in which a single elliptical opening extending in the vertical direction is formed.

[0025] Figure 12This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a mode in which a plurality of laterally long small oval openings are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0026] Figure 13 This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a configuration in which a plurality of small circular openings are arranged in a vertical direction.

[0027] Figure 14 This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a mode in which a single triangular opening extending in the vertical direction is formed.

[0028] Figure 15 This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a mode in which a single trapezoidal opening extending in the vertical direction is formed.

[0029] Figure 16 This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a mode in which a single rhombus-shaped opening extending in the vertical direction is formed.

[0030] Figure 17 This figure shows a modified example of the exhaust hole of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a form in which a polygonal opening extending in the vertical direction is formed.

[0031] Figure 18 This figure shows a modified example of the fins of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a triangular-shaped embodiment.

[0032] Figure 19 1 is a diagram showing a modified example of the fins of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a curved shape.

[0033] Figure 20 This figure shows a modified example of the fins of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and illustrates a configuration in which a plurality of small pieces separated in the vertical direction are combined to form a stepped shape as a whole.

[0034] Figure 21 This is a diagram showing a modified example of the fins of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows how they are mounted on the outer tube.

[0035] Figure 22This is a diagram showing a modified example of the fins of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a configuration in which the thickness thereof varies in the vertical direction.

[0036] Figure 23 This is a diagram showing a modified example of the processing tube of the substrate processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, and shows a mode in which the exhaust tube is formed at a position above the exhaust hole.

[0037] In the picture:

[0038] 1—processing furnace; 2—processing tube; 6—wafer; 7—processing chamber; 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g, 13h—exhaust holes; 47—exhaust path; 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e—fins. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] An embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings used in the following description are schematic diagrams, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily correspond to actual conditions. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily correspond to actual conditions.

[0040] First, a substrate processing apparatus, an example of a semiconductor apparatus used in one step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process, will be described. In this embodiment, a batch processing vertical apparatus that performs film formation processing on multiple substrates at once will be described as an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A processing furnace 1 of a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.

[0042] The processing furnace 1 includes a vertical processing tube 2 serving as a reaction tube. The processing tube 2 is arranged longitudinally with its centerline perpendicular and is fixedly supported by a frame (not shown). The processing tube 2 includes an inner tube 3 and an outer tube 4. The inner tube 3 and outer tube 4 are each integrally formed from a highly heat-resistant material, such as quartz (SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC), or a composite material of quartz and silicon carbide.

[0043] The inner tube 3 is cylindrical, closed at the top and open at the bottom. It accommodates a wafer boat 5, which serves as a substrate holding unit (substrate holder). Wafers 6, serving as substrates, are stacked horizontally on the wafer boat 5 in multiple layers. The inner tube 3 also defines a processing chamber 7 for storing and processing the wafers 6. The lower opening of the inner tube 3 forms a furnace opening for inserting and removing the wafer boat 5 holding the wafers 6. Therefore, the inner diameter of the inner tube 3 is set to be larger than the maximum outer diameter of the wafer boat 5 holding the wafers 6.

[0044] The outer tube 4 is cylindrical with a closed upper end and an open lower end, and has a larger inner diameter than the inner tube 3. The outer tube 4 is concentrically arranged so as to surround the outer side of the inner tube 3. The lower end of the outer tube 4 is attached to the flange 9 of the header 8 via an O-ring (not shown) and is hermetically sealed by the O-ring.

[0045] The lower end of the inner tube 3 is placed on a disk-shaped ring portion 11 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the header 8. The inner tube 3 and outer tube 4 are detachably mounted on the header 8 to facilitate maintenance, inspection, and cleaning. Furthermore, the header 8 is supported by a frame (not shown), so the process tubes 2 are mounted vertically.

[0046] In addition, although the space defined inside the inner tube 3 is referred to as the processing chamber 7 as described above, the space defined inside the outer tube 4 may also be referred to as the processing chamber 7 hereinafter.

[0047] An exhaust pipe 12 for exhausting the ambient gas in the processing chamber 7 is connected to a portion of the side wall of the manifold 8. An exhaust port for exhausting the ambient gas in the processing chamber 7 is formed at the connection portion between the manifold 8 and the exhaust pipe 12. The interior of the exhaust pipe 12 is connected to the interior of an exhaust path 47 (described later) via the exhaust port, and the exhaust path 47 is composed of a gap formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the exhaust path 47 is roughly circular. Thus, it is possible to evenly exhaust the gas from the upper end to the lower end of the exhaust hole 13 as the exhaust portion formed on the inner tube 3 described later. That is, it is possible to evenly exhaust the gas from all the multiple wafers 6 placed on the wafer boat 5.

[0048] The exhaust pipe 12 is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a pressure sensor 14, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 15 serving as a pressure regulator, and a vacuum pump 16 serving as a vacuum exhaust device. The vacuum pump 16 is configured to perform vacuum exhaust so that the pressure in the processing chamber 7 reaches a predetermined pressure (vacuum level). The pressure sensor 14 and the APC valve 15 are electrically connected to a controller 17. The controller 17 is configured to control the opening of the APC valve 15 based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 14 so that the pressure in the processing chamber 7 reaches a desired pressure at a desired timing.

[0049] The exhaust unit (exhaust system) of this embodiment is primarily composed of an exhaust pipe 12, a pressure sensor 14, and an APC valve 15. A vacuum pump 16 may also be included in the exhaust unit. Furthermore, the exhaust pipe 12 may be connected to a collection device for capturing reaction byproducts and unreacted raw material gas in the exhaust gas, or a removal device for removing corrosive or toxic components contained in the exhaust gas. In this case, the collection device or removal device may also be included in the exhaust unit.

[0050] A sealing cap 18 abuts against the manifold 8 from vertically below, sealing the lower opening of the manifold 8. Sealing cap 18 is disc-shaped with an outer diameter greater than or equal to that of the outer tube 4. Sealing cap 18 can be raised and lowered vertically from a horizontal position by a boat elevator 19 (described later) mounted vertically outside the processing tube 2.

