Reaction tube holding jig, substrate processing device, and manufacturing method for semiconductor device

Abstract

The present invention provides technology capable of holding a reaction tube having a protrusion.　The present invention is provided with a holding part for holding at least two protrusions provided to a reaction tube.

Description

Reaction tube holding jig, substrate processing apparatus, and semiconductor device manufacturing method

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

[0002] A reaction tube attachment / detachment cart is sometimes used when attaching or detaching a reaction tube used in a substrate processing apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-23913

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of holding a reaction tube having protrusions.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a technique having a holding part that holds at least two protrusions provided on a reaction tube.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to hold a reaction tube having a protrusion.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an outline of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2(A) is a top view of a reaction tube placed in a reaction tube transporting device, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2(B) is a side view of a reaction tube placed in the reaction tube transporting device, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3(A) is a top view of a reaction tube transferred from the reaction tube transporting device, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3(B) is a side view of a reaction tube transferred from the reaction tube transporting device, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4(A) is a side view of a reaction tube storage jig, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4(B) is a perspective view of the reaction tube storage jig, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 is a view showing a state in which a plurality of reaction tubes are stored in the reaction tube transporting device which is the reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view showing a reaction tube storage jig which is the reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as seen from a side.

[0008] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Note that all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements shown in the drawings do not necessarily match those of reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0009] (1) Configuration of the Substrate Processing Apparatus The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0010] The substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a reaction tube storage chamber 206b. The reaction tube storage chamber 206b contains a reaction tube 210, a heater 211 as a heating unit (furnace body) installed around the reaction tube 210, a gas supply structure 212 as a gas supply unit, and a gas exhaust structure 213 as a gas exhaust unit. The gas supply unit may include an upstream flow rectifier 214 and nozzles 223 and 224, which will be described later. The gas exhaust unit may include a downstream flow rectifier 215, which will be described later. A section of the reaction tube 210 where the substrate S is processed is called a processing chamber 201. The processing chamber 201 can also be called a processing space in which the substrate S is placed.

[0011] The gas supplied from the gas supply structure 212 into the reaction tube 210 moves horizontally relative to the substrate S and is exhausted from the gas exhaust structure 213. An upstream rectifier 214 is provided between the reaction tube 210 and the gas supply structure 212. A downstream rectifier 215 is provided between the reaction tube 210 and the gas exhaust structure 213. The lower end of the reaction tube 210 is supported by a manifold 216. Heat from the heater 211 heats the substrate S and the gas in the processing chamber 201.

[0012] The gas supply structure 212 is connected to a gas supply pipe 251 and a gas supply pipe 261 and includes a distribution unit 225 that distributes the gas supplied from each gas supply pipe. A plurality of nozzles 223 and 224 are provided downstream of the distribution unit 225. In this embodiment, the gas supply pipe 251 and the gas supply pipe 261 are also collectively referred to as gas supply pipes 221. Each nozzle is also referred to as a gas discharge unit. The distribution unit 225 is configured to supply gas from the gas supply pipe 251 to the nozzle 223 and from the gas supply pipe 261 to the nozzle 224, respectively.

[0013] The upstream rectifying section 214 has a housing 227 and a partition plate 226. Nozzles 223 and 224 are provided between the partition plates 226 and between the partition plate 226 and the housing 227. The downstream rectifying section 215 has a housing 231 and a partition plate 232. The gas exhaust structure 213 is mainly composed of a housing 241, an exhaust pipe connection section 242, and an exhaust hole 244.

[0014] A transfer chamber 217 is formed at the bottom of the reaction tube 210. Inside the transfer chamber 217, a transfer robot (not shown) transfers substrates S between the inside and outside of the transfer chamber 217 through a substrate loading port (not shown), and the substrates S are loaded onto and unloaded from a substrate support 300 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a boat) inside the transfer chamber 217.

[0015] The vertical drive mechanism 400 moves the substrate support 300 and the partition plate support 310 up and down between the reaction tube 210 and the transfer chamber 217. FIG. 1 shows the substrate support 300 and the partition plate support 310 raised by the vertical drive mechanism 400 and stored in the reaction tube 210. The vertical drive mechanism 400 includes a rotation drive mechanism 430 that rotates the substrate support 300 and the partition plate support 310 together, and a boat up and down mechanism 420 that drives the substrate support 300 up and down relative to the partition plate support 310. The rotation drive mechanism 430 and the boat up and down mechanism 420 are fixed to a base flange 401 serving as a lid, which is supported by a side plate 403 on a base plate 402. An O-ring 446 for vacuum sealing is installed on the upper surface of the base flange 401. A support 440 fixed to the partition plate support 310 and a support 441 fixed to the substrate support 300 are connected by a vacuum bellows 443 .

