Substrate holder transport jig, substrate processing apparatus, and semiconductor device manufacturing method

Abstract

This technology provides an improved workability for attaching and detaching circuit board holders. [Solution] A substrate holder having at least a plurality of support columns connecting the bottom plate and the top plate is mounted on it, and in order to move the substrate holder, which has at least a notch in the bottom plate, to a first position, a first indicator portion is provided which is configured to align with the notch when the substrate holder is mounted, The mounting jig includes a second indicator portion that shows a direction in which the substrate can be transported when the substrate holder is moved from the first position to a second position for transferring the substrate, The present invention provides a technique in which, when moving one substrate holder to the first position, the notch and the first indicator are aligned, and when moving two substrate holders to the first position, the notch and the first indicator are aligned, and the second indicator and the support column are placed so as to be separated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate holder transfer jig, a substrate processing apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an example of a substrate processing apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device is known. For example, a substrate processing is performed in which a processing gas is supplied into a reaction tube and a substrate (hereinafter also referred to as a "wafer") is processed under predetermined processing conditions. Further, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is a type in which two substrate holders (hereinafter also referred to as "boats") for supporting a substrate are provided in the apparatus to improve productivity. In this type of apparatus, since the substrate holder cannot be attached or detached with the jig shown in Patent Document 2, an operator directly attaches and detaches it manually in a narrow space. Therefore, the workability of attaching and detaching the substrate holder is poor, and there is a risk of damage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for improving the workability of attaching and detaching a substrate holder.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate holder having at least a bottom plate and a top plate is mounted on a substrate holder having a plurality of support columns connecting the bottom plate and the top plate, and a first indicator portion is provided which is configured to align with the notch when the substrate holder is mounted, in order to move the substrate holder having at least a notch in the bottom plate to a first position, The mounting jig includes a second indicator portion that shows a direction in which the substrate can be transported when the substrate holder is moved from the first position to a second position for transferring the substrate, The present invention provides a technique in which, when moving one substrate holder to the first position, the notch and the first indicator are aligned, and when moving two substrate holders to the first position, the notch and the first indicator are aligned, and the second indicator and the support column are placed so as to be separated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, the ease of attaching and detaching the substrate holder can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a plan cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a processing furnace for a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing a substrate holder mounting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4(A) is a top view showing an example of a substrate holder mounting jig according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4(B) is a top view showing an example of a substrate holder. [Figure 5] Figure 5(A) is a top view of an example in which a substrate holder is arranged in a substrate holder mounting jig according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5(B) is a top view of an example in which a substrate holder is arranged in a substrate holder mounting jig according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A]This shows the preparation steps in the process of placing a substrate holder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure onto a boat support. [Figure 6B] This figure shows the loading process in the process of placing a substrate holder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure onto a boat support. [Figure 6C] This figure shows the lifting step in the process of placing a substrate holder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure onto a boat support. [Figure 6D] This figure shows the push-up process in the process of placing a substrate holder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure onto a boat support. [Figure 6E] This figure shows the recovery process in the step of placing a substrate holder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure onto a boat support. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the controller of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the controller's control system in block diagram form. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] It should be noted that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to those of reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element do not necessarily correspond between multiple drawings. In this embodiment, the apparatus 1 is configured as a substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the processing apparatus or simply the apparatus) 1 that performs a substrate processing process such as heat treatment as one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a housing 2 formed in the shape of a rectangular box with a rectangular top view. A clean unit 3 is installed at the rear of the left side wall of the housing 2 (left, right, front, and back are based on Figure 1), and the clean unit 3 supplies clean air to the inside of the housing 2. A heat treatment stage 4, which is the first position, is set approximately in the center of the rear inside the housing 2, and a standby stage 5 (hereinafter referred to as the standby stage) for temporarily placing empty boats as the second position and a stage (hereinafter referred to as the cooling stage) 6 (hereinafter referred to as the cooling stage) for temporarily placing processed boats as the third position are set at the front and rear of the left side of the heat treatment stage 4. A wafer loading stage 7 is set approximately in the center of the front inside the housing 2, and a pod stage 8 is set in front of it. A notch alignment device 9 is installed to the left of the wafer loading stage 7. The configuration of each stage will be described in order below.