[0051] The wafer boat 5 holding the wafer 6 is supported vertically on the sealing cover 18. The wafer boat 5 has a pair of upper and lower end plates 21 and a plurality of holding parts 22 vertically arranged between the end plates 21. The end plates 21 and the holding parts 22 are made of heat-resistant materials such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), or a composite material of quartz and silicon carbide. A plurality of holding grooves 23 are formed at equal intervals along the length direction in each holding part 22. By inserting the circumferential edges of the wafers 6 into the holding grooves 23 of the same layer of the plurality of holding parts 22, the plurality of wafers 6 are stacked and held in multiple layers in a horizontal posture and with their centers aligned with each other.

[0052] Between the wafer boat 5 and the sealing cover 18, a pair of upper and lower auxiliary end plates 24 are supported by multiple auxiliary holding components 25. A plurality of holding grooves 26 are formed in each auxiliary holding component 25. Multiple layers of heat-insulating plates 27 in the shape of circular plates are horizontally loaded in the holding grooves 26. The heat-insulating plates 27 are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC). The heat-insulating plates 27 prevent heat from being dissipated by the heating unit 28, which will be described later, from being conducted to the manifold 8. Furthermore, the temperature drop on the lower side of the plurality of wafers 6 placed on the wafer boat 5 can be suppressed.

[0053] A rotation mechanism 29 for rotating the wafer boat 5 is provided on the side of the seal cover 18 opposite the processing chamber 7. A rotation shaft 31 of the rotation mechanism 29 passes through the seal cover 18 and supports the wafer boat 5 from below. By rotating the rotation shaft 31 using the rotation mechanism 29, the wafers 6 can be rotated in the processing chamber 7.

[0054] The seal cap 18 is configured to be vertically movable by a boat elevator 19 serving as a transport unit (transport mechanism), and the boat elevator 19 can transport the wafer boat 5 into and out of the processing chamber 7 .

[0055] A heating unit 28, serving as a heating unit (heating mechanism), is provided outside the outer tube 4 so as to surround the outer tube 4. The heating unit 28 heats the entire interior of the processing tube 2 uniformly or with a predetermined temperature distribution. The heating unit 28 is supported by a housing (not shown) of the substrate processing apparatus so as to be vertically mounted. For example, the heating unit 28 is comprised of a resistance heater such as a graphite heater.

[0056] A temperature sensor 32 serving as a temperature detector is provided in the processing tube 2. The heating unit 28 and the temperature sensor 32 mainly constitute a heating unit (heating system) of this embodiment.

[0057] A tunnel-shaped preliminary chamber 33 is formed on the side wall of the inner tube 3 (on the opposite side offset 180° from the exhaust port 13), protruding radially outward from the side wall of the inner tube 3 and extending vertically. The inner wall of the preliminary chamber 33 forms a portion of the inner wall of the processing chamber 7.

[0058] Nozzles 34, 35, 36, and 37 for supplying gas to the processing chamber 7 are provided within the preparation chamber 33. The nozzles 34, 35, 36, and 37 extend along the inner wall of the preparation chamber 33 (i.e., the inner wall of the processing chamber 7) from the bottom of the preparation chamber 33 to the top in the stacking direction of the wafers 6. Specifically, the nozzles 34, 35, 36, and 37 are provided along the wafer arrangement area, in an area that horizontally surrounds the wafer arrangement area and is lateral to the wafer arrangement area where the wafers 6 are arranged.

[0059] The nozzles 34, 35, 36, 37 are arranged in such a manner that the horizontal portions of the nozzles 34, 35, 36, 37 pass through the manifold 8, and the vertical portions of the nozzles 34, 35, 36, 37 rise from the lower end toward the upper end of the wafer arrangement area. Figure 1 A nozzle 34 is recorded in the text, but in reality it is as follows Figure 2 As shown, four nozzles 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 are provided.

[0060] Furthermore, multiple gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 for supplying gas are provided on the side surfaces of nozzles 34, 35, 36, and 37. Gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 have the same opening area from bottom to top, or have an inclined opening area relative to their size, and are arranged at the same opening pitch.

[0061] Ends of the horizontal portions of the nozzles 34 , 35 , 36 , and 37 passing through the header 8 are connected to gas supply pipes 43 , 44 , 45 , and 46 , which serve as gas supply lines, outside the processing tube 2 , respectively.

[0062] As described above, in the gas supply method of this embodiment, the gas supply unit delivers gas through the nozzles 34 , 35 , 36 , and 37 arranged in the preparation chamber 33 , and ejects the gas from the gas supply holes 38 , 39 , 40 , and 41 near the wafer 6 into the processing chamber 7 .

[0063] The gas supply pipe 43 is provided with, in sequence from the upstream side, an unillustrated MFC (mass flow controller) as a flow control device (flow control unit) and an unillustrated opening and closing valve, i.e., a valve. For example, an inert gas, i.e., nitrogen (N2), can be supplied to the processing chamber 7 through the gas supply pipe 43 and the nozzle 34.

[0064] The first inert gas supply system is mainly composed of the nozzle 34, the gas supply pipe 43, the MFC, and the valve.

[0065] The gas supply pipe 46 is provided with, in sequence from the upstream side, the following: an MFC (mass flow controller) not shown in the figure and an opening and closing valve not shown in the figure, i.e., a valve. For example, an inert gas, i.e., nitrogen (N2), can be supplied to the processing chamber 7 through the gas supply pipe 46 and the nozzle 37.

[0066] The second inert gas supply system is mainly composed of the nozzle 37, the gas supply pipe 46, the MFC, and the valve.

[0067] The inert gas supply system is composed of one or both of the first inert gas supply system and the second inert gas supply system. Although it can be divided into two parts for use according to the processing in the wafer 6, it is also possible to use both the first inert gas supply system and the second inert gas supply system so that the wafer 6 can be processed uniformly. In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the nozzle 34 and the nozzle 37 are preferably arranged so as to sandwich the other nozzle. With such an arrangement, the uniformity of processing on the wafer 6 can be improved.

[0068] The gas supply pipe 44 is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a reaction gas supply source (not shown), a flow control device (flow control unit), i.e., an MFC (not shown), and an on-off valve (not shown), i.e., a valve (not shown). Reaction gas is supplied to the processing chamber 7 via the gas supply pipe 46 and the nozzle 37. The nozzle 35, the gas supply pipe 44, the MFC, and the valve primarily constitute a reaction gas supply system.

