Microwave heat treatment equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a microwave heat treatment apparatus capable of uniformly heating a semiconductor substrate by forming a dielectric material inside a waveguide and transmitting microwaves into a processing chamber through the dielectric material, and is characterized by comprising: a processing chamber having a predetermined space inside; a microwave generating unit installed outside the processing chamber and generating microwaves; and a waveguide having one end connected to the microwave generating unit and the other end inserted into the processing chamber, with at least one slot provided on one side of the portion inserted into the processing chamber, which transmits microwaves generated by the microwave generating unit into the processing chamber through the dielectric material formed in the internal space and at least one of the slot, thereby heating a substrate placed in the processing chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - reference to Related Applications] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2024 - 0039866, filed on March 22, 2024, and the entire specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a microwave heat treatment apparatus, and more particularly, to a microwave heat treatment apparatus capable of uniformly heating a semiconductor substrate using microwaves.

Background Art

[0003] The heat treatment (Annealing) process in the semiconductor manufacturing process is used for rearrangement of amorphous substances, defect removal of crystalline substances, and defect removal and recrystallization of dopants in amorphous or crystalline substances.

[0004] These heat treatment processes include a furnace process, a rapid thermal process (RTP), a flash heat treatment process, a laser heat treatment process, and the like.

[0005] However, in the furnace process, since heat treatment is uniformly performed at a high temperature of 800 to 1100 °C, when heat treatment is uniformly performed in a semiconductor device in which various substances with different temperature characteristics are mixed, there is a problem that the yield and performance of the entire semiconductor device are reduced.

[0006] In the rapid thermal process, similar to the furnace process, since heat treatment is performed at a high temperature of 800 to 1100 °C, there are problems such as performance degradation of semiconductor materials and unnecessary dopant diffusion to surrounding materials.

[0007] Furthermore, in flash heat treatment and laser heat treatment processes, the boundaries of impurity regions shift during the heat treatment process. Although regions within a laser spot size of several millimeters in diameter are activated, this region is far smaller than the entire area on the wafer surface that requires activation. Therefore, to cover the entire doped area, multiple heat treatment processes must be performed while shifting the area each time, which is inconvenient. As a result, uniformity of heat treatment in the depth direction cannot be ensured, leading to limitations in reproducibility and mass production. Consequently, pattern effects occur where regions overlap or are missing during pattern formation, resulting in a decrease in productivity due to these pattern effects.

[0008] To solve these problems, conventional heat treatment processes using microwaves have been employed.

[0009] This microwave-based heat treatment process allows for improved performance of semiconductor devices and minimizes unwanted diffusion due to its low process temperature. Furthermore, it can be applied to semiconductor processes such as the heat treatment of dielectric materials containing metals (e.g., Al, Ni, etc.) that could not be used in heat treatment processes exceeding 800°C.

[0010] Furthermore, microwave-based heat treatment processes have the advantage of not only changing the state of the material due to the rise in thermal temperature of the sample, but also generating process effects through non-thermal influences caused by the kinetic energy of the sample atoms affected by microwaves.

[0011] As mentioned above, in microwave-based heat treatment processes, it is necessary to uniformly heat the semiconductor substrate by uniformly irradiating it with microwaves. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The present invention was conceived in view of the aforementioned needs, and aims to provide a microwave heat treatment apparatus that can uniformly heat a semiconductor substrate by forming a dielectric material in a waveguide and transmitting microwaves into a processing chamber through the dielectric material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned objectives is characterized by comprising: a processing chamber having a predetermined space inside; a microwave generating unit installed outside the processing chamber and generating microwaves; and a waveguide having one end connected to the microwave generating unit and the other end inserted into the processing chamber, with at least one slot provided on one side of the portion inserted into the processing chamber, which transmits microwaves generated by the microwave generating unit into the processing chamber via a dielectric material formed in the internal space and at least one of the slots, and heats a substrate placed in the processing chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, when the microwave generating unit is composed of multiple units and implemented with a single waveguide, the waveguide is installed so as to penetrate the processing chamber, and at least one microwave generating unit is connected to one end and the other end of the waveguide, respectively.

[0015] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, when the microwave generating unit is composed of multiple units and implemented with a single waveguide, the waveguide is installed so as to bend and penetrate from one side of the processing chamber toward an adjacent side, and at least one microwave generating unit is connected to one end and the other end of the waveguide, respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, when the microwave generating units are composed of a plurality of units and the waveguides are realized in the same number as or fewer than the microwave generating units, at least one waveguide is formed horizontally and the remaining waveguides are formed vertically.