[0010] Directly beneath the process tube (hereinafter referred to as the reaction tube) 11 in the heat treatment stage 4, a cap 19, which serves as a lid and is formed in a disc shape approximately equal to the outer diameter of the reaction tube 11, is concentrically positioned. The cap 19 is raised and lowered vertically by a lifting mechanism 20, which serves as an elevator and is composed of a lead screw mechanism. The cap 19 is configured to support the boat 21 vertically on its centerline.

[0011] In this embodiment, two boats 21 are alternately placed on the cap 19 and supported, and are used to load and unload the reaction tube 11. The two boats 21 are identical in design, but have individual differences due to, for example, machining errors, assembly errors, and cleaning due to etching. However, since the two boats 21 are identical in design, one will be described as representative unless it is necessary to explain the two boats separately.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a boat transfer device 30 for transferring the boat 21 between the heat treatment stage 4 and the standby stage 5 and the cooling stage 6 is provided between the standby stage 5 and the cooling stage 6.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a standby base 33 for vertically supporting the boat 21 is installed on the standby stage 5, and the first arm 31 is configured to transfer the boat 21 between the standby base 33 and the cap 19 of the heat treatment stage 4. A cooling base 34 is installed on the cooling stage 6, and the second arm 32 is configured to transfer the boat 21 between the cooling base 34 and the cap 19 of the heat treatment stage 4.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the clean unit 3 for supplying clean air 35 into the housing 2 is configured to blow out the clean air 35 toward the standby stage 5 and the cooling stage 6. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the clean unit 3 includes a suction duct 36 for sucking the clean air 35, and a suction fan 37 is installed at the lower end of the suction duct 36. A blow-out duct 38 is laid long so as to extend in the front-rear direction on the discharge port side of the suction fan 37, and blow-out ports 39, 39 for blowing out the clean air 35 toward the standby stage 5 and the cooling stage 6 respectively are largely opened on both sides in the front and rear of the suction duct 36 on the inner surface of the housing 2 of the blow-out duct 38.

[0015] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, an exhaust fan 40 is installed at the rear right corner inside the housing 2, and the exhaust fan 40 is configured to suck the clean air 35 blown out from the blow-out ports 39, 39 of the clean unit 3 and discharge it to the outside of the housing 2.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer device 41 constituted by a scalar robot is installed on the wafer loading stage 7, and the wafer transfer device 41 is configured to transfer the wafer W between the pod stage 8 and the standby stage 5 and transfer it between the pod and the boat 21.

[0017] On the pod stage 8, FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods, hereinafter referred to as pods) 50 as carriers (wafer storage containers) for transporting the wafer W are placed one by one. The pod 50 is formed in a substantially cubic box shape with one face open, and a door 51 is detachably attached to the opening. When the pod is used as a carrier for the wafer W, the wafer is transported in a sealed state, so the cleanliness of the wafer W can be maintained even if there are particles or the like in the surrounding atmosphere. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the cleanliness in the clean room where the apparatus 1 is installed too high, and the cost required for the clean room can be reduced. Therefore, in the apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the pod 50 is used. Note that a door opening / closing device (not shown) for opening and closing the door 51 of the pod 50 is installed on the pod stage 8.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the control system of the apparatus 1. Each of the control systems 60 shown in FIG. 7 is composed of a main controller and a plurality of sub-controllers constructed by a computer. As the sub-controllers, a temperature control sub-controller 61 for controlling the temperature of the processing chamber, a pressure control sub-controller 62 for controlling the pressure of the processing chamber, a gas control sub-controller 63 for controlling the gas flow rates of raw material gas, carrier gas, purge gas, etc., and a machine control sub-controller 64 for controlling machines such as various elevators, boat transfer devices, and wafer transfer devices are constructed, and these sub-controllers are connected to the main controller 66 by a control network 65.

