Batch-type substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a batch-type substrate processing apparatus capable of improving uniformity of a substrate processing process. The batch-type substrate processing apparatus of the present invention comprises: an outer tube extending in the vertical direction; an inner tube disposed in the outer tube and extending in the vertical direction to provide a substrate processing space; a nozzle part which supplies a substrate processing gas to the substrate processing space; an exhaust port which exhausts a separation space (S) between the outer tube and the inner tube; a substrate boat which stacks a plurality of substrates in multiple stages in the vertical direction; a hollow flange which supports the outer tube and the inner tube; and a seal cap part which supports the substrate boat and opening and closing an open lower end of the flange, wherein the inner tube may include a rectangular exhaust port extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

Description

Batch-type substrate processing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, and more specifically, to a batch-type substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of a substrate processing process.

[0002] Generally, substrate processing equipment includes single-wafer type systems, which can perform processing on a single substrate, and batch type systems, which can perform processing on multiple substrates simultaneously. While the single-wafer type offers the advantage of a simple equipment configuration, the batch type, which enables mass production, is widely used due to the problem of lower productivity.

[0003] Conventional batch-type substrate processing devices, such as low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) units, carry out the process by providing multiple substrates vertically stacked in a substrate processing space. These devices are equipped with an inner tube and an outer tube surrounding the substrate processing space and are configured to inject gas toward the bottom of the substrate processing space. In a bottom-up flow method where the substrate processing gas is filled starting from the lower region of the inner tube, the substrate processing gas is supplied from the bottom region, moves to the top region, and then exhausts to the outside through the gap between the inner and outer tubes, passing over the upper part of the open inner tube.

[0004] In conventional batch-type substrate processing devices, the substrate processing gas is present in excess in the lower region of the substrate processing space and is insufficient in the upper region of the substrate processing space, so different substrate processing may occur depending on the stacking position (height) of the substrate. For example, in a batch-type substrate deposition process, a problem may arise where the thin film thickness is thick in the lower region of the substrate processing space and thin in the upper region.

[0005] In addition, as the substrate processing gas moves rapidly into the empty space between the substrate and the inner tube, the movement of the substrate processing gas toward the center of the substrate is not smooth, which may result in non-uniformity of the substrate processing process at the edges and center of the substrate.

[0006] (Patent Document 1) Korean Published Patent No. 10-2005-0012723

[0007] The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus capable of effectively improving the uniformity between substrate planes and the uniformity within substrate planes of a substrate processing process.

[0008] A batch-type substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: an outer tube extending in a vertical direction; an inner tube disposed within the outer tube and extending in a vertical direction to provide a substrate processing space; a nozzle part supplying a substrate processing gas to the substrate processing space; an exhaust port exhausting a spaced-apart space (S) between the outer tube and the inner tube; a substrate boat stacking a plurality of substrates in a multi-stage vertical direction; a hollow flange supporting the outer tube and the inner tube; and a seal cap part supporting the substrate boat and opening and closing the open lower end of the flange; wherein the inner tube may include a rectangular exhaust port extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0009] The upper part of the inner tube may be open to allow the substrate boat to enter and exit, and the upper part may be closed.

[0010] The exhaust port is provided on the lower side of the outer tube, and the upper portion of the exhaust port is spaced apart horizontally along the outer surface of the inner tube from a vertical virtual line (L) passing through the outer surface of the inner tube opposite the center of the connection portion between the outer tube and the exhaust port (d). T ) is the separation distance (d) of the lower part of the exhaust port. B It can be shorter than ).

[0011] The nozzle portion extends in a vertical direction, and the nozzle portion and the exhaust port may be located on both sides of the vertical virtual line (L) in a horizontal direction along the side of the inner tube.

[0012] The lower part of the exhaust port may face the nozzle part with the center of the inner tube as the center.

[0013] It further includes a pedestal provided between the substrate boat and the seal cap portion; and the exhaust portion may extend to an area where the pedestal is received.

[0014] The opening area of ​​the exhaust port may be larger than or equal to the opening area of ​​the exhaust port.

[0015] The outer tube comprises: a cylindrical outer wall portion that is closed at the top and extends vertically; and a support body portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall portion and having a width greater than that of the outer wall portion; and the inner tube may be provided on the support body portion.

[0016] It may include a stepped portion provided on the upper surface of the support body portion to determine the position where the lower end of the inner tube is mounted.

[0017] It may further include a sealing member provided between the lower surface of the support body part and the seal cap part.

