High-pressure annealing apparatus

Abstract

To improve sealing performance in a high-pressure annealing apparatus for performing heat treatment on a semiconductor wafer or a semiconductor device.SOLUTION: A processing apparatus 1 includes an inner chamber 11 having a processing space 21 that accommodates an object to be processed 90 and is filled with a processing gas, a pressure vessel 3 including a closure 8 that openably closes the processing space 21, a sensor 17 having a contact portion 51 disposed in the processing space 21 and a wire 52 connected to the contact portion 51, a first wire hole 62 penetrating the closure 8 and through which the wire 52 passes, a first seal 64 provided in the first wire hole 62 and sealing a gap between the closure 8 and the wire 52, a cup 61 attached to an outer surface of the closure 8 and enclosing the first wire hole 62 and the first seal 64, a second wire hole 63 penetrating the cup 61 and through which the wire 52 passes, and a second seal 65 provided in the second wire hole 63 and sealing a gap between the cup 61 and the wire 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a high pressure annealing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a processing apparatus having a double chamber structure consisting of a pressure vessel and an inner chamber, which performs an annealing process on a semiconductor wafer or semiconductor device as a processing object. During the annealing process, the processing object is placed in the inner chamber, which is filled with a flammable or toxic processing gas. A sensor is placed inside the double chamber structure to obtain information necessary for control. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2009-539231 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The sensor is located inside the chamber, while the control panel is located outside. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a hole in the double chamber structure for passing the wiring connecting to the sensor. It is desirable to be able to prevent the process gas from leaking through this hole.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure annealing processing apparatus with improved sealing properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a high-pressure annealing treatment apparatus for performing heat treatment on a semiconductor wafer or semiconductor device as a workpiece, comprising: an inner chamber having a treatment space that accommodates the workpiece and is filled with a treatment gas; a pressure vessel including a closure that surrounds the inner chamber and closes the treatment space in an openable manner; a sensor having a contact portion that is arranged in the treatment space or a space within the pressure vessel that communicates with the treatment space, and wiring that is connected to the contact portion; a first wiring hole that penetrates the closure and through which the wiring passes; a first seal that is provided in the first wiring hole and seals the gap between the closure and the wiring; a cup that is attached to the outer surface of the closure and encloses the first wiring hole and the first seal; a second wiring hole that penetrates the cup and through which the wiring passes; and a second seal that is provided in the second wiring hole and seals the gap between the cup and the wiring.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the cup is attached to the outer surface of the closure, and the sensor wiring extends from the contact portion to the outside of the pressure vessel, passing sequentially through the interior of the pressure vessel, the first wiring hole in the closure, the interior of the cup, and the second wiring hole in the cup. The first seal provided in the first wiring hole prevents the process gas from leaking to the outside of the closure through the first wiring hole. The first wiring hole and the first seal are contained by the cup. Therefore, even if the process gas leaks to the outside of the closure, it is contained within the cup. The second seal provided in the second wiring hole prevents the process gas from leaking from the inside of the cup to the outside of the pressure vessel through the second wiring hole. In this way, a structure for preventing leakage of the process gas is provided in multiple stages. Therefore, high sealing performance can be achieved even when a hole for passing the sensor wiring is provided in the closure.

[0008] The first wiring hole may be provided at a position offset radially outward from the center of the closure.

[0009] During the annealing process, high pressure acts on the inner surface of the closure, causing stress to concentrate at its center. If the first wiring hole were provided in the center, it would be necessary to increase the thickness of the closure to ensure its strength. With the above configuration, the first wiring hole is provided away from the center. When providing a hole in the closure for passing the sensor wiring through, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the closure.

[0010] The high-pressure annealing treatment apparatus may further include an inner terminal block installed on the inner surface of the closure, and the wiring may include an inner wiring portion extending from the contact portion and a first relay wiring portion passing through the first wiring hole, and the inner wiring portion and the first relay wiring portion may be connected by the inner terminal block.

[0011] Here, if the wiring extending from the contact portion passes directly through the first wiring hole without passing through a terminal block, the work of installing the contact portion inside the pressure vessel is completed before assembling the wiring and the first seal to the closure. In contrast, with the above configuration, the wiring is separated into a portion connected to the contact portion and a portion passing through the first wiring hole at the inner terminal block installed on the inner surface of the closure. Therefore, the work of installing the contact portion inside the pressure vessel and the work of passing the wiring through the first wiring hole to connect it to the inner terminal block and assembling the first seal to the closure can be performed in parallel. This improves the production efficiency of the processing equipment.