[0069] A reaction gas activation device (not shown) may be provided on the gas supply pipe 44 . For example, the activation device may activate a predetermined gas to generate a reaction gas, and the reaction gas may be supplied to the processing chamber 7 .

[0070] The gas supply pipe 45 is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a raw gas supply source (not shown), a flow control device (flow control unit), i.e., an MFC (not shown), and an on-off valve (not shown), i.e., a valve (not shown). Reactive gas can be supplied to the processing chamber 7 via the gas supply pipe 45 and the nozzle 36. The nozzle 36, the gas supply pipe 45, the MFC, and the valve primarily constitute a raw gas supply system.

[0071] A vaporization system (vaporization unit) (not shown) may also be provided on the gas supply pipe 45. For example, a liquid raw material may be vaporized to generate vaporized gas as a raw material gas, and the vaporized gas may be supplied to the processing chamber 7. In this case, it is preferable to sequentially install an on-off valve (i.e., a valve), a vaporization filter, etc. on the downstream side of the vaporizer from the upstream side.

[0072] An exhaust hole 13 is formed on the side wall of the inner tube 3 at a position opposite to the nozzles 34, 35, 36, and 37, that is, at a position opposite to the preparatory chamber 33 at a 180° angle. In this embodiment, an example of the exhaust hole 13 is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, it has a quadrilateral shape extending elongated in the vertical direction.

[0073] In addition, fins 100 as regulating parts are provided on both sides of the exhaust hole 13. The fins 100 are configured to suppress the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust hole 13 and to regulate the flow of the gas from the gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 in the processing chamber 7 to the exhaust hole 13, thereby making the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust hole 13 uniform. In this embodiment, as an example of the fins 100, Figure 4 As shown, it is in a stepped shape.

[0074] The space ratio (wf / ws) of the width Wf of the fin 100 to the width Ws of the space formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4 is configured to be 0.2 or more and 0.9 or less over the entire vertical direction of the fin 100 .

[0075] Specifically, the exhaust hole 13 is divided into nine sections in the vertical direction, and the uppermost section is not provided with fins 100. Fins 100 are provided in sections 2 through 9 from the top. The space ratio of the second section from the top is 0.21, the space ratio of the third section from the top is 0.34, the space ratio of the fourth section from the top is 0.46, the space ratio of the fifth section from the top is 0.58, the space ratio of the sixth section from the top is 0.68, the space ratio of the seventh section from the top is 0.75, the space ratio of the eighth section from the top is 0.81, and the space ratio of the ninth section from the top is 0.84. In other words, the fins 100 are configured to suppress the flow of a portion of the gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13.

[0076] Two fins 100 on either side of the exhaust hole 13 are fixed to the outer wall of the inner tube 3. Furthermore, a base 110 is fixed to the outer wall of the inner tube 3, positioning the fins 100 near the exhaust hole 13. In this embodiment, the base 110 is, for example, a plate-shaped member, and is positioned so that the lower end of the exhaust hole 13 is at the same height as the upper surface of the base 110. The lower ends of the two fins 100 are fixed to the upper surface of the base 110.

[0077] An exhaust path 47 is formed by the gap between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4, and the exhaust path 47 is connected to the processing chamber 7 via the exhaust hole 13. Therefore, the gas supplied to the processing chamber 7 from the gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 flows into the exhaust path 47 via the exhaust hole 13, then flows into the exhaust pipe 12 via the exhaust port located below the exhaust hole 13, and is discharged outside the processing tube 2.

[0078] At this time, the gas supplied from gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 to the vicinity of wafer 6 in processing chamber 7 flows in a horizontal direction, that is, a direction parallel to the surface of wafer 6, and then flows through exhaust hole 13 to exhaust path 47. In other words, the main flow of gas in processing chamber 7 is in a horizontal direction, that is, a direction parallel to the surface of wafer 6.

[0079] At this time, in the exhaust hole 13 extending in the vertical direction, the pressure is low at a position close to the exhaust pipe 12, and the pressure increases as it moves away. Therefore, in the case where the fin 100 is not provided, as shown in FIG. Figure 5A As shown, the flow rate of the gas increases on the lower side near the exhaust pipe 12 , and a pressure difference occurs between the upper and lower parts of the region where the wafers 6 are placed in the processing chamber 7 .

[0080] In contrast, in the present embodiment, a fin 100 serving as a regulating portion is provided on the outer wall of the inner tube 3. The fin 100 is configured to suppress the flow of gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13, and the fin 100 is used to regulate the flow of gas from the gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 to the exhaust hole 13 in the processing chamber 7. In the present embodiment, as an example, the fin 100 is configured to have a stepped shape whose width expands as it approaches downward, and the degree of suppression of the gas flow increases as it approaches the bottom of the exhaust hole 13. That is, if the pressure is low and the gas flows easily, the width Wf of the fin 100 is increased, so that the pressure near the exhaust hole 13 is increased, making it difficult for the gas to flow. As a result, as Figure 5BAs shown, in processing chamber 7, the gas flow from gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 to exhaust hole 13 is equalized in the vertical direction, and the gas flow above and below exhaust hole 13 is equalized. At this time, the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the processing chamber 7 where wafer 6 is placed is also reduced and equalized.

[0081] Figure 6 : This is a graph showing the gas flow rate directly above the wafer 6 in the processing chamber 7 in the processing tube 2 based on the structure of this embodiment. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the height from the upper surface of the base 110 (the same as the lower end of the exhaust hole 13), and the upper end of the exhaust hole 13 is set to 1 for standardization. The vertical axis on the left side of the graph represents the space ratio (wf / ws) of the fin 100, and the width Ws of the space formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4 is set to 1 for standardization. The vertical axis on the right side of the graph represents the gas flow rate directly above the wafer 6, and the gas flow rate directly above the wafer 6 at the lower end of the exhaust hole 13 is set to 1 for standardization.

[0082] The solid line in the graph represents the space ratio (wf / ws) of the fin 100. The single-point dashed line in the graph represents the gas flow rate directly above the wafer 6 when the fin 100 is present. The dotted line in the graph represents the gas flow rate directly above the wafer 6 when the fin 100 is not present. Figure 6 As can be seen from the graph, by providing the fins 100 , the difference in gas flow rates between the upper and lower portions of the region where the wafer 6 is provided in the processing chamber 7 can be improved, thereby making the gas flow rate uniform, compared to when there is no fin 100 .

