Semiconductor laser oxidation furnace
By adding a heat insulation layer in the central area of the quartz furnace tube and setting a gas supply pipe with corresponding air inlet holes, the problem of inconsistent wafer oxidation rate in the vertical oxidation furnace was solved, achieving uniformity of wafer oxidation rate and improvement of semiconductor laser performance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing vertical oxidation furnaces cannot guarantee the uniformity of oxidation rate for each wafer layer within the furnace, resulting in inconsistent oxidation apertures and affecting the performance of semiconductor lasers.
An insulation layer is added to the central area of the quartz furnace tube, and multiple gas supply pipes with gas inlets corresponding to the wafer positions are set to ensure uniform water vapor concentration. A rotary motor and heater are combined to control temperature uniformity.
This achieved uniform oxidation rate of wafers within the quartz furnace tube, improving the performance uniformity and efficiency of semiconductor lasers.
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Figure CN121739749A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of optical device fabrication, and in particular to an oxidation furnace for semiconductor lasers. Background Technology
[0002] A semiconductor laser is a laser emitter made using semiconductor materials. The performance of a semiconductor laser is closely related to its oxide layer. For example, a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VSCEL) is a type of semiconductor laser. The oxide layer of the Bragg reflector in a VSCEL has a significant impact on its performance. The AlAs or AlGaAs material layer in the Bragg reflector, after being oxidized by water vapor, forms a non-conductive Al₂O₃ layer, which acts as a current confinement. The oxidation process proceeds gradually from the crystal edge towards the center. The refractive index of the oxidized Al₂O₃ material is significantly lower than that of the unoxidized AlAs or AlGaAs material in the center, thus forming a refractive index waveguide at the oxide aperture, acting as an optical confinement. The size of the oxide aperture also affects the performance of the semiconductor laser, particularly its threshold current and electro-optic conversion efficiency, and directly influences the device's thermal characteristics. The oxide aperture size is related to the oxidation rate. Therefore, precisely controlling the oxidation rate of a semiconductor laser is crucial.
[0003] Fabricating semiconductor lasers requires a high-temperature oxidation furnace to form the oxide layer. Common high-temperature oxidation furnaces can be broadly categorized into vertical and horizontal furnaces based on the arrangement of the furnace tubes. Vertical furnaces, which can hold multiple wafers simultaneously and distribute them across multiple layers, offer higher efficiency and are widely used.
[0004] However, existing vertical oxidation furnaces cannot guarantee the consistency of oxidation rate for each wafer layer in the furnace, resulting in inconsistent oxidation aperture size of the wafers in the furnace, which leads to poor performance of the prepared semiconductor lasers. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a semiconductor laser oxidation furnace, comprising: a quartz furnace tube, a heat insulation layer, a gas supply pipe, and a humidity generator;
[0006] The quartz furnace tube is equipped with a wafer rack inside for placing wafers;
[0007] The heat insulation layer is attached to the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube; wherein the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube is located between the inlet end and the outlet end of the quartz furnace tube.
[0008] The first end of the gas transmission pipe is connected to the humidity generator, and the second end of the gas transmission pipe passes through the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube and enters the interior of the quartz furnace tube to input the water vapor generated by the humidity generator into the interior of the quartz furnace tube.
[0009] The second end of the gas supply pipe is closed; the gas supply pipe is provided with multiple air inlets; and the positions of the multiple air inlets correspond one-to-one with the positions of the wafers on the wafer rack.
[0010] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, in the direction connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube, the thickness of the insulation layer decreases from the middle of the insulation layer towards both sides of the insulation layer.
[0011] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the gas pipeline is provided with a heating tape for heating the gas pipeline.
[0012] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the gas transmission pipeline includes a first branch pipeline and a second branch pipeline; the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline are symmetrically arranged with respect to the wafer rack.
[0013] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the semiconductor laser oxidation furnace further includes a furnace door;
[0014] A heater is provided on the inside of the furnace door for heating the furnace door.