[0012] The high-pressure annealing treatment apparatus may further include an outer terminal block installed on the outer surface of the closure and placed within the cup, and the wiring may further include a second relay wiring portion that passes through the second wiring hole, and the first relay wiring portion and the second relay wiring portion may be connected by the outer terminal block.

[0013] Here, if the wiring that passes through the first wiring hole passes directly through the second wiring hole without passing through the terminal block, the first seal must be assembled to the closure, then the wiring must be passed through the second wiring hole to assemble the cup to the closure, and then the second seal must be assembled to the cup. In contrast, with the above configuration, the wiring is separated into a portion that passes through the first wiring hole and a portion that passes through the second wiring hole at the outer terminal block installed on the outer surface of the closure. Therefore, the work of passing the wiring through the first wiring hole to connect it to the inner terminal block and the outer terminal block and assembling the first seal to the closure and the work of passing the wiring through the second wiring hole to assemble the second seal to the cup can be performed in parallel. This improves the production efficiency of the processing equipment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high-pressure annealing apparatus with improved sealing properties. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a high-pressure annealing treatment apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Enlarged view of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a high-pressure annealing apparatus according to an embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "processing apparatus 1") is installed in a clean room (not shown) of a semiconductor manufacturing facility. The processing apparatus 1 performs a heat treatment (annealing treatment) on a semiconductor wafer or semiconductor device as a workpiece 90. The heat treatment is performed at high temperature and high pressure in a processing space filled with a processing gas. Examples of heat treatment include solid-phase diffusion, crystal recovery, silicide formation, and gettering. The processing gas is flammable or toxic, and is, for example, hydrogen gas, deuterium gas, fluorine gas, chlorine gas, ammonia gas, or a combination thereof.

[0018] The processing device 1 is cylindrical overall with a central axis A. Unless otherwise specified, the "axial direction," "radial direction," and "circumferential direction" are based on this central axis A. In this embodiment, the central axis A is oriented vertically, for example. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, one side of the axial direction may be referred to as "upper" and the other side as "lower." However, this direction is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate depending on the installation posture of the processing device 1.

[0019] The processing apparatus 1 includes a frame 2 , a pressure vessel 3 , an inner chamber 11 , a product table 12 , a heater 13 , a jacket 15 , a control device 16 , and a temperature sensor 17 .

[0020] The frame 2 is placed on the floor of a clean room (not shown). The pressure vessel 3 is supported by the frame 2. The pressure vessel 3 includes an outer chamber 4 and a closure 8, which form an internal space 20. A sealant (not shown) is installed between these components (the outer chamber 4 and the closure 8), keeping the internal space 20 airtight.

[0021] The outer chamber 4 has a cylindrical body 5 and a head 6 provided at one end of the body 5. The head 6 forms one end of the pressure vessel 3 as a whole. The other end of the body 5 is open.

[0022] The inner chamber 11 is housed in the pressure vessel 3. In other words, the pressure vessel 3 surrounds the inner chamber 11. The inner chamber 11 is cylindrical with one end closed and the other end open, with a bottom. The inner chamber 11 divides the internal space 20 of the pressure vessel 3 into a processing space 21 and a container space 22. The processing space 21 is formed inside the inner chamber 11. The container space 22 is formed outside the inner chamber 11 and inside the pressure vessel 3.

[0023] The closure 8 is disk-shaped and releasably closes the processing space 21. The closure 8 is axially displaceable between a closed position where the closure 8 closes the processing space 21 and an open position where the closure 8 is separated from the outer chamber 4 and opens the processing space 21.

[0024] A product stage 12 is fixed to the inner surface of the closure 8, and the product stage 12 removably supports the workpiece 90. When the closure 8 is in the open position, the workpiece 90 before heat treatment is transferred to the product stage 12. When the closure 8 is shifted to the closed position, the product stage 12 and the workpiece 90 are housed in the treatment space 21. In this state, the heat treatment is performed. During the heat treatment, a high-pressure treatment gas is filled into the treatment space 21. When the heat treatment is completed, the closure 8 is shifted to the open position, and the workpiece 90 after heat treatment is transferred from the product stage 12.