[0083] Figure 7 : This is a graph showing the gas pressure directly above the wafer 6 in the processing chamber 7 in the processing tube 2 according to the present embodiment. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the height from the upper surface of the base 110 (the same as the lower end of the exhaust hole 13), and is standardized by setting the upper end of the exhaust hole 13 to 1. The vertical axis on the left side of the graph represents the space ratio (wf / ws) of the fin 100, and is standardized by setting the width Ws of the space formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4 to 1. The vertical axis on the right side of the graph represents the gas pressure directly above the wafer 6, and is standardized by setting the gas pressure directly above the wafer 6 at the upper end of the exhaust hole 13 to 1.

[0084] The solid line in the graph represents the space ratio (wf / ws) of the fin 100. The single-dot chain line in the graph represents the gas pressure directly above the wafer 6 when the fin 100 is present. The dotted line in the graph represents the gas pressure directly above the wafer 6 when the fin 100 is absent. Figure 7 As can be seen from the graph, by providing the fins 100 , the gas pressure difference between the upper and lower portions of the region where the wafer 6 is provided in the processing chamber 7 can be improved, thereby making the gas pressure uniform, compared to the case where the fins 100 are not provided.

[0085] As described above, the structure of this embodiment can reduce the vertical pressure difference in the area where the wafers 6 are placed in the processing chamber 7, and make the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust holes 13 uniform in the vertical direction. Therefore, the gas can be uniformly supplied to each wafer 6, so that the film thickness of the thin film formed on each wafer 6 is uniform.

[0086] Next, refer to Figure 8 The connection between the controller 17 , which is a control unit (control unit), and each component will be described.

[0087] The controller 17 is comprised of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 75, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 76, a storage device 77, and an I / O port 78. The RAM 76, storage device 77, and I / O port 78 are configured to exchange data with the CPU 75 via an internal bus 79. The controller 17 is connected to a display device 80, such as a monitor, and an input / output device 81, such as a touch panel.

[0088] The storage device 77 is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage device 77 stores in a readable manner: a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing device, a process recipe that records the steps or conditions of the substrate processing described later, etc. In addition, the process recipe functions as a program, and the process recipe is combined in the following manner, that is, so that the controller 17 can execute each step of the substrate processing process described later to obtain a predetermined result. The process recipe and the control program are also simply referred to as programs below. In addition, in this specification, the meaning of "program" includes only the process recipe itself, only the control program itself, or both. In addition, RAM76 is configured as a memory area (work area), which temporarily holds the program or data read out by CPU75.

[0089] The I / O port 78 is connected to the MFCs, valves, pressure sensor 14 , APC valve 15 , vacuum pump 16 , boat elevator 19 , heating unit 28 , rotation mechanism 29 , temperature sensor 32 , etc., which are provided on the gas supply pipes 43 , 44 , 45 , and 46 , respectively.

[0090] The CPU 75 reads and executes the control program from the storage device 77 and, based on operation instructions input from the input / output device 81, reads the process recipe from the storage device 77. Furthermore, according to the contents of the read process recipe, the CPU 75 controls: the flow rate regulation of various gases by the MFC; the opening and closing of valves; the opening and closing of the APC valve 15 and the pressure regulation of the APC valve 15 by the pressure sensor 14; the temperature regulation of the heating unit 28 by the temperature sensor 32; the starting and stopping of the vacuum pump 16; the rotation and rotation speed regulation of the wafer boat 5 by the rotation mechanism 29; and the raising and lowering of the wafer boat 5 by the boat elevator 19.

[0091] In addition, the controller 17 is not limited to being composed of a dedicated computer, but can also be composed of a general-purpose computer. For example, an external storage device (such as a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory (USB Flash Drive; USB flash memory), a memory card, etc.) 82 for storing the above-mentioned program is prepared, and the external storage device 82 is used to install the program to the general-purpose computer, etc., so as to constitute the controller 17 of this embodiment. In addition, the means for providing the program to the computer is not limited to providing it via the external storage device 82. For example, a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line can be used to provide the program instead of providing it via the external storage device 82. In addition, the storage device 77 or the external storage device 82 is composed of a storage medium that can be read by a computer. Hereinafter, they will also be simply referred to as storage media. In addition, in this specification, the meaning of "storage medium" includes: only the storage device 77, only the external storage device 82 itself, or both.

[0092] Next, refer to Figure 9 The following describes a sequence example of forming a film on a substrate as one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device using the processing furnace 1 of the substrate processing apparatus. In the following description, the operations of the various components constituting the substrate processing apparatus are controlled by the controller 17.

[0093] In addition, in this specification, the meaning of "wafer" includes: referring to the wafer itself alone, or referring to "a stack (aggregate) of a wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface", that is, sometimes the predetermined layer or film formed on the surface is included in the term "wafer". In addition, in this specification, the meaning of "the surface of the wafer" includes: referring to "the surface (exposed surface) of the wafer itself", or referring to "the surface of the predetermined layer or film formed on the wafer", that is, referring to "the outermost surface of the wafer as a stack".

[0094] Therefore, in this specification, the meaning of “supplying a predetermined gas to the wafer” includes: “directly supplying a predetermined gas to the surface (exposed surface) of the wafer itself” or “supplying a predetermined gas to a layer or film formed on the wafer, that is, the outermost surface of the wafer as a stacked body”. In addition, in this specification, the meaning of “forming a predetermined layer (or film) on the wafer” includes: “directly forming a predetermined layer (or film) on the surface (exposed surface) of the wafer itself” or “forming a predetermined layer (or film) on a layer or film formed on the wafer, that is, the outermost surface of the wafer as a stacked body”.

[0095] In this specification, the meaning of "substrate" is the same as that of "wafer". In this case, in the above description, "wafer" can be replaced with "substrate".

[0096] The substrate processing steps are described below.

[0097] Step 01

[0098] First, a plurality of wafers 6 are loaded into the wafer boat 5 (wafer loading).