[0018] According to the batch-type substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the uniformity of the substrate processing process can be improved by inducing a side flow in which the processing gas flows along the surface of the substrate by exhausting the processing gas supplied through the nozzle portion through a rectangular exhaust port extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction formed on the side wall of the inner tube.

[0019] The upper part of the rectangular exhaust port is provided to be adjacent to a vertical virtual line passing through the center of the exhaust port rather than the lower part of the rectangular exhaust port, thereby more effectively inducing the lateral flow of the processing gas and allowing the pressure on the vertically stacked substrate to remain constant without changing with height, thus improving not only the uniformity within the substrate plane but also the uniformity between substrate planes.

[0020] In addition, the rectangular exhaust section is extended to the area where the pedestal is accommodated, so that a uniform substrate processing process can be carried out even on substrates placed at the bottom of the substrate boat.

[0021] In addition, the inner tube is supported at the bottom of the outer tube, and the space between the outer tube and the seal cap is sealed to minimize direct contact between the processing gas supplied to the substrate processing gas and the metal, thereby preventing corrosion of the batch-type substrate processing device and extending the maintenance cycle as much as possible.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a batch-type substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of an inner tube according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement structure of a batch-type substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms; these embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. In the description, the same reference numerals are assigned to identical components, and the drawings may be partially exaggerated in size to accurately describe the embodiments of the present invention, and the same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same elements.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a batch-type substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of an inner tube according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement structure of a batch-type substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a batch-type substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: an outer tube (100) extending in a vertical direction; an inner tube (200) disposed within the outer tube (100) and extending in a vertical direction to provide a substrate processing space; a nozzle part (300) supplying a substrate processing gas to the substrate processing space; an exhaust port (400) exhausting a spaced-apart space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200); a substrate boat (500) stacking a plurality of substrates in a multi-stage vertical direction; a hollow flange (600) supporting the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200); and a seal cap part (700) supporting the substrate boat (500) and opening and closing the open lower end of the flange (600). Additionally, the inner tube (200) may include a rectangular exhaust port (230) extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0028] The batch-type substrate processing apparatus of the present invention may be a thin film apparatus such as a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) apparatus for depositing a metal nitride film such as Si3N4 on a plurality of substrates, or an etching apparatus for removing a thin film deposited on a plurality of substrates.

[0029] The outer tube (100) is provided to extend in a vertical direction and wrap around the outer surface of the inner tube (200) to protect the inner tube (200) and maintain a constant internal pressure of the inner tube (200). The outer tube (100) has a cylindrical shape with a closed upper portion and an open lower portion, and may be made of a material such as quartz or silicon carbide (SiC) that can withstand high temperatures.

[0030] The inner tube (200) is positioned within the outer tube (100) and extends vertically like the outer tube (100), thereby defining a substrate processing space that extends vertically. The lower end of the inner tube (200) is open to allow the substrate boat (500) to enter and exit, and it may be made of a material such as quartz or silicon carbide (SiC) that can withstand high temperatures. By separating the substrate processing space from the outside through the double structure of the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200), process conditions such as pressure and temperature can be maintained constant, thereby improving the uniformity of the substrate processing process for multiple substrates.

[0031] The substrate processing space within the inner tube (200) accommodates a substrate boat (500) in which a plurality of substrates are stacked in multiple layers during the substrate processing process, and is a space where substrate processing processes such as deposition or cleaning processes are performed. A heating unit (950) that provides thermal energy to heat the substrate processing space to a predetermined process temperature may be arranged to surround the outer tube (100).

[0032] The nozzle part (300) can receive a processing gas for processing a substrate (e.g., a source gas or reaction gas for thin film deposition, a purge gas for purging a processing space, a cleaning gas for cleaning a processing space, etc.) from an external processing gas supply source (350) and supply it to a substrate processing space inside an inner tube (200).

[0033] The exhaust port (400) can exhaust the gap space (S) formed between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200). By forming negative pressure in the gap space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200) by means of an exhaust line or exhaust pump (not shown) connected to the exhaust port (400), the processing gas, purge gas, and reaction byproducts supplied to the substrate processing space can be exhausted.

[0034] The substrate boat (500) is configured to support a plurality of substrates and may be formed to be stacked in multiple stages with a predetermined spacing in the vertical direction, and may also form a plurality of unit processing spaces in which each of the plurality of substrates is processed individually. The substrate boat (500) may be brought into or taken out of the substrate processing space of the inner tube (100) through the hollow portion of the flange (600) by raising or lowering the seal cap portion (700). The substrate boat (500) may be made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC.