[0025] The heater 13 operates during heat treatment. The heater 13 is housed in the vessel space 22 and is arranged along the outer surface of the inner chamber 11. The heat generated by the heater 13 is transferred to the processing space 21 via the inner chamber 11, thereby heating the workpiece 90. Because the heater 13 is arranged outside the processing space 21, particles that may be generated in the heater 13, etc., can be prevented from entering the processing space 21.

[0026] During the heat treatment, the pressure vessel 3 is heated. The jacket 15 is cylindrical and is attached to the outer periphery of the barrel 5. A cooling medium (e.g., water) flows through the space between the inner periphery of the jacket 15 and the outer periphery of the barrel 5, thereby cooling the pressure vessel 3, particularly the barrel 5. Note that sealing materials are provided at both axial ends of the jacket 15 to prevent leakage of the cooling medium.

[0027] The control device 16 controls the operation of the closure 8. The control device 16 also controls the internal temperature and pressure of the processing space 21 during heat treatment. The temperature sensor 17 is an example of a sensor that acquires information necessary for performing such control, and detects the internal temperature of the processing space 21.

[0028] A contact point 51 (temperature measuring contact point) of the temperature sensor 17 is installed inside the pressure vessel 3, for example, on the outer periphery of the product stage 12. The contact point 51 is connected to the control device 16 via a wiring 52. The control device 16 is installed outside the pressure vessel 3. The wiring 52 passes through the pressure vessel 3.

[0029] The processing apparatus 1 further includes a cooling mechanism 30 and a sealing mechanism 60. The cooling mechanism 30 is installed on the outer surface side of the head plate 6 and cools the pressure vessel 3, particularly the head plate 6. This further prevents the pressure vessel 3 from overheating. As shown in the figure, the pressure vessel 3 may be supported by the frame 2 via the cooling mechanism 30.

[0030] The sealing mechanism 60 will be described below with reference to Fig. 2. The sealing mechanism 60 prevents the processing gas from leaking from the processing space 21 to the outside of the pressure vessel 3 through the hole through which the wiring 52 of the temperature sensor 17 is passed.

[0031] The sealing mechanism 60 includes a cup 61 attached to the outer surface of the closure 8. The cup 61 is cylindrical and has a bottom. The cup 61 has a disk-shaped bottom wall 61a, a peripheral wall 61b extending from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 61a, and an annular flange 61c protruding radially outward from the edge of the peripheral wall 61b. With the end face of the flange 61c in surface contact with the outer surface of the closure 8, multiple bolts 67 are inserted through the flange 61c and screwed into the closure 8. This assembles the cup 61 to the closure 8. The cup 61 is coaxial with the central axis A. A groove for receiving a seal 66, such as an O-ring, is provided on the end face of the flange 61c, radially inward from the fastening point. The seal 66 is interposed between the outer surface of the closure 8 and the cup 61, thereby sealing the interior of the cup 61.

[0032] In controlling the heat treatment, it is necessary to monitor the temperature at multiple locations, and therefore multiple temperature sensors 17 are provided in the treatment apparatus 1. For simplicity, only one temperature sensor 17 is shown in Fig. 1.

[0033] As described above, each temperature sensor 17 has a contact point 51 for measuring temperature and a wire 52 connected to the contact point 51. The temperature sensor 17 is, for example, a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector.

[0034] The contact part 51 is disposed in the processing space 21 or in a space inside the pressure vessel 3 that communicates with the processing space 21, and is attached to a location within the space where the temperature is to be measured. The location where the temperature is to be measured includes, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the product stage 12.

[0035] The wiring 52 extends from the contact portion 51, passes through a first wiring hole 62 penetrating the closure 8 from the processing space 21, and is led into the inside of the cup 61, and is led to the outside of the cup 61 and the outside of the pressure vessel 3 via a second wiring hole 63 penetrating the cup 61, and is connected to the control device 16. The first wiring hole 62 extends in the thickness direction (axial direction) of the closure 8 and opens into the inside of the cup 61. The first wiring hole 62 is provided at a position offset radially outward from the center of the closure 8 (a position through which the central axis A passes). The second wiring hole 63 is provided, for example, at the center of the bottom wall 61a.