[0099] Step 02

[0100] Next, the wafer boat 5 is lifted by the wafer boat elevator 19 and loaded into the processing chamber 7 (wafer boat introduction). In this state, the seal cap 18 seals the lower end of the manifold 8.

[0101] Step 03

[0102] After the wafer boat 5 is loaded, the vacuum pump 16 evacuates the processing chamber 7 to the desired pressure (vacuum level). The pressure in the processing chamber 7 is measured by the pressure sensor 14, and the APC valve 15 is feedback-controlled (pressure regulated) based on the measured pressure. Furthermore, the heating unit 28 heats the processing chamber 7 to the desired temperature. To maintain the desired temperature distribution in the processing chamber 7, the power supply state of the heating unit 28 is feedback-controlled (temperature regulated) based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 32. Next, the rotation mechanism 29 rotates the wafer boat 5, thereby rotating the wafers 6.

[0103] Furthermore, the operation of the vacuum pump 16 , the heating of the processing chamber 7 by the heating unit 28 , and the rotation of the wafer boat 5 and the wafer 6 by the rotation mechanism 29 continue at least until the processing of the wafers 6 is completed.

[0104] Next, a film forming step is performed by supplying a raw material gas and a reaction gas into the processing chamber 7. In the oxide film forming step, four steps from step 04 to step 08 are sequentially performed.

[0105] Step 04

[0106] First, the valve of the gas supply pipe 45 is opened to allow the raw material gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 45. For example, the raw material gas flowing in the gas supply pipe 45 is vaporized by a vaporizer (not shown), supplied from the gas supply hole 40 of the nozzle 36 into the processing chamber 7, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 12.

[0107] In parallel with the supply of the raw material gas, an inert gas such as N 2 is flowed from the gas supply pipe 43 , the nozzle 34 , and the gas supply hole 38 , and an inert gas such as N 2 is flowed from the gas supply pipe 46 , the nozzle 37 , and the gas supply hole 41 .

[0108] At this time, the opening of the APC valve 15 is appropriately adjusted to maintain the pressure of the processing chamber 7 at a predetermined pressure. In this embodiment, the time for exposing the wafer 6 to the raw material gas, that is, the gas supply time (irradiation time), is appropriately set, and the temperature of the heating unit 28 at this time is set so that the temperature of the wafer 6 reaches the predetermined temperature.

[0109] Step 05

[0110] The supply of the raw material gas to the processing chamber 7 is stopped. At this time, the APC valve 15 of the exhaust pipe 12 remains open, and the processing chamber 7 is vacuum-exhausted by the vacuum pump 16 to exhaust the raw material gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 or the raw material gas that has played a role in forming the raw material-containing layer from the processing chamber 7.

[0111] At this time, the supply of N2 gas, which is an inert gas, into the processing chamber 7 is maintained. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas, which can further improve the effect of exhausting the raw material gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 or the raw material gas that has played a role in forming the raw material-containing layer from the processing chamber 7.

[0112] In addition, the gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 does not need to be completely eliminated, nor does the processing chamber 7 need to be completely purged. If the amount of gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 is very small, it will not have an adverse effect in the step 06 described later. At this time, the flow rate of the N2 gas supplied to the processing chamber 7 does not need to be very large. For example, by supplying an amount that is the same as the volume of the outer tube 4 (or the processing chamber 7), it is possible to perform a purge to an extent that will not have an adverse effect in step 06. In this way, by not completely purging the processing chamber 7, the purge time can be shortened and productivity can be improved. In addition, the consumption of N2 gas can be suppressed to the necessary minimum.

[0113] Step 06

[0114] After the residual gas in the processing chamber 7 is removed, the valve of the gas supply pipe 44 is opened, and the raw material gas is flow-regulated by the MFC and supplied to the processing chamber 7 from the gas supply hole 39 of the nozzle 35, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 12. In addition, in parallel with the supply of the reaction gas, an inert gas such as N2 is flowed from the gas supply pipe 43, the nozzle 34, and the gas supply hole 38, and an inert gas such as N2 is flowed from the gas supply pipe 46, the nozzle 37, and the gas supply hole 41.

[0115] When the reaction gas is flowing, the opening of APC valve 15 is appropriately adjusted to maintain the pressure in processing chamber 7 at a predetermined pressure. Furthermore, the time during which the reaction gas is exposed to wafer 6, i.e., the gas supply time (irradiation time), is appropriately set, and the temperature of heating unit 28 is set to a predetermined temperature. By supplying the reaction gas, a desired film is formed from the raw material-containing layer formed on wafer 6 in step 04.

[0116] Step 07

[0117] After the desired film is formed, the supply of the reaction gas to the processing chamber 7 is stopped. At this time, the APC valve 15 of the exhaust pipe 12 is kept open, and the processing chamber 7 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 16 to exhaust the reaction gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 that has not reacted or has played a role in the film formation.

[0118] At this time, the supply of N2 gas as an inert gas into the processing chamber 7 is maintained. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas, which can further improve the effect of exhausting the unreacted reaction gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 or the reaction gas that has played a role in forming the desired film from the processing chamber 7.

[0119] In addition, the gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 does not need to be completely eliminated, nor does the processing chamber 7 need to be completely purged. If the amount of gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 is very small, no adverse effect will be caused when step 04 is performed again. At this time, the flow rate of N2 gas supplied to the processing chamber 7 does not need to be very large. For example, by supplying an amount that is the same as the volume of the outer tube 4 (or the processing chamber 7), it is possible to perform a purge to a degree that does not cause adverse effects in step 04. In this way, by not completely purging the processing chamber 7, the purge time can be shortened and productivity can be improved. In addition, the consumption of N2 gas can be suppressed to the necessary minimum.

[0120] Step 08

[0121] The above steps 04 to 07 constitute a cycle, and a determination is made as to whether the cycle has been performed a predetermined number of times. By performing the cycle at least once, a film having a predetermined thickness can be formed on wafer 6. Furthermore, the above cycle is preferably repeated a plurality of times, and by performing the cycle a plurality of times, a film having a predetermined thickness can be formed on wafer 6.

[0122] Step 09

[0123] After the desired film is formed, N 2 gas is flowed into the processing chamber 7 . The N 2 gas functions as a purge gas, thereby purging the processing chamber 7 with an inert gas and removing the gas remaining in the processing chamber 7 from the processing chamber 7 .