[0017] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, when the microwave generating units are composed of a plurality of units and the waveguides are realized in the same number as or fewer than the microwave generating units, the waveguides are arranged to face each other with a substrate in between.

[0018] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the waveguides arranged to face each other with the substrate in between are parallel to each other, and the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide are arranged parallel to each other.

[0019] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the waveguides arranged opposite each other with the substrate in between are parallel to each other, the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide are parallel to each other, and the positions of the slots are arranged to coincide with each other.

[0020] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the waveguides arranged to face each other with the substrate in between are characterized in that the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide are not parallel to each other, but are arranged at an arbitrary angle.

[0021] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed throughout the entire internal space of the waveguide.

[0022] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a part of the internal space of the waveguide.

[0023] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide to form a dielectric rod, and the dielectric rod extends to the inside of the waveguide.

[0024] Also, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide to form a dielectric rod, and the dielectric rod is formed to have the same height as the thickness of the slot.

[0025] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide to form a dielectric rod, and the dielectric rod is formed higher than the thickness of the slot.

[0026] Also, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide to form a dielectric rod, and the dielectric rod is formed lower than the thickness of the slot.

[0027] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide to form a dielectric rod, and each dielectric rod is formed at a different height.

[0028] Also, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the dielectric material is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide to form a dielectric rod, and the cross-sectional shape of the dielectric rod protruding from the slot is formed into any one of a square, a semi-circle, a semi-ellipse, a triangle, and a trapezoid.

[0029] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, at least one slot provided on one surface of the waveguide is formed into any one of a circle, a square, a triangle, an ellipse, and a rectangle.

[0030] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the waveguide is characterized in that at least one slot is formed on one surface at equal intervals.

[0031] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the waveguide is characterized in that at least one slot is formed on one surface at equal intervals, forming at least one row.

[0032] Furthermore, in the microwave heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the waveguide is characterized in that at least one waveguide is formed by arranging at least one waveguide in parallel, each waveguide having at least one slot formed at equal intervals on one surface.

[0033] The specific details of other embodiments are described in the "Modes for Carrying Out the Invention" and the attached "Drawings".

[0034] The advantages and / or features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer by referring in detail to the various embodiments described below, along with the accompanying drawings.

[0035] However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments disclosed below, and can be realized in various forms. Each embodiment disclosed herein is provided solely to enable a person ordinary skill in the art to fully understand the scope of the invention, so that the disclosure of the invention may be complete. Therefore, the present invention should be understood to be defined only by the claims. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] According to the present invention, by forming a dielectric material inside a waveguide and transmitting microwaves into a processing chamber through the dielectric material, the spacing between slots on one surface of the waveguide can be narrowed, thereby enabling uniform heating of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of a microwave heat treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of a microwave heat treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of a microwave heat treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates an exemplary waveguide arrangement applicable to the present invention. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates an exemplary waveguide arrangement applicable to the present invention. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates an exemplary waveguide arrangement applicable to the present invention. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates an exemplary waveguide arrangement applicable to the present invention. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates an exemplary waveguide arrangement applicable to the present invention. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates an exemplary waveguide arrangement applicable to the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates a dielectric material formed in the internal space and slots of a waveguide according to the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates the height of a dielectric rod formed in a slot of a waveguide according to the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates a cross-section of a dielectric rod formed in a slot of a waveguide according to the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates the shape of a slot formed in a waveguide according to the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure illustrates the arrangement of slots formed in a waveguide according to the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure illustrates the arrangement of slots formed in a waveguide according to the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure illustrates a waveguide to which the present invention applies. [Figure 17] This figure illustrates an exemplary waveguide and substrate support base applied to the present invention. [Figure 18] This diagram illustrates the spacing of slots formed in a waveguide according to the conventional technology. [Figure 19] This figure illustrates the spacing of slots formed in a waveguide according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the terms and words used herein should not be interpreted unconditionally as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and that the inventors may define and use the concepts of various terms as appropriate to best describe their invention. Furthermore, these terms and words should be interpreted in a sense and concept that is consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0039] In other words, the terms used herein are used solely to describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to specifically limit the scope of the invention. It should be understood that these terms are defined in consideration of the various possibilities of the present invention.

[0040] Furthermore, in this specification, singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, and similarly, plural expressions may also include the meaning of singular expressions.