[0015] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the wafer rack includes a grooved quartz column, a wafer rack base, and a wafer rack top cover.
[0016] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the wafer rack includes multiple quartz pillars with grooves. The first end of one of the quartz pillars is connected to the wafer rack base via a hinge, and the second end is rotatable. The remaining quartz pillars are fixed to the wafer rack base, and adjacent quartz pillars are connected by a wafer placement rack. The two ends of the wafer placement rack are placed in the grooves of adjacent quartz pillars for placing wafers.
[0017] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the semiconductor laser oxidation furnace further includes a furnace door;
[0018] A rotary motor is installed at the bottom of the furnace door;
[0019] The rotary motor is connected to the wafer rack base via a sealed rotary shaft to drive the wafer rack to rotate; the sealed rotary shaft passes through the center of the furnace door.
[0020] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the wafer rack top cover is provided with holes that correspond one-to-one with the positions of the quartz pillars.
[0021] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the insulation layer is made of mica, which has high temperature resistance, heat insulation and flame retardant properties.
[0022] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows: This disclosure provides a semiconductor laser oxidation furnace, including a quartz furnace tube, a heat insulation layer, a gas supply pipe, and a humidity generator. The quartz furnace tube has a wafer rack inside for placing wafers; the heat insulation layer is attached to the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube, wherein the central region is located between the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube. Since the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube are in contact with the outside and are not in the heating zone, while the central region of the quartz furnace tube is not in contact with the outside but is in the heating zone, due to factors such as heat convection, heat from the two end regions dissipates to the outside, while heat accumulates in the central region. This results in the central region of the quartz furnace tube having a significantly higher temperature than the two end regions, causing the oxidation rate of the wafers located in the central region of the quartz furnace tube to be inconsistent with that of the wafers located at the two end regions. Adding a heat insulation layer to the central region of the quartz furnace tube can prevent heat accumulation in the central region of the quartz furnace tube, making the temperature distribution in the central region and the two end regions of the quartz furnace tube uniform, thereby ensuring the consistency of the oxidation rate of the wafers inside the quartz furnace tube.
[0023] The first end of the gas supply pipe is connected to a humidity generator, and the second end of the gas supply pipe enters the quartz furnace tube through the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube to introduce water vapor into the quartz furnace tube. The gas supply pipe is located between the wafer rack and the inner wall of the quartz furnace tube. The second end of the gas supply pipe is closed. The gas supply pipe has multiple air inlets, and the positions of the multiple air inlets correspond one-to-one with the positions of the wafers on the wafer rack. This ensures that the water vapor concentration in contact with the wafers is consistent, thereby ensuring the consistency of the wafer oxidation rate. Attached Figure Description
[0024] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0025] Figure 1 The schematic diagram illustrates a structural schematic of a semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a wafer rack top cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0027] Figure label:
[0028] 1: Humidity generator; 2: Gas pipeline; 3: Heating tape; 4: Process chamber; 5: Heating resistor; 6: Insulation layer; 7: Quartz furnace tube; 8: Air inlet; 9: Exhaust outlet; 10: Fastening fixture; 11: Sealing ring; 12: Lifting mechanism; 13: Exhaust gas pipeline; 14: Exhaust gas treatment device; 15: Rotary motor; 16: Furnace door; 17: Heater; 18: Temperature sensor; 19: Wafer rack base; 20: Hinge; 21: Quartz column; 22: Wafer rack top cover. Detailed Implementation
[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.
[0031] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.
[0032] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "length", "circumferential", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the subsystem or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.
[0033] Throughout the accompanying drawings, identical elements are represented by the same or similar reference numerals. Conventional structures or constructions have been omitted where they may cause confusion in understanding this disclosure. Furthermore, the shapes, dimensions, and positional relationships of the components in the drawings do not reflect actual size, scale, or actual positional relationships. Additionally, any reference numerals placed between parentheses in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims.