[0035] A hollow flange (600) can support an outer tube (100) and an inner tube (200). The flange (600) may support the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200) individually, or the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200) may be joined together, or either the outer tube (100) or the inner tube (200) may be supported by the other. The flange (600) may be in the shape of a hollow cylinder with a hollow section penetrating vertically in the center and open upper and lower ends, and may be made of a metal material to form a rigid structure. The flange (600) may be in the form of a manifold with a flow path formed inside for supplying processing gas or exhausting the substrate processing space.

[0036] The seal cap portion (400) supports the substrate boat (500) and can open and close the open lower portion of the flange (600), and may be provided with a seal cap flange (710) having a first through hole formed in the center, and a seal cap plate (720) provided on the seal cap flange (710) having a second through hole formed in the center.

[0037] The seal cap flange (710) can be made of a metal having rigidity to withstand exhaust pressure, as it forms a space separated from the external environment together with the hollow portion of the flange (600). Since the seal cap flange (710) is made of metal, it may corrode or deteriorate due to processing gas, etc., for example, the surface may corrode and turn black due to cleaning gas. On the other hand, the seal cap plate (720) is made of a very chemically stable material such as quartz, so it may not corrode or deteriorate due to processing gas. By providing it on the seal cap flange (710), it prevents the processing gas from coming into direct contact with the seal cap flange (710), thereby suppressing the corrosion or deterioration of the seal cap flange (710).

[0038] A rotating shaft (810) that rotates by means of a rotating drive unit (800) provided at the bottom of the seal cap portion (600) provides rotational force to the substrate boat (500), thereby improving process uniformity within the substrate surface as the substrate mounted on the substrate boat (500) rotates during the substrate processing process. The rotating shaft (810) can be inserted into the aligned first through hole and second through hole to pass through the seal cap portion (600) and transmit rotational force to the substrate boat (500).

[0039] The batch-type substrate processing device of the present invention may further include: a loading chamber (900) that communicates with an inner tube (200) and provides a loading space for loading a substrate onto a substrate boat (500); and a linear moving member (920) that linearly moves a seal cap portion (700) along a first direction so that the substrate boat (500) can reciprocate between the substrate processing space and the loading space.

[0040] One end of the linear moving member (920) is fixed between the upper and lower parts of the loading chamber (900) and is movably connected to a moving axis (910) extending along a first direction, and the other end may be connected to a seal cap portion (700). When the linear moving member (920) moves linearly along the moving axis (910) along the first direction, the substrate boat (500) supported by the seal cap portion (700) can reciprocate between the substrate loading position and the substrate processing position. When the substrate boat (500) reaches the substrate processing position, the seal cap portion (700) coupled to the preceding moving member (920) can close the open lower end of the flange (600). A gate (930) may be provided on one side wall of the loading chamber (900) so that a substrate can be introduced into the loading chamber (900).

[0041] In the batch-type substrate processing device of the present invention, a rectangular exhaust port (230) extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction may be formed on the side wall portion (210) of the inner tube (200). The rectangular exhaust port (230) has a slit shape that extends long in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Processing gas, etc. present in the substrate processing space inside the inner tube (200) may be discharged to the exhaust port (400) through the rectangular exhaust port (230) penetrating the side wall portion of the inner tube (200), passing through the gap space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200).

[0042] In conventional batch-type substrate processing devices, the processing gas supplied to the lower region of the substrate processing space moves to the upper region and is then exhausted to the outside through the gap (S) between the inner tube and the outer tube, passing over the upper part of the open inner tube. Consequently, the processing gas within the substrate processing space flows in a vertical upward flow (Bottom-Up Flow) manner. On the other hand, in the present invention, the processing gas supplied to the substrate processing space does not move to the upper region of the substrate processing space but is exhausted through a rectangular exhaust port (230) penetrating the side wall of the inner tube (200). Therefore, the processing gas can flow along the surface of the substrate in a side flow manner. That is, the present invention induces a side flow of the processing gas within the substrate processing space to mitigate problems such as the concentration gradient of the processing gas according to height and the lack of processing gas in the central part of the substrate, thereby simultaneously improving the uniformity between substrate surfaces and the uniformity within the substrate surface of the substrate processing process.