[0041] Throughout this specification, where it is stated that a component “includes” another component, this means, unless otherwise stated, that it may include the other component rather than excluding it.

[0042] Furthermore, if it is stated that a component is "located inside or connected to" another component, it should be noted that the component may be directly connected to or in contact with the other component, or it may be installed at a certain distance apart, and in the case of being installed at a certain distance apart, there may be a third component or means for fixing or connecting the component to the other component, and the description of such third component or means may be omitted.

[0043] In contrast, if it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly linked" to another component, it should be understood that there is no third component or means.

[0044] Similarly, other expressions describing the relationships between each component, such as "between" and "directly between," and "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted as having the same meaning.

[0045] Furthermore, when terms such as "one side," "the other side," "one side," "the other side," "the first," and "the second" are used in this specification, they are used to clearly distinguish one component from another, and it should be understood that the meaning of the components is not limited by these terms.

[0046] Furthermore, where terms relating to position, such as "up," "down," "left," and "right," are used in this specification, they should be understood to indicate the relative position of the component in the corresponding drawing, and these terms relating to position should not be understood to refer to absolute positions unless an absolute position is specified for them.

[0047] Furthermore, where terms such as "...part," "...unit," "module," and "device" are used in this specification, it should be understood that these refer to a unit capable of performing at least one function or operation, which can be achieved through hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0048] Furthermore, in this specification, when drawing symbols for each component are indicated in each figure, the same drawing symbol is used for the same component even if that component is shown in other drawings; that is, throughout this specification, the same reference symbol indicates the same component.

[0049] In the accompanying drawings of this specification, the size, position, and connection relationships of some of the components constituting the present invention may be exaggerated, reduced, or omitted in order to clearly convey the concept of the present invention or for the sake of ease of explanation. Therefore, their proportions and scales are not strictly accurate.

[0050] Furthermore, in describing the present invention below, detailed explanations of configurations that would obscure the essence of the invention, such as prior art and other known technologies, may be omitted.

[0051] A microwave heat treatment apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a microwave heat treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, the microwave heat treatment apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may consist of a processing chamber 110, a vacuum pump 120, a microwave generating unit 130, a temperature measuring unit 140, and a waveguide 150, etc.

[0054] The processing chamber 110 has a predetermined space inside and a structure that allows the internal space to be maintained in a vacuum state.

[0055] Accordingly, the processing chamber 110 may be equipped with a vacuum pump 120 that can discharge gas from inside the chamber, and a venting device that can inject gas into the chamber.

[0056] The microwave generator 130 may be installed outside the processing chamber 110 and is driven under the control of a control unit (not shown) to generate microwaves.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave generation unit 130 may be implemented as a magnetron, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] The temperature measuring unit 140 may measure the temperature of the semiconductor substrate 10 to be heat-treated and provide the measured value to the control unit (not shown).

[0059] The waveguide 150 may have one end connected to the microwave generator 130 and the other end inserted into the processing chamber 110.

[0060] In the waveguide 150, at least one slot 155 may be formed on one surface (for example, the upper or lower surface of the waveguide) of the portion inserted into the processing chamber 110.

[0061] The waveguide 150 may transmit microwaves generated by the microwave generator 130 into the processing chamber 110, thereby heating the substrate 10 placed inside the processing chamber 110.

[0062] The waveguide 150 may have a dielectric material 160 formed in at least one of its internal space and slot 155, and the microwaves generated in the microwave generation unit 130 may be transmitted into the processing chamber 110 through the formed dielectric material 160, thereby heating the substrate 10 placed in the processing chamber 110.

[0063] As shown in Figure 1, the waveguide 150 may be installed on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110 so that the substrate 10 is positioned on top of the waveguide 150, or it may be installed on the upper surface inside the processing chamber 110 so that microwaves are irradiated onto the substrate 10 located on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110, or it may be installed on the side of the processing chamber 110 so that microwaves are irradiated onto the substrate 10 located on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110.

[0064] When a waveguide 150 is installed on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110 and a substrate 10 is placed on top of the waveguide 150, as shown in Figure 2, a spacer 170 may be provided on top of the waveguide 150 to adjust the distance between the substrate 10 and a slot 155 (or dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155) provided on the upper surface of the waveguide 150, while separating the waveguide 150 from the substrate 10.