[0036] The wiring 52 is separated into multiple segments from the contact portion 51 to the control device 16. The segments include an inner wiring portion 52a extending from the contact portion 51, a first relay wiring portion 52b passing through the first wiring hole 62, a second relay wiring portion 52c passing through the second wiring hole 63, and an outer wiring portion 52d connected to the control device 16. The inner wiring portion 52a is connected to the first relay wiring portion 52b at an inner terminal block 53 installed on the inner surface of the closure 8. The first relay wiring portion 52b is connected to the second relay wiring portion 52c at an outer terminal block 54 installed on the outer surface of the closure 8 and housed inside the cup 61. The second relay wiring portion 52c is connected to the outer wiring portion 52d at a frame terminal block 55 installed on the frame 2.

[0037] The sealing mechanism 60 includes a first seal 64 and a second seal 65. The first seal 64 is attached to the first wiring hole 62 from the outer surface side of the closure 8. The second seal 65 is attached to the second wiring hole 63 from the outside of the cup 61. The first seal 64 is enclosed in the cup 61 together with the first wiring hole 62.

[0038] The first seal 64 and the second seal 65 have the same structure. Both seals include a metal tube 71 through which the wires 52 of the multiple temperature sensors 17 are inserted, and a stepped cylindrical pipe material 72 surrounding the tube 71. The tube 71 is crimped with the wires 52 inserted, thereby sealing the gap between the wires 52 and the tube 71. A packing (not shown) is fitted to the outer periphery of the tube 71, and the packing seals the gap between the outer periphery of the tube 71 and the inner periphery of the pipe material 72. An internal thread is cut at the end of the wiring hole, and the pipe material 72 is screwed into the wiring hole. This seals the gap between the pipe material 72 and the member (closure 8 or cup 61) forming the wiring hole. In this way, the first seal 64 seals the gap between the first relay wiring portion 52b and the closure 8. The second seal 65 seals the gap between the second relay wiring portion 52c and the cup 61.

[0039] The processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment comprises an inner chamber 11 having a processing space 21 that accommodates a workpiece 90 and is filled with a processing gas, a pressure vessel 3 that accommodates the inner chamber 11 and includes a closure 8 that releasably closes the processing space 21, a sensor (temperature sensor 17) that has a contact portion 51 that is arranged in the processing space 21 or a space within the pressure vessel 3 that is connected to it, and wiring 52 that is connected to the contact portion 51, a first wiring hole 62 that penetrates the closure 8 and through which the wiring 52 passes, a first seal 64 that is provided in the first wiring hole 62 and seals the gap between the closure 8 and the wiring 52, a cup 61 that is attached to the outer surface of the closure 8 and encloses the first wiring hole 62 and the first seal 64, a second wiring hole 63 that penetrates the cup 61 and through which the wiring 52 passes, and a second seal 65 that is provided in the second wiring hole 63 and seals the gap between the cup 61 and the wiring 52.

[0040] As a result, the wiring 52 extends from the contact portion 51 to the inside of the pressure vessel 3, through the first wiring hole 62 of the closure 8, the inside of the cup 61, and the second wiring hole 63 of the cup 61, in that order, to the outside of the pressure vessel 3. The first seal 64 provided in the first wiring hole 62 prevents the process gas from leaking to the outside of the closure 8 through the first wiring hole 62. The first wiring hole 62 and the first seal 64 are contained by the cup 61. Therefore, even if the process gas leaks to the outside of the closure 8, it is contained within the cup 61. The second seal 65 provided in the second wiring hole 63 prevents the process gas from leaking from the inside of the cup 61 to the outside of the pressure vessel 3 through the second wiring hole 63. In this way, a structure for preventing leakage of the process gas is provided in multiple stages. Therefore, high sealing performance can be achieved even when a hole for passing the wiring 52 of the temperature sensor 17 through is provided in the closure 8.

[0041] The first wiring hole 62 is provided at a position offset from the center of the closure 8 toward the outer diameter. In this regard, high pressure acts on the inner surface of the closure 8 during annealing, and stress is concentrated at the center. If the first wiring hole 62 were provided at the center, it would be necessary to increase the thickness of the closure 8 to ensure the strength of the closure 8. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first wiring hole 62 is provided to avoid this center. When providing a hole in the closure 8 for passing the wiring 52 through, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the closure 8.

[0042] The wiring 52 includes an inner wiring portion 52a extending from the contact portion 51 and a first relay wiring portion 52b passing through the first wiring hole 62, and the inner wiring portion 52a and the first relay wiring portion 52b are connected by an inner terminal block 53 installed on the inner surface of the closure 8.