[0124] Step: 10

[0125] After the atmosphere in the processing chamber 7 is replaced with the inert gas, the pressure in the processing chamber 7 is returned to the atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) (atmospheric pressure return).

[0126] Step 11

[0127] Thereafter, the sealing cap 18 is lowered by the boat elevator 19 to open the lower end of the manifold 8 , and the processed wafers 6 are unloaded from the lower end of the manifold 8 to the outside of the processing tube 2 while being held in the boat 5 (boat unloading).

[0128] Step 12

[0129] Finally, the processed wafers 6 are taken out of the wafer boat 5 (wafer unloading), and the substrate processing is completed.

[0130] Modifications

[0131] In this embodiment, the structure of the exhaust hole 13 is not limited to a quadrilateral opening extending in the vertical direction, and may be various shapes.

[0132] For example, you can Figure 10 As shown in the exhaust hole 13a, a plurality of horizontally long small quadrilateral openings are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0133] In addition, you can also Figure 11 As shown in the exhaust hole 13b, it is an elliptical opening extending in the vertical direction.

[0134] In addition, you can also Figure 12 As shown in the exhaust hole 13c, a plurality of small elliptical openings that are long in the horizontal direction are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0135] In addition, you can also Figure 13 As shown in the exhaust hole 13d, multiple smaller circular openings are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0136] In addition, you can also Figure 14 As shown in the exhaust hole 13e, it is a triangular opening extending in the vertical direction. In addition, the base of the triangle can be formed on the upper side or the lower side. However, in order to make the flow of the gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13e uniform in the vertical direction, it is preferred that the side away from the exhaust pipe 12 is the base.

[0137] In addition, you can also Figure 15 As shown in the exhaust hole 13f, it is a trapezoidal opening extending in the vertical direction. In addition, the upper side can be formed longer than the lower side, or the lower side can be formed longer than the upper side. However, in order to make the flow of the gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13f uniform in the vertical direction, it is preferred to set the side away from the exhaust pipe 12 to be longer.

[0138] In addition, you can also Figure 16 As shown in the exhaust hole 13g, it becomes a diamond-shaped opening extending in the up and down directions.

[0139] In addition, you can also Figure 17 As shown in the exhaust hole 13h, it is a polygonal opening extending in the vertical direction. In addition, the area of ​​the opening portion can be formed so that the upper side is larger than the lower side, or the lower side is larger than the upper side. However, in order to make the flow of the gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13h uniform in the vertical direction, it is preferable to make the area larger on the side away from the exhaust pipe 12.

[0140] In the present embodiment, the structure of the fin 100 is not limited to the structure in which the fin 100 having a stepped shape and a uniform thickness is attached to the inner tube 3 , and various structures may be employed.

[0141] For example, you can Figure 18 The fin 100a is triangular in shape as shown.

[0142] In addition, you can also Figure 19 The fin 100b is in a curved shape as shown.

[0143] In addition, you can also Figure 20 As shown in the fin 100c, a plurality of small pieces separated in the vertical direction are combined to form a stepped shape, a triangular shape, or a curved shape as a whole.

[0144] In addition, you can also Figure 21 The fin 100d is mounted on the outer tube 4 as shown.

[0145] In addition, you can also Figure 22As shown in FIG. 1 , the fin 100e is configured to have different thicknesses in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the thickness of the fin 100e may be thicker on the upper side than on the lower side, or thicker on the lower side than on the upper side. However, in order to make the flow of gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13 uniform in the vertical direction, it is preferable to set the thickness of the fin 100e farther from the exhaust pipe 12 to be thicker.

[0146] In this embodiment, the structure of the processing tube 2 is not limited to the structure in which the gas is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 12 located below the exhaust hole 13. Figure 23 As shown in FIG. 1 , the gas is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 12 located above the exhaust hole 13. In this case, the fins 100 are configured so that the gas pressure is higher above the exhaust hole 13. In other words, the position of the fins 100 is determined by the positional relationship between the exhaust hole 13 and the exhaust pipe 12.

[0147] Effects

[0148] As described above, according to this embodiment, any of the following effects (a) to (n) are achieved.

[0149] (a) According to this embodiment, a processing chamber 7 is formed therein. Nozzles 34, 35, 36, and 37 are provided at one end of the processing chamber 7 as a gas supply unit, disposed within a preparatory chamber 33. Exhaust holes 13 are provided at the other end as gas exhaust units. Fins 100 are provided as regulating units. Fins 100 are configured to suppress the flow of gas exhausted from exhaust holes 13 and regulate the flow of gas from gas supply holes 38, 39, 40, and 41 to exhaust holes 13 within the processing chamber 7. Fins 100, located at locations of exhaust holes 13 where pressure is low and gas easily flows, increase the pressure near exhaust holes 13, making it difficult for gas to flow. This uniformizes the flow of gas throughout exhaust holes 13 and reduces pressure differences in the region of processing chamber 7 where wafers 6 are located. Consequently, gas can be uniformly supplied to each wafer 6, resulting in a uniform film thickness for the thin film formed on each wafer 6.

[0150] (b) According to this embodiment, fins 100 are provided on both sides of exhaust hole 13. This effectively increases the pressure near exhaust hole 13, making it difficult for gas to flow. Therefore, the gas flow can be uniformed throughout exhaust hole 13, reducing the pressure difference in the area of ​​processing chamber 7 where wafer 6 is located.

[0151] (c) According to this embodiment, the fins 100 are provided below the exhaust holes 13. When the exhaust pipe 12 is located close to the bottom of the exhaust holes 13, the fins 100 provided below the exhaust holes 13 can increase the pressure relative to the area where gas easily flows. This makes it possible to even out the flow of gas above and below the exhaust holes 13, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower areas of the processing chamber 7 where the wafers 6 are located.

[0152] (d) According to this embodiment, the fin 100e has different thicknesses in the upper and lower directions of the exhaust hole 13. This structure increases the pressure relative to the area where gas easily flows, thereby making the flow of gas above and below the exhaust hole 13 uniform, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is located.