[0065] Furthermore, when a waveguide 150 is installed on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110 and a substrate 10 is placed on top of the waveguide 150, the processing chamber 110 may also be equipped with a substrate support base 180 for supporting the substrate 10, and a substrate support base drive unit 185 that can adjust the distance between the substrate 10 and a slot 155 (or dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155) provided on the upper surface of the waveguide 150 by raising or lowering the substrate support base 180.

[0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave generating unit 130 may be composed of multiple units, and each microwave generating unit 130 may generate microwaves having the same wavelength (frequency), or may generate microwaves having different wavelengths (frequencies).

[0067] As described above, when the microwave generating unit 130 is composed of multiple units, the waveguide 150 may be realized as a single waveguide, as the same number of waveguides as the microwave generating unit 130, or as fewer waveguides than the microwave generating unit 130.

[0068] When the microwave generating unit 130 is composed of multiple units and the waveguide 150 is composed of a single waveguide, as shown in Figure 4, the waveguide 150 may be installed so as to penetrate opposing sides of the processing chamber 110, and at least one microwave generating unit 130 may be connected to one end and the other end of the waveguide 150, respectively.

[0069] For example, if the microwave generator 130 is implemented as two units, one microwave generator 130 may be connected to each end of the waveguide 150. If the microwave generator 130 is implemented as three units, one microwave generator 130 may be connected to one end of the waveguide 150, and two microwave generators 130 may be connected to the other end.

[0070] Furthermore, if the microwave generating unit 130 is composed of multiple units and the waveguide 150 is composed of a single waveguide, as shown in Figure 5, the waveguide 150 may be configured to bend and penetrate from one side of the processing chamber 110 toward an adjacent side, and at least one microwave generating unit 130 may be connected to one end and the other end of the waveguide 150, respectively.

[0071] Furthermore, if the microwave generating unit 130 is composed of multiple units and the waveguides 150 are implemented in the same number as or fewer than the microwave generating unit 130, then, as shown in Figure 6, at least one waveguide 150 may be formed horizontally on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110, and the remaining waveguides 150 may be formed vertically on the side surface of the processing chamber 110.

[0072] Furthermore, if the microwave generating units 130 are composed of multiple units and the waveguides 150 are implemented in the same number as or fewer than the microwave generating units 130, as shown in Figure 7, at least one waveguide may be formed horizontally on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110, and the remaining waveguides may be formed horizontally on the upper surface of the processing chamber 110 and opposite to the waveguide formed on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110 with the substrate 10 in between.

[0073] At that time, as shown in Figure 7, the waveguides 150 installed opposite each other with the substrate 10 in between may be parallel to each other, the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide 150 may be parallel to each other, and the positions of the slots 155 may coincide.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the waveguides 150 installed opposite each other with the substrate 10 in between may be parallel to each other, the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide 150 may be parallel to each other, and the positions of the slots 155 may not coincide.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the waveguides 150, which are installed facing each other with the substrate 10 in between, may be installed so that the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide 150 are not parallel to each other, but form an arbitrary angle (θ).

[0076] As mentioned above, dielectric material 160 may be formed in at least one of the internal space of the waveguide 150 and the slot 155 provided in the waveguide 150.

[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, the dielectric material 160 may be realized as quartz, but is not limited thereto.

[0078] Here, the dielectric material 160 formed in the internal space of the waveguide 150 may be formed throughout the entire internal space of the waveguide, as shown in Figure 10(a).

[0079] Furthermore, the dielectric material 160 formed in the internal space of the waveguide 150 may be formed only in a portion of the internal space of the waveguide, as shown in Figures 10(b), (c), (g), and (h).

[0080] Furthermore, the dielectric material 160 may be formed in a slot 155 provided in the waveguide 150 to form a dielectric rod 165.

[0081] The dielectric material 160 may be formed in both the internal space of the waveguide 150 and the slot 155, as shown in Figures 10(a) to (c); it may not be formed inside the waveguide 150 but only in the slot 155, as shown in Figure 10(d); it may not be formed inside the waveguide 150 but only in the slot 155, as shown in Figures 10(e) and (f), and the dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155 may extend into the interior of the waveguide 150; or it may be formed in a part of the internal space of the waveguide and in the slot 155, and the dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155 may extend into the interior of the waveguide 150, but is not limited to these.

[0082] As described above, the dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155 may be formed to the same height as the thickness of the slot 155, as shown in Figure 11(a), as shown in Figure 11(b), as shown in Figure 11(c), as shown in Figure 11(d), or to different heights, but is not limited to these.