[0019] The main controller 66 is connected to a console 67, which serves as a display and input means (user interface), and a storage device 68 for storing recipes, etc. The console 67 is equipped with a display, a keyboard, and a mouse. The console 67 is configured to display the contents of the recipe (item names, numerical values ​​of control parameters, etc.) on the display, and to transmit operator commands via the keyboard and mouse.

[0020] Next, in Figure 2, an example of a processing furnace provided in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which is a type of processing apparatus 1, will be explained.

[0021] The processing furnace is erected above the spare chamber 10, and the inside of the spare chamber 10 and the inside of the processing furnace (processing chamber 12) are in communication. The furnace opening formed at the lower end of the processing furnace is airtightly closed by a furnace opening shutter (not shown) or a cap 19 acting as a sealing lid.

[0022] A boat 21 is housed in the processing chamber 12, and wafers W, which are the objects to be processed, are held in a horizontal position in multiple stages within the boat 21. Inside the spare chamber 10, there is an elevator 20 for raising and lowering the substrate holder between the spare chamber 10 and the processing chamber 12, and a lifting arm, which is the support for the substrate holder, extends horizontally from the elevator 20. The boat 21 is supported by the lifting arm via a cap 19, and the boat 21 is loaded into and removed from the processing chamber 12 by raising and lowering the lifting arm using the elevator 20.

[0023] The processing furnace has a heater 18 as a heating mechanism. The heater 18 is cylindrical in shape and is mounted vertically by being supported by a heater base which serves as a holding plate.

[0024] Inside the heater 18, a process tube 11 is arranged concentrically with the heater 18. The process tube 11 consists of an inner tube 55 and an outer tube 56 provided outside it. The inner tube 55 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC) and has a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. A processing chamber 12 is defined inside the inner tube 55, and a boat 21 is placed into the processing chamber 12.

[0025] The outer tube 56 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 55, a closed upper end and an open lower end, and is arranged concentrically with the inner tube 55. A cylindrical space is formed between the inner tube 55 and the outer tube 56.

[0026] Below the outer pipe 56, a manifold 22 is arranged concentrically with the outer pipe 56. The manifold 22 is made of, for example, stainless steel, and the inner pipe 55 and outer pipe 56 are supported by the manifold 22.

[0027] Furthermore, an O-ring is provided as a sealing member between the manifold 22 and the outer tube 56. The process tube 11 is installed vertically because the manifold 22 is supported on the heater base. The process tube 11 and the manifold 22 form a reaction vessel, and the lower end opening of the manifold 22 forms a furnace opening, which is airtightly closed by a cap 19.

[0028] A nozzle 14, which serves as a gas introduction point, is connected to the cap 19 so as to communicate with the processing chamber 12, and a gas supply pipe 15 is connected to the nozzle 14. Upstream of the gas supply pipe 15, a processing gas supply source and an inert gas supply source (not shown) are connected via a mass flow controller (MFC) 16, which serves as a gas flow regulator. A gas flow control unit 63 is electrically connected to the gas flow regulator 16 and is configured to control the flow rate of the supplied gas at a desired timing so that it reaches a desired amount.

[0029] The manifold 22 is connected to an exhaust pipe that exhausts the atmosphere from the processing chamber 12. The exhaust pipe is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical space.

[0030] The exhaust pipe is equipped with a pressure sensor 29 and a valve device 28 facing downstream as pressure detectors, and the exhaust pipe is connected to a vacuum exhaust device 27 such as a vacuum pump.

[0031] A pressure control unit 62 is electrically connected to the valve device 28 and the pressure sensor 29. The pressure control unit 62 is configured to control the valve device 28 at a desired timing so that the pressure in the processing chamber 12 reaches a desired pressure (vacuum level) based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 29.