[0043] To increase the lateral flow of processing gas within the substrate processing space, the inner tube (200) may be open at the bottom and closed at the top so that the substrate boat (500) can enter and exit. The inner tube (200) may further include a side wall (210) having a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction; and a cover (220) crossing the top of the side wall (210). The cover (220) may be flat so that the spacing between the tops of the substrate boat (500) is equal so as not to obstruct the lateral flow of processing gas. As the top of the inner tube (200) is closed, the processing gas supplied to the substrate processing space cannot move beyond the top of the inner tube and can only be exhausted through the rectangular exhaust port (230), thereby strengthening the lateral flow of processing gas and allowing the processing gas to move more effectively along the substrate surface toward the center of the substrate.

[0044] An exhaust port (400) may be provided on the lower side of the outer tube (100). The exhaust port (400) may be provided directly on the lower side of the outer tube (100) or may be connected to a flange (600) that supports the outer tube (100). When the exhaust port (400) is provided directly on the lower side of the outer tube (100), the exhaust port (400) may also be made of quartz, which is the same material as the outer tube (100), so that the exhaust port (400) and the outer tube (100) can be formed as a single unit.

[0045] In the gap space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200), the pressure in the area where the exhaust port (400) is provided is the lowest, and the pressure may increase as it moves further away from the exhaust port (400). The suction force of the processing gas through the exhaust port formed on the side wall of the inner tube (200) can be determined by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the exhaust port. If the pressure in the gap space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200) varies according to the distance from the exhaust port (400), the suction force of the processing gas through the corresponding exhaust port and the pressure inside the exhaust port may also vary. If the pressure inside the exhaust port (i.e., the substrate processing space) changes according to the distance from the exhaust port (400) to the exhaust port, the conditions of the substrate processing process for the corresponding substrate change, and it is not possible to uniformly process multiple substrates stacked in multiple stages on the substrate boat (500).

[0046] For example, when exhaust is performed through a rectangular exhaust port extending vertically formed on the side wall of an inner tube, the distance between the exhaust port (400) and the local (unit) area of ​​the exhaust port increases with height, and at the corresponding height, the suction force of the processing gas through the exhaust port and the pressure inside the exhaust port may decrease. That is, the pressure (concentration of processing gas) on the substrate mounted on the upper part of the substrate boat (500) is reduced compared to the pressure (concentration of processing gas) on the substrate mounted on the lower part of the substrate boat (500), and as a result, substrate processing can proceed under different process conditions depending on the mounting position (height) of the substrate. In the case of a thin film deposition process, the thickness of the thin film deposited on the substrate mounted on the lower part of the substrate boat (500) is thicker than the thickness of the thin film deposited on the substrate mounted on the upper part of the substrate boat (500), so thickness non-uniformity between substrate surfaces may occur.

[0047] In the present invention, in order to suppress pressure imbalance according to height within the substrate processing space, the distance (d) of the upper portion of the exhaust port (230) is spaced horizontally along the outer surface of the inner tube (200) from a vertical virtual line (L) passing through the outer surface of the inner tube (200) facing the central portion of the connection between the outer tube (100) and the exhaust port (400). T ) is the distance (d) from the lower part of the exhaust port (230). BA rectangular exhaust port (230) is formed to be shorter than ). That is, the upper part of the exhaust port (230), which is located furthest vertically from the exhaust port (400), can be positioned closest to the vertical virtual line (L) in the horizontal direction. And, the lower part of the exhaust port (230), which is located closest vertically from the exhaust port (400), can be positioned furthest from the vertical virtual line (L) in the horizontal direction. The exhaust path between the upper part of the exhaust port (230) and the exhaust port (400) may be longer than the exhaust path between the lower part of the exhaust port (230) and the exhaust port (400). However, since the exhaust path is close to a straight line, the exhaust efficiency may be better, and thus a uniform suction force can be induced at the upper part of the exhaust port (230) and the lower part of the exhaust port (230) overall. With the arrangement structure of the exhaust port (230) and the exhaust port (400), a uniform pressure distribution can be formed within the substrate processing space regardless of height, and substrate processing can be performed under uniform process conditions regardless of the position (height) of the substrate mounted on the substrate boat (500).

[0048] Meanwhile, the nozzle section (300) extends in a vertical direction, and a plurality of nozzles (310) may be arranged along the vertical direction. The plurality of nozzles (310) are formed to face the central part of the substrate, so that processing gas can be supplied horizontally to the central part of the substrate. The nozzle section (300) can supply processing gas directly to a unit processing space on the substrate that is mounted in multiple stages on the substrate boat (500) through the plurality of nozzles (310), and exhaust the processing gas through a rectangular exhaust port (230) formed on the side wall of the inner tube (200), thereby more effectively inducing a lateral flow of processing gas.