[0083] As mentioned above, the dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155 may be formed to be taller than the thickness of the slot 155, as shown in Figure 11(b), and as shown in Figure 12, the cross-sectional shape of the dielectric rod 165 protruding from the slot 155 may be a square, semicircle, semiellipse, triangle, spherical groove, or trapezoid, but is not limited to these.

[0084] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the waveguide 150 may have at least one slot 155 on one side of the portion inserted into the processing chamber 110, and may be circular, square, triangular, elliptical, or rectangular in shape, as shown in Figure 13, but is not limited to these.

[0085] As shown in Figures 14(a), (b), and (e), the slots 155 provided on one surface of the waveguide 150 may be formed by at least one slot 155 having the same shape spaced apart at regular intervals, as shown in Figure 14(c), by one slot 155, as shown in Figure 14(d), by slots 155 of different shapes spaced apart at predetermined intervals, with the size of the slots increasing as they move away from the center of the substrate 10, as shown in Figure 14(f), by at least one slot 155 having the same shape spaced apart at different intervals, as shown in Figure 14(g), by at least one slot 155 having the same shape spaced apart symmetrically at different intervals, with the spacing becoming narrower as they move away from the center of the substrate 10, but are not limited to these.

[0086] Here, the slot 155 provided on one surface of the waveguide 150 may be formed only in the portion of the part inserted into the processing chamber 110 that corresponds to the position where the substrate 10 is placed, or it may be formed in the entire portion inserted into the processing chamber 110, but is not limited to these.

[0087] In one embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the waveguide 150 has at least one slot 155 formed at equal intervals on one surface, and as shown in Figure 15, at least one slot 155 is formed at equal intervals on one surface of the waveguide 150, forming at least one row. In this case, the positions of the slots 155 forming the row may be aligned with the slots 155 of adjacent rows, as shown in (b) to (d), or they may be offset from the slots 155 of adjacent rows, as shown in (e).

[0088] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 16, the waveguide 150 may be formed by arranging at least one waveguide having a row of slots 155 in parallel.

[0089] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the waveguide 150 is placed on the lower surface of the processing chamber 110, the substrate 10 may be placed directly on top of the waveguide 150, as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, or it may be placed on top of a spacer 170 installed on the upper surface of the waveguide 150, as shown in Figure 2.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, it may be placed on top of a substrate support stand 180 installed inside the processing chamber 110, or as shown in Figures 7 to 9, it may be placed on top of a substrate support stand 190 installed on the upper surface of the waveguide 150.

[0091] The aforementioned substrate support base 190 is installed on the upper surface of the waveguide 150 and supports the substrate 10 to be heat-treated, which is positioned above it.

[0092] Furthermore, the substrate support base 190 may be designed to separate the waveguide 150 from the substrate 10, and to allow adjustment of the distance between the substrate 10 and the slot 155 (or dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155) provided on the upper surface of the waveguide 150.

[0093] As shown in Figure 17, such a substrate support base 190 may have at least one slot 195 formed at equal intervals, and a dielectric material 160 may be formed in each slot 195.

[0094] As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, a dielectric material 160 may be formed in at least one of the internal space of the waveguide 150 and the slot 155.

[0095] As described above, when a dielectric material 160 is formed in at least one of the internal space of the waveguide 150 and the slot 155, the microwaves generated in the microwave generation unit 130 are transmitted through the dielectric material 160 formed in at least one of the internal space of the waveguide 150 and the slot 155.

[0096] As microwaves pass through the dielectric material 160, the wavelength of the microwaves is shortened due to the dielectric constant of the dielectric material.

[0097] Thus, as the wavelength of microwaves becomes shorter, microwaves can more easily escape through the slots 155 provided on one surface of the waveguide 150. This allows the slots 155 to be formed more narrowly on one surface of the waveguide 150, thereby enabling more uniform heating when heating the substrate 10.

[0098] Generally, the position of the slot 155 provided on one side of the waveguide 150 where the dielectric material 160 is not formed is, as shown in Figure 18, at a position λ / 4 of the wavelength supplied into the inside of the waveguide 150.

[0099] On the other hand, when dielectric material 160 is formed in the internal space of the waveguide 150, as shown in Figure 19, the wavelength of microwaves supplied from the microwave generator 130 is shortened within the dielectric material due to the dielectric constant of the dielectric material, and the position of the slot 155 is determined by λ / 4 of the shortened wavelength, so the spacing between the slots 155 provided on one surface of the waveguide 150 becomes narrower.