[0032] The cap 19, which opens and closes the furnace opening, is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disc shape. An O-ring is provided on the upper surface of the cap 19 as a sealing member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 22.

[0033] A rotating mechanism 24 for rotating the boat 21 is installed on the underside of the cap 19. The rotating shaft 25 of the rotating mechanism 24 passes through the cap 19 and is connected to the boat 21, making the boat 21 rotatable.

[0034] The cap 19 is supported by a lifting arm, which is supported by a boat elevator 20 so as to be able to move up and down. The lifting arm is raised and lowered by the elevator 20, allowing the boat 21 to be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber 12. A drive control unit 64 is electrically connected to the rotating mechanism 24 and the elevator 20, and is configured to control them at the desired timing to perform the desired operation. Here, the rotating shaft 25, cap 19, lifting arm, etc. constitute the boat support section.

[0035] The boat 21 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide and is equipped with multiple support columns connecting the bottom plate and the top plate. The boat 21 is configured to hold multiple wafers W in a horizontal position and aligned to each other's centers in multiple stages by placing the wafers W on grooves engraved in the support columns or on mounting devices provided on the support columns. In addition, although not shown here, the bottom plate and top plate of the boat 21 may each be provided with notches (hereinafter also referred to as notches), and it may be configured so that a temperature sensor can be installed in the notches. Furthermore, the lower part of the boat 21 is configured as an insulating section in which multiple disc-shaped insulating plates 26 made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide are arranged in a horizontal position in multiple stages, making it difficult for heat from the heater 18 to be transferred to the manifold 22 side. The notches in the top plate and the bottom plate are configured to form the same shape. From a top-down view (plan view), the bottom plate (top plate) appears to have only one notch.

[0036] A temperature sensor 17 is installed inside the process tube 11, and a temperature control unit 61 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 17 and the heater 18. The temperature control unit 61 is configured to control the temperature of the processing chamber 12 at a desired timing so that it achieves a desired temperature distribution by adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heater 18 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 17.

[0037] The gas flow control unit 63, pressure control unit 62, drive control unit 64, temperature control unit 61, and operation unit and input / output unit 67 (not shown), which act as subcontrollers, are electrically connected to the main control unit 66, which acts as the main controller for controlling the entire substrate processing apparatus.

[0038] Next, we will describe a method for creating a thin film on a wafer W as one step in the semiconductor device manufacturing process. In the following description, the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the main control device 66.

[0039] Once a predetermined number of wafers W are loaded into the boat 21, the boat 21 is loaded into the processing chamber 12 by the elevator 20 (boat loading). In this state, the cap 19 hermetically seals the furnace opening via the O-ring.

[0040] The processing chamber 12 is evacuated by the vacuum evacuation device 27 to achieve the desired pressure (vacuum level). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 12 is measured by the pressure sensor 29, and the pressure control unit 62 provides feedback control to the valve device 28 based on this measured pressure.

[0041] Furthermore, the processing chamber 12 is heated by the heater 18 to reach a desired temperature. At this time, the amount of power supplied to the heater 18 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 17 so that the processing chamber 12 has a desired temperature distribution. Subsequently, the boat 21 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 24, and the wafer W is rotated at the same time.

[0042] Next, processing gas is supplied from a processing gas supply source (not shown), and the gas, controlled to a desired flow rate by the gas flow regulator 16, flows through the gas supply pipe 15 and is introduced into the processing chamber 12 from the nozzle 14. The introduced gas rises through the processing chamber 12, folds back over the upper end opening of the inner pipe 55, flows down the cylindrical space, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe. As the gas passes through the processing chamber 12, it comes into contact with the surface of the wafer W, and a thin film is deposited on the surface of the wafer W by a thermal reaction.

[0043] Once a preset processing time has elapsed, inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source (not shown), and when the processing chamber 12 is replaced with inert gas, the valve device 28 is closed, and the pressure in the processing chamber 12 is returned to atmospheric pressure.