[0016] A plurality of substrates S are placed on the substrate support 300 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction (perpendicular direction). A plurality of partition plates 314 are arranged on the partition plate support part 310 directly below the substrates S, above and / or below the substrates S. In the process of forming a thin film on the substrates S, it is desirable to align the height of the partition plates 314 with that of the partition plates 226 and 232. This makes it easier to form a horizontal gas flow across the partition plate 226, over the substrates S, and the partition plate 232, with vertical flow suppressed, allowing each substrate S to be processed uniformly.

[0017] 1 shows an example in which five substrates S are supported on the substrate support 300. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The substrate support 300 may be configured to support, for example, approximately 5 to 50 substrates S. In this specification, the notation of a numerical range such as "5 to 50 substrates" means that the lower limit and upper limit are included in the range. Thus, for example, "5 to 50 substrates" means "5 or more and 50 or less substrates." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0018] Next, the reaction tube carrying device 50, which is a reaction tube holding jig, will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the reaction tube 210 is held by the reaction tube carrying device 50, as viewed from above. Figure 2(B) is a diagram showing a state in which the reaction tube 210 is held by the reaction tube carrying device 50, as viewed from above.

[0019] The reaction tube 210 is provided with a first protrusion 501 which is a gas supply side protrusion and a second protrusion 502 which is a gas exhaust side protrusion.

[0020] The reaction tube transport device 50 is provided with a base 530, a first holding part (holding mechanism) 511 that holds the first protrusion 501 from the bottom surface, and a second holding part 512 that holds the second protrusion 502 from the bottom surface, so that the reaction tube 210 can be held vertically. The number of holding parts is the same as the number of protrusions. The first holding part 511 is provided with stoppers (anti-tip members) 521 and 522 to prevent the first holding part 511 from tipping over when holding the first protrusion 501, and the second holding part 512 is provided with stoppers 523 and 524 to prevent the second holding part 512 from tipping over when holding the second protrusion 502. In this way, the stoppers 521 and 522 hold the first protrusion so as to sandwich it, and the stoppers 523 and 524 hold the second protrusion so as to sandwich it, so that it becomes possible to prevent the reaction tube 210 from falling over when the reaction tube 210 is held by the reaction tube transport device 50.

[0021] When the reaction tube 210 is held by the first holding part 511 and the second holding part 512, a gap is provided between the reaction tube 210 and the pedestal 530. This makes it possible to prevent the bottom of the reaction tube 201 from being scratched. Furthermore, by applying a resin to the pedestal 530 to make it slippery, the pedestal 530 becomes slippery when holding the reaction tube 210, thereby making it possible to prevent the bottom of the reaction tube 201 from being scratched.

[0022] Moreover, a handle (grip) 540 is provided on the upper surface of the pedestal 530, and furthermore, a plurality of wheels are provided on the back surface of the pedestal 530, so that the held reaction tube 210 can be transported. In this way, the reaction tube transporting device 50, which is a reaction tube holding jig, can transport the reaction tube 210 provided with the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502 without tipping over.

[0023] 3(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the reaction tube 210 is moved from the pedestal 530 to the reaction tube-carrying device 50, which is a reaction tube-holding jig, as viewed from above. FIG. 3(B) is a diagram showing a state in which the reaction tube 210 is moved from the pedestal 530 to the reaction tube-carrying device 50, which is a reaction tube-holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the side.

[0024] The reaction tube transporting device 50 is provided with a slide mechanism 550 on the surface of the pedestal 530. The slide mechanism 550 allows a first holder (holding mechanism) 511 that holds the first protrusion 501 from the bottom surface and a second holder 512 that holds the second protrusion 502 from the bottom surface to slide, thereby moving the reaction tube 210 from the pedestal 530. A gap is provided between the reaction tube 210 and the pedestal 530, so that the reaction tube 210 can be moved without damaging the bottom surface of the reaction tube 210.