[0153] (e) According to this embodiment, the fins are provided in a stepped shape (fin 100) or a triangular shape (fin 100a). By adopting this structure, the pressure can be increased relative to the area where the gas easily flows, thereby making the flow of gas above and below the exhaust hole 13 uniform, and reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower areas of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is installed.

[0154] (f) According to this embodiment, the fins 100 are not provided relative to at least a portion of the exhaust hole 13. By adopting this structure, the pressure can be increased relative to the area where the gas easily flows, thereby making the flow of gas above and below the exhaust hole 13 uniform, and reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is placed.

[0155] (g) According to this embodiment, the fins 100 are configured to suppress the flow of a portion of the gas exhausted from the exhaust holes 13. This configuration increases the pressure relative to the portion where the gas easily flows, thereby making the flow of gas above and below the exhaust holes 13 uniform, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower portions of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is located.

[0156] (h) According to this embodiment, the fins 100 are configured to uniformize the flow rate of the gas exhausted from the exhaust holes 13. This configuration allows the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust holes 13 to be uniform in the vertical direction, thereby uniformly supplying gas to each wafer 6 and achieving a uniform film thickness on each wafer 6.

[0157] (i) According to this embodiment, the fins 100 are configured to uniformize the gas pressure in the exhaust holes 13. This configuration allows the flow of gas exhausted from the exhaust holes 13 to be uniform in the vertical direction, thereby uniformly supplying gas to each wafer 6 and achieving a uniform film thickness on each wafer 6.

[0158] (j) According to this embodiment, the exhaust holes are selected from the group consisting of a quadrilateral (exhaust hole 13), a triangle (exhaust hole 13e), a trapezoid (exhaust hole 13f), a rhombus (exhaust hole 13g), a polygon (exhaust hole 13h), and an ellipse (exhaust hole 13b). With this structure, by appropriately combining the fins 100, the pressure can be increased relative to the area where gas easily flows. This makes the flow of gas above and below the exhaust holes 13 uniform, reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower areas of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is located.

[0159] (k) According to this embodiment, an exhaust pipe 12 is further provided for discharging the gas exhausted from the exhaust hole 13 to the outside of the processing tube 2, and the arrangement of the fins 100 is determined according to the positional relationship between the exhaust hole 13 and the exhaust pipe 12. This configuration makes it possible to uniformly distribute the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust hole 13 in the vertical direction, thereby uniformly supplying the gas to each wafer 6 and making the film thickness of the thin film formed on each wafer 6 uniform.

[0160] (1) According to this embodiment, the thickness of the fin 100e decreases as it goes upward. When the exhaust pipe 12 is located near the bottom of the exhaust hole 13, the fin 100e whose thickness decreases as it goes upward, i.e., the fin 100e whose thickness increases as it goes downward, is provided. This increases the pressure relative to the area where gas easily flows, thereby making the flow of gas above and below the exhaust hole 13 uniform, and reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower areas of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is installed.

[0161] (m) According to the present embodiment, the processing tube 2 is configured to include an inner tube 3 in which a processing chamber 7 is formed, and an outer tube 4 arranged concentrically on the outside of the inner tube 3, and is provided with a space fin 100 formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4, and a space ratio (wf / ws) of the width Wf of the fin 100 relative to the width Ws of the space formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4 is not less than 0.2 and not more than 0.9. When the space ratio is less than 0.2, the pressure of the gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13 cannot be effectively increased. When the space ratio is greater than 0.9, the pressure of the gas discharged from the exhaust hole 13 will be excessively increased, which will make it difficult to uniformize the flow of the gas at the upper and lower parts of the exhaust hole 13. Therefore, by making the space ratio not less than 0.2 and not more than 0.9, it is easy to uniformize the flow of the gas at the upper and lower parts of the exhaust hole 13, and it is possible to reduce the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the area of ​​the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is set.

[0162] (n) According to this embodiment, the processing tube 2 includes an inner tube 3 having a processing chamber 7 formed therein, and an outer tube 4 arranged concentrically outside the inner tube 3. Furthermore, the processing tube 2 includes a base 110 for arranging fins 100 near exhaust holes 13 provided in the inner tube 3. Thus, by combining the fins 100 and the base 110 to adjust the pressure of the gas exhausted from the exhaust holes 13, the flow of gas above and below the exhaust holes 13 can be easily uniformized, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower portions of the processing chamber 7 where the wafer 6 is located.

[0163] <Preferred Embodiments of the Present Disclosure>

[0164] The following is a supplementary description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0165] (Note 1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a reaction tube is provided, wherein a processing chamber is formed inside the reaction tube, wherein the processing chamber is provided with a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end, and is provided with a regulating portion. The regulating portion is configured to suppress the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion, and the flow of the gas from the gas supply portion to the exhaust portion in the processing chamber is regulated by the regulating portion, thereby making the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion uniform.

[0166] (Supplementary Note 2) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 1, the adjustment portion is provided on both sides of the discharge portion.

[0167] (Supplementary Note 3) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 1, the adjustment portion is provided below the discharge portion.

[0168] (Supplementary Note 4) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube according to Supplementary Note 1, the adjustment portion has different thicknesses in the vertical direction of the discharge portion.

[0169] (Supplementary Note 5) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 4, the adjustment portion is provided in a stepped shape or a triangular shape.

[0170] (Supplementary Note 6) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, the regulating portion is not provided with respect to at least a portion of the discharge portion.

[0171] (Supplementary Note 7) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 1, the regulating portion suppresses the flow of a portion of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion.

[0172] (Supplementary Note 8) In the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 7, it is preferable that the regulating portion is configured to make the flow of the gas discharged from the discharge portion uniform.

[0173] (Supplementary Note 9) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 7, the regulating portion makes the pressure of the gas in the exhaust portion uniform.

[0174] (Supplementary Note 10) Preferably, regarding the reaction tube of Supplementary Note 1, the discharge portion is selected from the group consisting of a quadrilateral, a triangle, a trapezoid, a rhombus, a polygon, and an ellipse.

[0175] (Note 11) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a processing device is provided, which includes a reaction tube, wherein a processing chamber is formed inside the reaction tube and is provided with an adjustment portion, the processing chamber is provided with a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end, the adjustment portion is configured to suppress the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion, and the flow of the gas from the gas supply portion to the exhaust portion in the processing chamber is adjusted by using the adjustment portion, so that the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion is uniform.