[0044] Subsequently, the cap 19 is lowered by the elevator 20, opening the furnace opening, and the processed wafer W is pulled out of the processing chamber 12 while still held in the boat 21. The processed wafer W is then discharged from the boat 21 by a substrate transfer device (not shown).

[0045] After repeatedly performing substrate processing, a cleaning operation is carried out to remove deposits that have accumulated on the process tube 11, inner tube 55, and boat 21. For the attachment and detachment of the process tube 11, inner tube 55, and boat 21 during the cleaning operation, a reaction tube attachment / detachment trolley 48 (hereinafter simply referred to as the trolley) and a boat transport jig (hereinafter simply referred to as the jig) 49 are used as transport components.

[0046] First, Figure 3 outlines the process of transporting the boat 21 to the heat treatment stage 4, which is the first position for transporting the boat 21 into the processing furnace (or processing chamber 12), using the trolley 48 and mounting jig 49. This is the same as the preparation process shown in Figure 7(A) for transporting the boat 21 to the boat support section, which will be described later.

[0047] In Figure 3, 1 represents a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and 2 represents a housing. The housing 2 is configured to form a space 43 of the required height and width at the bottom of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0048] The trolley 48 comprises a main body, support legs 45 extending from the main body along the floor surface, and a reaction tube support table 46 (hereinafter also referred to as the boat mounting section) attached to the upper surface of the main body and extending parallel to the floor surface, i.e., horizontally.

[0049] Small-diameter wheels are provided at the tips of the support legs 45, and large-diameter wheels are provided on the underside of the main body, allowing the trolley 48 to move freely. The support legs 45 can enter the space 43, and the reaction tube support table 46 can enter the interior of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0050] When the trolley 48 is advanced so that the support legs 45 enter the space 43, the reaction tube support table 46 supported by the trolley 48 also enters the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 and is configured to be positioned directly below the processing furnace. Needless to say, this position is the same as the first position. Therefore, process tubes 11 and inner tubes 55 (not shown) can be placed on the reaction tube support table 46.

[0051] In this embodiment, a mounting jig 49 is made detachable from the boat mounting section (reaction tube support table) 46, and the boat 21 can be attached and detached by attaching the mounting jig 49 to the boat mounting section 46.

[0052] As shown in the figure, the boat 21 is supported by a mounting jig 49 attached to the boat mounting section 46 and secured with a boat fixing block as a fastener. Then, the boat mounting section 46 is slid to transport the boat 21 to the first position. The fastener that secures the mounting jig 49 to the bottom plate of the boat 21 has a space for securing at least a portion of the bottom plate. By fixing the bottom plate so that it fits into this space, it is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom plate.

[0053] The first position includes a boat base 52 which serves as a boat support on which the boat 21 is placed, a rotating mechanism 24, an arm portion (lifting arm) of an elevator 20 which serves as a boat lifting mechanism, and a cap 19 which acts as a lid that closes when the boat 21 is brought into the processing furnace (processing chamber 12). The boat 21 is provided with multiple recesses, and the boat support 52 is provided with multiple protrusions, and the recesses and protrusions are configured to fit together perfectly when the boat 21 is placed on the boat support 52 in the first position. "Perfectly" means without any gaps.

[0054] Next, using Figure 4(A), the boat transport jig (hereinafter also simply referred to as the jig) 49, which serves as a mounting jig, will be described. The mounting jig 49 is configured to support a boat 21 having multiple support columns connecting a bottom plate and a top plate. The boat 21 has notches in at least the bottom plate (or both the bottom plate and the top plate). The jig has a hole portion as a first indicator portion, which is configured to be aligned (matched) with the notches in order to move the boat 21 to the heat treatment stage 4 (first position) for loading or unloading the boat 21 into or out of the processing furnace. The jig also has a mark portion as a second indicator portion, which indicates the direction in which the wafer W can be transported when the boat 21 is moved from the first position to the second position for transferring the wafer W. For example, the hole portion is circular in shape, and the notch portion and the hole portion are coaxial semicircles or circles, with the same diameter.