[0034] Similarly, to simplify this disclosure and aid in understanding one or more of the various aspects of the disclosure, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, various features of the present disclosure are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. The use of terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refers to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0036] In the context of this disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being "above" another layer / element, the layer / element may be directly above the other layer / element, or there may be an intermediate layer / element between them. Additionally, if a layer / element is "above" another layer / element in one orientation, then when the orientation is reversed, the layer / element may be "below" the other layer / element.
[0037] In the fabrication of semiconductor lasers, their performance is related to the oxide aperture of the oxide layer. For example, a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VSCEL) is a type of semiconductor laser. The oxide layer of the Bragg reflector in a VSCEL has a significant impact on its performance. The AlAs or AlGaAs material layer in the Bragg reflector, after being oxidized with water vapor, forms a non-conductive Al2O3 material, which acts as a current confinement mechanism. The oxidation process proceeds gradually from the crystal edge towards the center. The refractive index of the oxidized Al2O3 material is significantly lower than that of the unoxidized AlAs or AlGaAs material in the center, thus forming a refractive index waveguide at the oxide aperture as optical confinement. The size of the oxide aperture also affects the performance of the semiconductor laser, particularly its threshold current and electro-optic conversion efficiency, and directly influences the device's thermal characteristics. The oxide aperture size is related to the oxidation rate. Therefore, precisely controlling the oxidation rate of semiconductor lasers is crucial.
[0038] Fabricating semiconductor lasers requires a high-temperature oxidation furnace to form the oxide layer. Common high-temperature oxidation furnaces can be broadly categorized into vertical and horizontal furnaces based on the arrangement of the furnace tubes. Vertical furnaces, which can hold multiple wafers simultaneously and are distributed across multiple layers, offer higher efficiency and are widely used.
[0039] However, existing vertical oxidation furnaces cannot guarantee the uniformity of oxidation rate for each wafer layer within the furnace, resulting in inconsistent oxidation aperture sizes and consequently poor performance of the fabricated semiconductor lasers. This is mainly due to the following two reasons:
[0040] (1) Although traditional vertical oxidation furnaces have uniformly heated heating wires arranged around the quartz furnace tube, the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube are not entirely contained within the heating area of the cavity and remain in contact with the outside. Due to factors such as heat convection, heat on both sides of the inlet and outlet ends of the furnace tube is easily dissipated to the outside, while heat accumulates in the central area. This results in the temperature in the central area of the quartz furnace tube being significantly higher than that at the ends. The oxidation rate of wafers used to fabricate semiconductor lasers is related to the oxidation temperature. Therefore, the oxidation rate of wafers in the central area of the quartz furnace tube is significantly higher than that in the areas on both sides where the inlet and outlet ends are located. This will seriously affect the uniformity of the oxidation rate among the wafers, ultimately resulting in a significant difference in the oxidation aperture between the wafers at the ends and the center of the furnace tube.
[0041] (2) The water vapor required for the oxidation reaction of the wafer is introduced into the furnace tube through the gas inlet. Traditional vertical oxidation furnaces usually have only one gas inlet at the gas supply end, which makes it difficult to ensure the uniformity of water vapor among the wafer layers, which in turn affects the consistency of the oxidation rate of the wafer layers and makes the oxidation pore size of the wafer layers inconsistent.
[0042] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a semiconductor laser oxidation furnace, which can be used to prepare oxide layers for semiconductor lasers. This addresses the problem that existing vertical oxidation furnaces cannot guarantee the uniformity of oxidation rates across wafer layers. The following describes the process in conjunction with... Figures 1 to 2 The structure of the semiconductor laser oxidation furnace provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will be described.
[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a semiconductor laser oxidation furnace provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor laser provided in this embodiment includes a quartz furnace tube 7, a heat insulation layer 6, a gas supply pipe 2, and a humidity generator 1.