[0176] (Supplementary Note 12) Preferably, the processing apparatus of Supplementary Note 11 further includes an exhaust pipe for discharging the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion to the outside of the reaction tube, and the configuration of the adjustment portion is determined according to the positional relationship between the exhaust portion and the exhaust pipe.

[0177] (Supplementary Note 13) Preferably, regarding the processing device of Supplementary Note 11, the adjustment portion has different thicknesses in a vertical direction of the discharge portion.

[0178] (Supplementary Note 14) Preferably, regarding the processing device of Supplementary Note 11, the adjustment portion is provided on both sides of the discharge portion.

[0179] (Supplementary Note 15) Preferably, regarding the processing device of Supplementary Note 11, the thickness of the regulating portion decreases as it goes upward.

[0180] (Supplementary Note 16) Preferably, regarding the processing device of Supplementary Note 11, the adjustment portion is provided in a stepped shape or a triangular shape.

[0181] (Note 17) Preferably, with respect to the processing apparatus of Note 11, the reaction tube comprises: an inner tube which forms the processing chamber inside; and an outer tube which is concentrically arranged on the outside of the inner tube, the adjustment portion being arranged in a space formed between the inner tube and the outer tube, and a ratio of a width of the adjustment portion to a width of the space being greater than 0.2 and less than 0.9.

[0182] (Supplementary Note 18) Preferably, regarding the processing apparatus of Supplementary Note 11, the regulating portion is not provided with respect to at least a portion of the discharge portion.

[0183] (Note 19) Preferably, with respect to the processing apparatus of Note 11, the reaction tube comprises: an inner tube which forms the processing chamber inside; and an outer tube which is concentrically arranged on the outside of the inner tube and has a base which arranges the regulating part in the vicinity of the discharge part arranged on the inner tube.

[0184] (Note 20) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided, comprising: a step of loading a substrate into a reaction tube; and a step of processing the substrate, wherein the reaction tube has a processing chamber formed therein and is provided with an adjusting portion, wherein the processing chamber is provided with a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end, the adjusting portion being configured to suppress the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion, and the flow of the gas from the gas supply portion to the exhaust portion in the processing chamber is adjusted by using the adjusting portion, thereby making the flow of the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion uniform.

[0185] Various typical embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0186] For example, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to semiconductor manufacturing equipment for manufacturing semiconductors but can also be applied to equipment for processing glass substrates for LCD devices and the like. Furthermore, substrate processing includes, for example, CVD, PVD, oxide film and nitride film formation, metal-containing film formation, annealing, oxidation, nitridation, and diffusion. Furthermore, the apparatus can also be applied to various substrate processing apparatuses, such as exposure apparatuses, coating apparatuses, drying apparatuses, and heating apparatuses.

Claims

1. A reaction tube, characterized in that: A processing chamber is formed inside, which is provided with a gas supply part at one end and an exhaust part at the other end. A regulating portion is provided, the regulating portion being configured to protrude outward from the discharge portion so as to ensure at least the lateral width of the discharge portion in order to suppress the flow of the gas discharged from the discharge portion. The adjustment portion is configured so that the thickness thereof varies in a vertical direction of the discharge portion from the processing chamber toward the outside.

2. The reaction tube according to claim 1, characterized in that The regulating portion suppresses flow of a portion of the gas discharged from the discharge portion.

3. The reaction tube according to claim 2, characterized in that The regulating portion makes the flow of the gas discharged from the discharge portion uniform in the vertical direction.

4. The reaction tube according to claim 1, characterized in that The regulating portion is provided on both sides of the discharge portion.

5. The reaction tube according to claim 1, characterized in that The regulating portion is provided at a lower side of the discharge portion.

6. The reaction tube according to claim 5, characterized in that The adjusting portion is configured in a stepped shape or a triangular shape.

7. The reaction tube according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The regulating portion is not provided with respect to at least a portion of the discharge portion.

8. The reaction tube according to claim 6, characterized in that The regulating portion makes the pressure of the gas in the discharge portion uniform.

9. The reaction tube according to claim 1, characterized in that The discharge portion is selected from the group consisting of a quadrilateral, a triangle, a trapezoid, a rhombus, a polygon, and an ellipse.

10. A processing device, characterized in that: A reaction tube is provided, wherein a processing chamber is formed inside the reaction tube and an adjustment portion is provided. The processing chamber is provided with a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end. In order to suppress the flow of gas exhausted from the exhaust portion, the adjustment portion is constructed to protrude outward from the exhaust portion to at least ensure the lateral width of the exhaust portion. The adjustment portion is constructed to have different thicknesses in the direction from the processing chamber toward the outside in the upper and lower directions of the exhaust portion.

11. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that further comprising an exhaust pipe for discharging the gas exhausted from the exhaust portion to the outside of the reaction tube, The arrangement of the adjustment portion is determined according to the positional relationship between the discharge portion and the exhaust pipe.

12. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The regulating portion has different thicknesses in the vertical direction of the discharge portion.

13. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The regulating portion is provided on both sides of the discharge portion.

14. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The regulating portion is provided at a lower side of the discharge portion.

15. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The adjusting portion is configured in a stepped shape or a triangular shape.

16. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The reaction tube includes: an inner tube forming the processing chamber inside; and an outer tube provided concentrically outside the inner tube. The adjustment portion is arranged in a space formed between the inner tube and the outer tube.

17. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The regulating portion is not provided with respect to at least a portion of the discharge portion.

18. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The reaction tube includes a susceptor disposed near the discharge portion.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that: have: The process of loading the substrate into the reaction tube; and a step of processing the substrate, The reaction tube has a processing chamber formed inside and is equipped with an adjustment portion. The processing chamber is provided with a gas supply portion at one end and an exhaust portion at the other end. In order to suppress the flow of gas exhausted from the exhaust portion, the adjustment portion is constructed to at least ensure the lateral width of the exhaust portion and protrude outward more than the exhaust portion. The adjustment portion is constructed to have different thicknesses in the upper and lower directions of the exhaust portion from the processing chamber toward the outside.

Images