[0055] The mounting jig 49 has a stepped surface that serves as a boat mounting area. The boat 21 shown in Figure 4(B) is configured to fit perfectly onto this stepped surface. In addition, the stepped surface of the mounting jig 49 has a hole, and the bottom plate and top plate of the boat 21 have notches. For example, when the boat 21 is brought into the processing furnace, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the processing chamber 12 can be placed near the boat 21 using these notches.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(A), the mounting jig 49 has an opening in the direction into which the trolley 48 is brought in, and the step surface in the direction out of which the trolley 48 is configured in a semicircular shape for installing the boat 21. The boat 21 shown in Figure 4(B) has notches between the support columns, which serve as markers when it is installed on the mounting jig 49. The wafer W is transported between support columns where the spacing between the columns is wider than the spacing between the support columns where the notches are provided, and where there are no notches.

[0057] Figures 5(A) and 5(B) are schematic diagrams showing the boat 21 placed on the mounting jig 49 from above, omitting other actual components (e.g., the trolley 48). Here, the orientation of the boat 21 is changed in the case of the 1-boat specification shown in Figure 5(A) (i.e., when the boat 21 is transferred to the heat treatment stage 4 as the first position once by the substrate holder mounting system including the mounting jig 49 and the trolley 48) and in the case of the 2-boat specification shown in Figure 5(B) (i.e., when the boat 21 is transferred to the heat treatment stage 4 as the first position twice by the substrate holder mounting system including the mounting jig 49 and the trolley 48).

[0058] <For single-boat configuration> As shown in Figure 5(A), the boat 21 is placed on the mounting jig 49 in a positioned state by aligning the holes in the mounting jig 49 with the notches in the boat 21 at two points (positioning points). At this time, the position of the holes in the mounting jig 49 is determined so that wafers W can be transported between the boat 21 and a pod 50 (not shown). This is determined in advance by transporting the boat or by performing a transport simulation in advance.

[0059] <For 2-boat configuration> As shown in Figure 5(B), when the hole in the mounting jig 49 is aligned with the notch in the boat 21 (positioning), a mark is provided on the mounting jig 49 to indicate the insertion direction of the wafer W (arrow direction). This mark is positioned so that when the notch in the boat 21 is aligned with the hole in the mounting jig 49, the mark and the support column of the boat 21 are separated.

[0060] Furthermore, the notches on the boat 21 that align with the holes in the mounting jig 49 are different in the 1-boat specification (when moving one boat to the first position) and the 2-boat specification (when moving two boats to the first position). Specifically, between the 1-boat specification and the 2-boat specification, the boat 21 is rotated counterclockwise before being placed on the mounting jig 49.

[0061] In this embodiment, the two-boat apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 incorporates features to reduce the footprint, such as utilizing rotational motion for the transfer operations of the boat transfer device 30 and wafer transfer device 41 located in the spare chamber 10. Specifically, the boat transfer device 30 uses rotational motion to transfer the boat 21 between the heat treatment stage (first position) 4, the standby stage (second position) 5, and the cooling stage (third position) 6. The wafer transfer device 41 also uses rotational motion to transfer the wafer W between the boat 21, which has been moved to the standby stage (second position) 5, and the pod 50, which is placed on the pod stage 8.

[0062] In other words, in the case of a two-boat configuration, the positions of the holes and markings on the mounting jig 49 are determined so that wafers W can be transported between boat 21, which has been transferred to the standby stage (second position) 5, and pod 50, which has been placed on the pod stage 8. This is determined in advance by transporting the boats or by performing transport simulations, just as in the case of a one-boat configuration.