[0044] The quartz furnace tube 7 contains a wafer rack for holding wafers. The wafer rack can be configured as a multi-layer structure to hold multiple wafers, allowing the oxidation furnace to prepare oxide layers on multiple wafers at a time. Multiple wafers undergo oxidation reactions within the quartz furnace tube 7.
[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the quartz furnace tube 7 can be placed vertically. A portion of the area between the upper and lower ends of the quartz furnace tube 7, i.e., between the inlet and outlet ends, is located within the internal heating zone of the process chamber 4. Inside the process chamber 4, heating resistors 5 are arranged around the quartz furnace tube 7 to heat it, thereby providing the reaction temperature required for the oxidation reaction of the wafer within the quartz furnace tube 7.
[0046] The heat insulation layer 6 is attached to the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube 7; wherein, the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube 7 is located between the inlet end and the outlet end of the quartz furnace tube 7. The heat insulation layer 6 is used to reduce the heat transferred from the heating resistor 5 to the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube 7, so that the heat distribution in the central region and the two end regions of the quartz furnace tube 7 is uniform, so as to maintain the temperature uniformity in the central region and the two end regions of the quartz furnace tube 7, thereby ensuring that the oxidation rate between each wafer is consistent.
[0047] The first end of the gas supply pipe 2 is connected to the humidity generator 1, and the second end of the gas supply pipe passes through the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube 7 and enters the interior of the quartz furnace tube 7 to input the water vapor generated by the humidity generator 1 into the interior of the quartz furnace tube 7 to provide water vapor for the oxidation reaction of the wafer.
[0048] The second end of the gas supply pipe 2 is closed. Multiple air inlets 8 are provided on the gas supply pipe 2. The positions of the multiple air inlets 8 correspond one-to-one with the positions of the wafers on the wafer rack.
[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the gas supply pipe 2 is provided with multiple air inlets 8 in the pipe section that leads into the quartz furnace tube 7. The positions of the multiple air inlets 8 correspond one-to-one with the positions of the wafers on the wafer rack. This allows water vapor to be delivered directly to the positions of the multiple wafers on the wafer rack, ensuring that the concentration of water vapor received by the multiple wafers is consistent, thereby ensuring that the oxidation rate of each wafer is consistent.
[0050] This disclosure provides a semiconductor laser oxidation furnace, including a quartz furnace tube, a heat insulation layer, a gas supply pipe, and a humidity generator. The quartz furnace tube contains a wafer rack for holding wafers. The heat insulation layer is attached to the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube, located between the inlet and outlet ends. Since the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube are in contact with the outside and not in the heating zone, while the central region is in the heating zone and not in contact with the outside, heat is dissipated to the outside due to heat convection and other factors. However, heat accumulates in the central region, resulting in a significantly higher temperature in the central region compared to the ends. This causes an inconsistency in the oxidation rate between the wafers in the central region and those at the ends. Adding a heat insulation layer to the central region of the quartz furnace tube prevents heat accumulation there, ensuring a more uniform temperature distribution between the central region and the ends, thereby guaranteeing a consistent oxidation rate for the wafers within the quartz furnace tube.
[0051] The first end of the gas supply pipe is connected to a humidity generator, and the second end of the gas supply pipe enters the quartz furnace tube through the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube to introduce water vapor into the quartz furnace tube. The gas supply pipe is located between the wafer rack and the inner wall of the quartz furnace tube. The second end of the gas supply pipe is closed. The gas supply pipe has multiple air inlets, and the positions of the multiple air inlets correspond one-to-one with the positions of the wafers on the wafer rack. This ensures that the water vapor concentration in contact with the wafers is consistent, thereby ensuring the consistency of the wafer oxidation rate.
[0052] In an optional embodiment, in the direction connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube 7, the thickness of the insulation layer 6 decreases from the middle of the insulation layer 6 to both sides of the insulation layer 6.