[0025] Furthermore, the first holding part 511 is provided with stoppers 521 and 522, which hold the first protrusion by pinching it, and the second holding part 512 is provided with stoppers 523 and 524, which hold the second protrusion by pinching it, so that it is possible to prevent the reaction tube 210 from tipping over when the reaction tube 210 is moved from the base 530.

[0026] In this way, by using the reaction tube transporting device 50, for example, when replacing the reaction tube 210 of the substrate processing apparatus 10, it becomes possible to transport the reaction tube 210 from the storage location of the reaction tube 210 to the installation location of the substrate processing apparatus using the reaction tube transporting device 50.

[0027] Next, a first embodiment of a reaction tube storage jig 60, which is a reaction tube holding jig, will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4(A) is a side view of the reaction tube storage jig, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 4(B) is a perspective view of the reaction tube storage jig, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] The reaction tube storage jig 60 is composed of a rail 601 and a reaction tube stand 602. A rack is provided on the inner side of the rail 601, and a gear is provided on the outer side of the reaction tube stand 602. The reaction tube 210, which is provided with the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502, is arranged in an upright state (vertical state) on the upper part of the reaction tube stand 602 and is stored.

[0029] 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of reaction tubes are stored in the reaction tube transporting device, which is the reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 5 , a plurality of reaction tubes 210 are stored on a plurality of reaction tube stands 602 on a rail 601. When storing a plurality of reaction tubes 210, the reaction tubes 210 are rotated by moving the rail 601 left and right (in the direction of the left and right arrows in the drawing). In this way, when the reaction tube 210 provided with the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502 is stored, the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502 move in the rotational direction, thereby making it possible to reduce the storage space.

[0030] Next, a second embodiment of a reaction tube storage jig 60, which is a reaction tube holding jig, will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a side view of a reaction tube storage jig 70, which is a reaction tube holding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] 6 , the reaction tube storage jig 70 is provided with a holding part 701 and a groove part 702 so as to hold a part of the reaction tube 210 and the first protrusion part 501 or the second protrusion part 502. In this way, the reaction tube storage jig 70 can store the reaction tube 210 in a horizontal position. In addition, the holding part 701 can prevent the reaction tube 210 from falling over.

[0032] Furthermore, by making the groove portion 702, into which the first protrusion portion 501 or the second protrusion portion 502 of the holding part 701 is inserted, deeper than the length of the first protrusion portion 501 or the second protrusion portion 502, it becomes possible to reduce the load applied to the portion where the reaction tube 201 and the first protrusion portion 501 or the second protrusion portion 502 are connected.

[0033] (2) Substrate Processing Step Next, a substrate processing step will be described as one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, in which a thin film is formed on a substrate S using the substrate processing apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration. The substrate processing step includes a step of loading a plurality of substrates S supported by the substrate support 300 into the reaction tube 210, a step of supplying gas from the plurality of nozzles 223 and 224 to the plurality of substrates S loaded into the reaction tube 210 to process them, and a step of unloading the plurality of substrates S supported by the substrate support 300 from the reaction tube 210.

[0034] 201 Reaction tube 501 First protrusion 502 Second protrusion 511 First holding part 512 Second holding part

Claims

1. A reaction tube holding jig having a holding portion for holding at least two protrusions provided on a reaction tube.

2. The reaction tube holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion holds the bottom surface of the protrusion.

3. The reaction tube holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is provided with a tip-prevention portion that holds the protrusion by clamping it.

4. The reaction tube holding jig according to claim 1, further comprising a base for placing said reaction tube.

5. The reaction tube holder according to claim 4, wherein when the reaction tube is placed on the pedestal, a gap is provided between the reaction tube and a surface of the pedestal.

6. The reaction tube holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the number of said holding portions is the same as the number of said protrusions.

7. A reaction tube holding jig as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding portion is configured to hold the protrusion and a part of the reaction tube.

8. The reaction tube holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the base is provided with wheels, making it possible to transport the reaction tube.

9. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a reaction tube having at least two protrusions attached using the reaction tube holding jig described in claim 1 and for processing a substrate held by the substrate holder; a gas supply unit provided on at least one of the protrusions for supplying gas to the reaction tube; and a gas exhaust unit provided on at least one of the protrusions for exhausting gas from the reaction tube.

10. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: loading the substrate into the reaction tube of the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9; processing the substrate; and unloading the substrate from the reaction tube.

Images