[0100] When the spacing between the slots 155 is narrowed, the substrate 10 can be heated uniformly when heating it using microwaves.

[0101] In other words, by narrowing the spacing between the slots 155, more microwave interference zones can be formed that reach the substrate 10, thereby inducing a uniform temperature rise inside the substrate 10.

[0102] At that time, the microwave interference section may be formed by adjusting the distance between the substrate 10 and the slot 155 (or dielectric rod 165 formed in the slot 155) provided on one surface of the waveguide 150, the distance between the slots 155, the frequency, etc.

[0103] Although several examples have been given to describe various preferred embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of the various embodiments in the "Modes for Carrying Out the Invention" section are merely illustrative, and a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs will understand from the above description that the present invention can be carried out in various modified forms or in an equivalent form.

[0104] Furthermore, since the present invention can be implemented in various other forms, it is not limited by the foregoing description, and the foregoing description is provided only to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to enable a person ordinary skill in the art to fully understand the scope of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is defined only by the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 110 Processing Chamber 120 Vacuum pump 130 Microwave Generator 140 Temperature measurement section 150 Waveguide 155,175 slots 160 Dielectric materials 165 Dielectric Rod 170 Spacer 180,190 PCB support base 185 Circuit board support base drive unit

Claims

1. A processing chamber having a predetermined space inside, A microwave generating unit, which is installed outside the processing chamber and generates microwaves, A microwave heat treatment apparatus comprising: a waveguide having one end connected to the microwave generating unit and the other end inserted into the processing chamber, with at least one slot provided on one side of the portion inserted into the processing chamber, which transmits microwaves generated in the microwave generating unit into the processing chamber via a dielectric material formed in the internal space and at least one of the slots, thereby heating a substrate placed in the processing chamber.

2. When the microwave generation unit is composed of multiple units and implemented with a single waveguide, The waveguide is installed so as to penetrate the processing chamber, The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one microwave generating unit is connected to one end and the other end of the waveguide, respectively.

3. When the microwave generation unit is composed of multiple units and implemented with a single waveguide, The waveguide is installed so as to bend and penetrate from one side of the processing chamber toward the adjacent side, The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one microwave generating unit is connected to one end and the other end of the waveguide, respectively.

4. When the microwave generating units are composed of multiple units, and the waveguides are implemented in the same number as or fewer than the number of microwave generating units, At least one waveguide is formed horizontally, The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the remaining waveguide is formed vertically.

5. When the microwave generating units are composed of multiple units, and the waveguides are implemented in the same number as or fewer than the number of microwave generating units, The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the waveguides are arranged opposite each other with a substrate in between.

6. Waveguides are arranged opposite each other, with the aforementioned substrate in between. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide are parallel to each other and are arranged parallel to each other.

7. Waveguides are arranged opposite each other, with the aforementioned substrate in between. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the waveguides are parallel to each other, the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide are parallel to each other, and the positions of the slots are arranged to coincide with each other.

8. Waveguides are arranged opposite each other, with the aforementioned substrate in between. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the centerlines of the slots formed in each waveguide are not parallel to each other, but are arranged at arbitrary angles.

9. The dielectric material is The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is formed throughout the entire internal space of the waveguide.

10. The dielectric material is The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is formed in a part of the internal space of the waveguide.

11. The dielectric material is A dielectric rod is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the dielectric rod extends into the interior of the waveguide.

12. The dielectric material is A dielectric rod is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the dielectric rod is formed to the same height as the thickness of the slot.

13. The dielectric material is A dielectric rod is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the dielectric rod is formed to be higher than the thickness of the slot.

14. The dielectric material is A dielectric rod is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the dielectric rod is formed to be lower than the thickness of the slot.

15. The dielectric material is A dielectric rod is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each dielectric rod is formed at a different height.

16. The dielectric material is A dielectric rod is formed in a slot provided in the waveguide. The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of the dielectric rod protruding from the slot is formed to be any of a square, a semicircle, a semiellipse, a triangle, or a trapezoid.

17. At least one slot provided on one surface of the waveguide, The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is formed in the shape of a circle, square, triangle, ellipse, or rectangle.

18. The waveguide is The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one slot is formed at equal intervals on one surface.

19. The waveguide is The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that at least one slot is formed at equal intervals on one surface, forming at least one row.

20. The waveguide is The microwave heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one slot is formed by arranging at least one waveguide in parallel, with each waveguide having equally spaced slots on one surface.

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