[0053] The thickness of the insulation layer affects its effectiveness in preventing heat loss. Because heat tends to accumulate in the central area of the quartz furnace tube, the temperature there is higher than at the ends. By decreasing the thickness of the insulation layer from the center towards the sides, the insulation level conforms to the heat distribution pattern of the quartz furnace tube, more evenly compensating for the temperature difference between the central and end areas.
[0054] In an optional embodiment, a heating tape 3 may be provided on the outside of the gas pipeline 2 for heating the gas pipeline 2.
[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, the water vapor required for the oxidation reaction is generated by the humidity generator 1 and purged into the quartz furnace tube 7 by nitrogen. To prevent water vapor from condensing in the gas supply pipe 2, a heat tracing cable 3 can be installed outside the gas supply pipe 2 between the humidity generator 1 and the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube 7. The temperature of the heat tracing cable 3 is kept at a constant temperature above 100°C, which prevents water vapor condensation and ensures that the water vapor concentration in contact with each wafer is uniform.
[0056] In an optional embodiment, the gas transmission pipeline 2 includes a first branch pipeline and a second branch pipeline. The first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline are arranged symmetrically with respect to the wafer rack.
[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the gas supply pipe 2 enters the interior of the quartz furnace tube 7 through the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube 7. Inside the quartz furnace tube 7, the gas supply pipe 2 splits into two branch pipes at the fork. The two branch pipes are symmetrically arranged relative to the wafer rack, which further ensures that the water vapor concentration in contact with each wafer in the wafer rack is uniform.
[0058] It should be noted that in this disclosure, there is no limit to the number of branch pipes included in the gas transmission pipeline, and each branch pipe only needs to be evenly distributed around the wafer rack.
[0059] In an optional embodiment, the semiconductor laser oxidation furnace provided in this disclosure further includes a furnace door 16. A heater 17 is provided on the inner side of the furnace door 16 for heating the furnace door 16.
[0060] Because the furnace door 16 is made of metal and is in contact with the outside environment, it is not within the heating area of the heating resistor 5. Water vapor entering the quartz furnace tube 7 easily condenses at the furnace door 16, affecting the water vapor concentration inside the quartz furnace tube 7 and causing inconsistent oxidation rates of the wafers. A heater 17 is installed inside the furnace door 16 to heat it, maintaining a constant temperature and preventing water vapor condensation. In some optional embodiments, a temperature sensor 18 can also be installed on the furnace door 16 to detect its temperature. When the temperature is below a threshold, the heater power is increased; when the temperature is above the threshold, the heater power is decreased, thus stabilizing the furnace door temperature.
[0061] In an optional embodiment, the wafer rack includes a grooved quartz column 21, a wafer rack base 19, and a wafer rack top cover 22.
[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, the wafer rack is made of high-temperature resistant quartz material. The wafer rack may include multiple quartz pillars with grooves. One of the quartz pillars has its first end connected to the wafer rack base 19 via a hinge 20, and its second end is rotatable for easy placement and removal of wafers. The remaining quartz pillars are fixed to the wafer rack base 19, and adjacent pillars are connected by wafer placement frames. The two ends of the wafer placement frames are positioned within the grooves of adjacent quartz pillars for placing wafers.
[0063] In an optional embodiment, the wafer rack top cover 22 is provided with holes that correspond one-to-one with the positions of the quartz pillars 21.
[0064] Figure 2 A schematic top view of the wafer rack top cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the wafer caddy top cover has holes corresponding to the positions of the five quartz pillars. At this time, the wafer caddy includes five quartz pillars, four of which are fixed to the wafer caddy base 19 and connected to each other, and the other quartz pillar is connected to the wafer caddy base 19 via a rotating hinge 20, which can rotate around the axis to release the wafer.