[0049] A plurality of nozzle sections (300) (301 to 304) may be provided to be arranged along the inner surface of the inner tube (200) according to the substrate processing process. For example, when depositing a Si3N4 thin film by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, the second nozzle section (302) may supply NH3 gas as a reaction gas, and at the same time, the first nozzle section (301) and the third nozzle section (303) may supply DSC (Dichlorosilane; Si2H2Cl2) gas as a source gas. A cleaning gas may also be supplied to the fourth nozzle section (304) to clean the inside of a batch-type substrate processing device including a substrate processing space after the deposition process is completed. The type and method of gas supplied through the plurality of nozzle sections (300) may vary depending on the substrate processing process.

[0050] Additionally, the nozzle section (300) and the exhaust port (230) may be located on both sides of a vertical virtual line (L) passing through the outer surface of the inner tube (200) that faces the center of the connection between the outer tube (100) and the exhaust port (400) in a horizontal direction along the inner surface of the inner tube (200). In a unit processing space formed on a substrate, the flow of processing gas can be determined by the injection pressure that sprays processing gas from the nozzle (310) toward the center of the substrate and the exhaust pressure that sucks in processing gas from the exhaust port (230). If the nozzle section (300) and the exhaust port (230) are positioned on one side of the vertical virtual line (L), the nozzle section (300) and the exhaust port (230) are adjacent to each other, and the processing gas sprayed from the nozzle section (300) is rapidly discharged to the exhaust port (230), so that the processing gas may not reach the center of the substrate. On the other hand, if the nozzle section (300) and the exhaust port (230) are positioned on both sides of the vertical virtual line (L), the processing gas supplied from the nozzle section (300) flows to the exhaust port (230) across the horizontal virtual line connecting the center of the inner tube (200) and the vertical virtual line (L), so that as much processing gas as possible can reach the center of the substrate. For example, to ensure uniformity within the substrate surface, the angle (θ) formed by the vertical virtual line (L) and the exhaust port (230) centered on the center of the inner tube (200) may be 40° or more. The angle (θ) formed by the vertical virtual line (L) and the upper part of the exhaust port (230) centered on the center of the inner tube (200) T ) is the distance (d) between the vertical virtual line (L) centered on the center of the inner tube (200) and the lower part of the exhaust port (230). B The angle formed by ) (θ B It can be smaller than ).

[0051] And, the nozzle part (300) (in cases where the nozzle part (300) is provided in multiple numbers, the center of the multiple nozzle parts (300)) may be provided to form an angle of 40° to 50° with respect to the vertical virtual line (L) centered on the center of the inner tube (200).

[0052] The lower end of the rectangular exhaust port (230) may face the nozzle part (300) with the center of the inner tube (200) as the center. When multiple nozzle parts (300) are provided as in FIG. 3, the lower end of the rectangular exhaust port (230) may face the center of the multiple nozzle parts (300) (i.e., the center between the second nozzle part (302) and the third nozzle part (303).

[0053] By positioning the lower end of the rectangular exhaust port (230), which is located furthest horizontally from the exhaust port (400), so that the nozzle part (300) faces the center of the inner tube (200), the processing gas supplied from the nozzle part (300) toward the center of the inner tube (200) can be exhausted across the center of the inner tube to the lower end of the exhaust port (230). As a result, the lateral flow of the processing gas can be smoothly induced even on the surface of the substrate mounted at the bottom of the substrate boat (500), thereby allowing the processing to effectively reach the center of the substrate at the bottom.

[0054] The batch-type substrate processing device of the present invention further includes a pedestal (550) provided between the substrate boat (500) and the seal cap portion (700), and the rectangular exhaust portion (230) may extend to the area where the pedestal (550) is received.

[0055] A pedestal (550) is provided between the substrate boat (200) and the seal cap portion (700), and is equipped with a plurality of insulating plates, which are insulating members made of heat-resistant materials such as quartz or SiC, so that heat supplied from the heating portion (950) and the substrate processing space can be suppressed from spreading to the seal cap portion (700) and the rotary drive portion (800). When the seal cap portion (700) rises to close the open lower portion of the flange (600), the pedestal (550) placed on the seal cap portion (700) can be accommodated in the internal space of the inner tube (200).