[0063] Furthermore, the orientation of the boat 21 can be changed between the 1-boat and 2-boat configurations before being placed on the mounting jig 49. This is because the rotational movement of the boat 21 of the boat transfer device 30 allows the wafer W to be transported by the wafer transfer device 41, and thus transfers it from the heat treatment stage (first position) 4 to the standby stage (second position) 5.

[0064] Here, the shape of the holes and markings on the mounting jig 49 can be the same or different, as long as they serve as markers when placing the boat 21 on the mounting jig 49. Also, the markings can be anything that serves as a marker, such as a nameplate, and there are no particular requirements for its shape; it can have holes similar to the holes on the mounting jig 49, or it can be a notch. Furthermore, it is not limited to a nameplate; a product plate or other similar item can also be used.

[0065] Alternatively, the mounting jig 49 may be configured such that a predetermined shape is formed when the hole in the mounting jig 49 is aligned with the notch in the boat 21. For example, the shape may be one of a circle, polygon, rhombus, trapezoid, or triangle. In the alternative configuration, the hole in the mounting jig 49 and the notch in the boat 21 are aligned to form a circle, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the processing chamber 12 can be placed in this circular portion.

[0066] Next, we will explain how to place the boat 21 onto the boat support 52 using Figure 6.

[0067] Figure 6(A) shows the preparation process. In this preparation process, the mounting jig 49 is placed on the boat support section 46, and the boat 21 is placed on the stepped surface of the mounting jig 49 so that the bottom plate is aligned with it. The bottom plate is then secured from above by the boat fixing block. In Figure 7(A), the lifting arm of the elevator 20 is positioned in the maintenance position, but this is not always the case.

[0068] Figure 6(B) shows the loading process for bringing the boat 21 from outside the device into the device. In this loading process, the support portion of the boat support portion 46 is pushed out to load the boat 21 onto the boat receiving portion 52. At this stage, the boat fixing block must be removed. Alternatively, the boat fixing block may be removed before loading the boat 21 into the device. At least by this step, the lifting arm of the elevator 20 should be in the maintenance position.

[0069] Figure 6(C) shows the raising process. By raising the lifting arm of the elevator 20, the boat support portion 52 provided on the cap 19 is raised. In this raising process, the recess provided on the bottom surface of the boat 21 and the protrusion provided on the boat support portion 52 are configured to interlock. Multiple recesses and protrusions are provided. When the orientation of the boat 21 is correct, the recesses and protrusions fit together perfectly. However, if the orientation of the boat 21 when it is placed on the mounting jig 49 is incorrect, the recesses and protrusions will not align. In this case, it is necessary to return to the preparation process.

[0070] Figure 6(D) shows the lifting process. By raising the lifting arm of the elevator 20, the boat receiving portion 52 provided on the cap 19 and the boat 21 are further raised. This allows the boat 21 to be picked up from the mounting jig 49.

[0071] Figure 6(E) shows the retrieval process. The support is pulled back, and the trolley 48 is also pulled away from the device 1. This completes the process of placing the boat 21 on the cap 19.

[0072] According to this embodiment, regardless of whether it is a one-boat or two-boat configuration, simply by positioning the boat 21 when placing it on the mounting jig 49, the boat 21 can be transported into the apparatus 1 and the wafer W can be transferred.

[0073] According to this embodiment, the boat 21 can be transported into the apparatus 1 and the wafer W transferred simply by positioning it by combining the holes and markings of the mounting jig 49 with the notches of the boat 21.

[0074] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since it is only necessary to position the boat 21 when placing it on the mounting jig 49, there is no need to directly place the boat 21 on the boat support 52 as in the conventional method. Therefore, concerns such as damage to the boat 21 or damage to parts inside the spare chamber 10 during the process of placing the boat 21 on the boat support 52 are eliminated.

[0075] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, positioning can be achieved simply by combining the holes and markings of the mounting jig 49 with the notches of the boat 21. Therefore, regardless of whether it is a single-boat or double-boat configuration, the orientation of the boat 21 relative to the mounting jig 49 can be correctly installed. This allows the boat 21 to be placed on the boat support 52. As a result, there is no need to readjust the position of the boat 21 on the mounting jig 49, thus suppressing a decrease in the device's operating rate.