[0065] In an optional embodiment, the semiconductor laser oxidation furnace provided in this disclosure further includes a furnace door 16. A rotary motor 15 is installed at the bottom of the furnace door 16. The rotary motor 15 is connected to the wafer rack base 19 via a sealed rotating shaft, and is used to drive the wafer rack to rotate so that each wafer on the wafer rack is heated uniformly. The sealed rotating shaft passes through the center of the furnace door 16 to ensure that each wafer on the wafer rack is heated uniformly.
[0066] In an optional embodiment, the insulation layer 6 can be made of mica, which has high temperature resistance, heat insulation and flame retardant properties.
[0067] In an optional embodiment, the furnace door 16 can be raised or lowered by an externally provided lifting mechanism 12, thereby sending the wafer rack into or out of the quartz furnace tube 7.
[0068] In an optional embodiment, the edge of the furnace door 16 is provided with an exhaust port 9, and the exhaust gas generated by the wafer oxidation reaction is output to the exhaust gas treatment device 14 through the exhaust port 9 and the exhaust gas pipe 13.
[0069] In an optional embodiment, a sealing ring 11 is provided at the contact position between the furnace door 16 and the outlet end of the quartz furnace tube 7. A fastening clamp 10 is provided on the outside of the furnace door 16 to keep the inside of the quartz furnace tube 7 in a sealed state, ensuring a constant reaction temperature and water vapor concentration, thereby ensuring the consistency of oxidation rate of each wafer.
[0070] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this disclosure. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.
Claims
1. A semiconductor laser oxidation furnace, comprising: Quartz furnace tube (7), insulation layer (6), gas pipeline (2) and humidity generator (1); The quartz furnace tube (7) is equipped with a wafer rack inside for placing wafers; The heat insulation layer (6) is attached to the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube (7); wherein the central region of the outer wall of the quartz furnace tube (7) is located between the inlet end and the outlet end of the quartz furnace tube (7). The first end of the gas transmission pipe (2) is connected to the humidity generator (1), and the second end of the gas transmission pipe passes through the inlet end of the quartz furnace tube (7) and enters the interior of the quartz furnace tube (7) to input the water vapor generated by the humidity generator (1) into the interior of the quartz furnace tube (7). The second end of the gas pipeline (2) is closed; the gas pipeline (2) is provided with multiple air inlets (8); the positions of the multiple air inlets (8) correspond one-to-one with the positions of the wafers on the wafer rack.
2. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the direction connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the quartz furnace tube (7), the thickness of the insulation layer (6) decreases from the middle of the insulation layer (6) towards both sides of the insulation layer (6).
3. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas pipeline (2) is provided with a heat tracing cable (3) for heating the gas pipeline (2).
4. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas transmission pipeline (2) includes a first branch pipeline and a second branch pipeline; the first branch pipeline and the second branch pipeline are symmetrically arranged relative to the wafer rack.
5. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace also includes a furnace door (16). A heater (17) is provided on the inside of the furnace door (16) for heating the furnace door (16).
6. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer rack includes a grooved quartz column (21), a wafer rack base (19), and a wafer rack top cover (22).
7. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wafer rack includes multiple quartz pillars (21) with grooves. The first end of one of the multiple quartz pillars (21) is connected to the wafer rack base (19) via a hinge (20), and the second end is rotatable. The remaining quartz pillars are fixed to the wafer rack base (19), and adjacent quartz pillars are connected by a wafer placement rack. The two ends of the wafer placement rack are placed in the grooves of adjacent quartz pillars for placing wafers.
8. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace also includes a furnace door (16). A rotary motor (15) is installed at the bottom of the furnace door (16). The rotary motor (15) is connected to the wafer rack base (19) via a sealed rotary shaft to drive the wafer rack to rotate; the sealed rotary shaft passes through the center of the furnace door (16).
9. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wafer rack top cover (22) has holes that correspond one-to-one with the positions of the quartz pillars (21).
10. The semiconductor laser oxidation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulation layer (6) is made of mica, which has high temperature resistance, heat insulation and flame retardant properties.