[0043] In the case where the wiring 52 passes directly from the contact portion 51 through the first wiring hole 62 without passing through a terminal block, the work of attaching the contact portion 51 to the inside of the pressure vessel 3 is completed before the work of assembling the wiring 52 and the first seal 64 to the closure 8 is performed. In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring 52 is separated into a portion connected to the contact portion 51 (inner wiring portion 52a) and a portion passing through the first wiring hole 62 (first relay wiring portion 52b) at the inner terminal block 53 installed on the inner surface of the closure 8. Therefore, the work of installing the contact portion 51 inside the pressure vessel 3 and the work of passing the wiring 52 through the first wiring hole 62 to connect it to the inner terminal block 53 and assembling the first seal 64 to the closure 8 can be performed in parallel. This improves the production efficiency of the processing device 1.

[0044] The wiring 52 includes a second relay wiring portion 52c that passes through the second wiring hole 63, and the first relay wiring portion 52b and the second relay wiring portion 52c are connected by an outer terminal block 54 that is installed on the outer surface of the closure 8 and disposed within the cup 61.

[0045] In the case where the wiring 52 that passes through the first wiring hole 62 passes directly through the second wiring hole 63 without passing through a terminal block, the first seal 64 is assembled to the closure 8, then the wiring 52 is passed through the second wiring hole 63 to assemble the cup 61 to the closure 8, and then the second seal 65 is assembled to the cup 61. In contrast, in this embodiment, the wiring 52 is separated into a portion that passes through the first wiring hole 62 (first relay wiring portion 52b) and a portion that passes through the second wiring hole 63 (second relay wiring portion 52c) at the outer terminal block 54 installed on the outer surface of the closure 8. Therefore, the operation of passing the wiring 52 through the first wiring hole 62 to connect it to the inner terminal block 53 and the outer terminal block 54 and assembling the first seal 64 to the closure 8 and the operation of passing the wiring 52 through the second wiring hole 63 to assemble the second seal 65 to the cup 61 can be performed in parallel. This improves the production efficiency of the processing device 1.

[0046] Although the embodiment has been described above, the above configuration can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0047] The sealing mechanism 60 is not limited to the temperature sensor 17, but can also be applied to other sensors (for example, a pressure sensor, etc.). [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Processing equipment 2 frames 3. Pressure vessels 4 outer chamber 5. Torso 6 Headboard 8 Closures 11 Inner chamber 12 Product stand 13 Heater 15 Jacket 16 Control device 17 Temperature Sensor 20 Interior Space 21 Processing Space 22 Container space 30 Cooling mechanism 51 Contact point 52 Wiring 52a Inside wiring section 52b First relay wiring section 52c Second relay wiring section 52d Outside wiring section 53 Inner terminal block 54 Outer terminal block 55 Frame terminal block 60 Sealing mechanism 61 cups 61a Bottom wall 61b Peripheral wall 61c flange 62 1st wiring hole 63 2nd wiring hole 64 First Seal 65 Second Seal 66 Sealing material 67 volts 71 tubes 72 Pipe material 90 Processing object A center axis

Claims

1. A high-pressure annealing treatment apparatus for performing heat treatment on a semiconductor wafer or semiconductor device as a treatment object, an inner chamber having a processing space that accommodates the object to be processed and is filled with a processing gas; a pressure vessel including a closure enclosing the inner chamber and releasably enclosing the processing space; a sensor having a contact portion disposed in the processing space or a space in the pressure vessel communicating therewith, and a wiring connected to the contact portion; a first wiring hole that penetrates the closure and through which the wiring passes; a first seal provided in the first wiring hole to seal a gap between the closure and the wiring; a cup attached to an outer surface of the closure and enclosing the first wiring hole and the first seal; a second wiring hole that penetrates the cup and through which the wiring passes; a second seal provided in the second wiring hole to seal a gap between the cup and the wiring; A high-pressure annealing treatment apparatus comprising:

2. the first wiring hole is provided at a position offset from the center of the closure toward the outer diameter side; The high pressure annealing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. an inner terminal block disposed on the inner surface of the closure; the wiring includes an inner wiring portion extending from the contact portion and a first relay wiring portion passing through the first wiring hole, the inner wiring portion and the first relay wiring portion are connected by the inner terminal block; 3. The high-pressure annealing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. an outer terminal block disposed on the outer surface of the closure and disposed within the cup; the wiring further includes a second relay wiring portion passing through the second wiring hole, the first relay wiring portion and the second relay wiring portion are connected by the outer terminal block; The high pressure annealing apparatus according to claim 3 .

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