[0076] In the embodiments described above, film deposition processing on semiconductor devices was given as an example of the processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, in addition to film deposition processing, it may also be processing to form oxide films, nitride films, or films containing metals. Furthermore, the specific content of the substrate processing is not limited, and it can be suitably applied not only to film deposition processing but also to other substrate processing such as annealing, oxidation, nitriding, diffusion, and lithography.

[0077] Furthermore, this disclosure can be suitably applied to other substrate processing equipment, such as annealing equipment, oxidation equipment, nitriding equipment, exposure equipment, coating equipment, drying equipment, heating equipment, and plasma-based processing equipment. Moreover, this disclosure may apply to a mixture of these equipment.

[0078] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a semiconductor manufacturing process, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, this disclosure can also be applied to substrate processing such as the manufacturing process of liquid crystal devices, solar cells, light-emitting devices, glass substrate processing, ceramic substrate processing, and conductive substrate processing.

[0079] Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 21. Circuit board holder (boat) 48. Transport parts (trolleys) 49. Mounting jig (boat transport jig)

Claims

1. It is configured such that a circuit board holder, which has at least multiple support columns connecting the bottom plate and the top plate, is placed on it. To move the substrate holder, which has at least the bottom plate with a notch, to the first position, a first indicator portion is provided which is configured to align with the notch when the substrate holder is placed on it, A second indicator portion that shows the direction in which the substrate can be transported when the substrate holder is moved from the first position to the second position for transferring the substrate, It is equipped with a mounting jig having, A substrate holder mounting jig configured such that when one substrate holder is moved to the first position, the notch and the first indicator are aligned, and when two substrate holders are moved to the first position, the second indicator and the support column are separated when the notch and the first indicator are aligned.

2. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein the notch portion of the substrate holder that is aligned with the first indicator portion provided on the mounting jig is configured differently when moving one substrate holder to the first position and when moving two substrate holders to the first position.

3. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, configured such that when moving one substrate holder to the first position or when moving two substrate holders to the first position, the substrate holder is rotated counterclockwise.

4. The mounting jig is provided with a step for installing the substrate holder, as described in claim 1.

5. The mounting jig is a substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein the mounting jig has an opening in the direction into which the transported component is loaded.

6. The mounting jig is configured such that the mounting jig has a semicircular step in the direction from which the transported parts are discharged, in order to install the substrate holder, as described in claim 1.

7. The mounting jig is configured such that a hole is provided in the step so that a component for detecting the temperature of the processing chamber can be placed in the mounting jig according to claim 1.

8. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion have different shapes.

9. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion have the same shape.

10. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined shape is formed when the first indicator portion and the notch portion are brought together.

11. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined shape is one of a circle, polygon, rhombus, trapezoid, or triangle.

12. The top plate of the substrate holder is provided with a notch. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, configured to form a shape similar to the notch in the bottom plate.

13. Furthermore, it has a fixing device for fixing the mounting jig to the bottom plate of the substrate holder, The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device is provided with a space for loading at least a portion of the bottom plate.

14. The substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 13, wherein the fixing device is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom plate.

15. Furthermore, the substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, further comprising a transport component having a support portion that supports the transport jig so as to be movable to the first position.

16. Furthermore, the substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1 further comprises a receiving portion on which the substrate holder is placed, and a lid that closes the processing chamber when the substrate holder is brought toward the processing chamber.

17. A substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate holder mounted by a substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate held by the substrate holder; a spare chamber provided below the processing chamber; a support portion for supporting the central part of the bottom surface of the substrate holder; and a transport device for transporting the substrate holder between the spare chamber and the processing chamber while supporting it with the support.

18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the step of processing a substrate held in a substrate holder mounted by a substrate holder mounting jig according to claim 1.

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