[0056] The nozzle section (300) is generally bent and extended vertically through the flange (600) and / or outer tube (100) to form an L-shape, and in the case of the L-shaped nozzle section (300), a larger amount of processing gas can be supplied from the upstream side (lower side) than from the downstream side (upper side). If too much processing gas is supplied from the nozzle section (300) to the lower side of the substrate processing space, too much processing gas reaches the central part of the substrate mounted on the bottom of the substrate boat (500), and a thin film of relatively thick thickness may be deposited. If the rectangular exhaust section (230) extends to the area where the pedestal (550) is accommodated, a portion of the processing gas supplied to the lower side of the substrate processing space can be diffused and exhausted to the area where the pedestal (550) is accommodated, thereby suppressing the excessive supply of processing gas to the central part of the substrate mounted on the bottom of the substrate boat (500) and effectively controlling the thickness variation of the thin film within the substrate.

[0057] Since the substrate processing space of the inner tube (200) is exhausted to the outside through the rectangular exhaust port (230) and the exhaust port (400), if the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (230) is smaller than the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (400), a bottleneck phenomenon of the flowing processing gas may occur, and the pumping conductance may decrease. In order to effectively exhaust the processing gas without a decrease in pumping conductance, the opening area of ​​the rectangular exhaust port (230) may be larger than or equal to the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (400). However, if the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (230) is larger than three times the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (400), the flow of the processing gas spreads horizontally due to the increased horizontal width of the exhaust port (230), and this induces the flow of the processing gas toward the edge of the substrate, which may reduce the uniformity between the substrate surfaces. Accordingly, the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (230) may be 1 to 3 times the opening area of ​​the exhaust port (400).

[0058] Meanwhile, the outer tube (100) comprises: a cylindrical outer wall portion (110) that is closed at the top and extends vertically; and a support body portion (120) that is connected to the lower end of the outer wall portion (110) and has a width (or thickness) greater than that of the outer wall portion (110), and the inner tube (200) may be provided on the support body portion (120).

[0059] The outer wall (110) surrounds the inner space into which the inner tube (200) is inserted. Since there is a risk of damage due to increased weight if the outer wall is too thick overall, it can be supported by a support body (120) having a thickness as thin as possible and a width greater than that of the outer wall (110). The outer tube (100) can be stably supported and mounted on a hollow flange (600) by the support body (120) having a wide width.

[0060] Since the support body part (120) has a wide width, the inner tube (200) can be placed on the support body part (120). When the inner tube (200) is placed on the support body part (120), the gap space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200) can be closed at the lower end by the support body part (120). Due to this structure, while the processing gas remains in the gap space (S) after being discharged from the inner tube (200) through the exhaust port (230) and before being exhausted to the exhaust port (400), the processing gas comes into contact only with chemically stable quartz, etc., so corrosion or deterioration of metal parts, etc. caused by the processing gas can be suppressed. In the case of the processing gas that has passed through the exhaust port (400), the temperature is lowered so that it may not cause special corrosion or deterioration even if it comes into contact with metal parts, etc.

[0061] The processing gas discharged through the exhaust port (230) flows into the exhaust port (400) through the gap space (S) between the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200), and the width of the gap space (S) must be uniform to enable stable flow and exhaust of the processing gas. In order to maintain the width of the gap space (S), the outer tube (100) and the inner tube (200) need to be aligned with each other, and for this purpose, a step portion (121) that determines the position where the lower end of the inner tube (200) is mounted may be provided on the upper surface of the support body portion (120).

[0062] In batch-type substrate processing, the internal space surrounded by the inner tube (200) and the seal cap portion (700) can be sealed by interposing a first sealing member, such as an O-ring, between the outer tube (100) and the flange (600) or between the inner tube (200) and the flange (600), and a second sealing member, such as an O-ring, between the flange (600) and the seal cap portion (700), respectively, so that the internal space can be separated from the external space. However, in this sealing structure, the processing gas supplied through the nozzle portion (300) comes into direct contact with the flange (600) made of metal, so the flange (600) may corrode or deteriorate, and particles may be generated.

[0063] However, in the present invention, the inner space surrounded by the inner tube (200) and the seal cap (700) can be separated from the outer space by using a sealing member (730) provided between the lower surface of the support body (120) and the seal cap (700). A flange (600) made of metal supports the lower surface of the edge of the support body (120), and the inner lower surface of the support body (120) is made to directly contact or face the seal cap (700), and the sealing member (730) can be placed between the lower surface of the support body (120) and the seal cap (700). Through this, before the processing gas supplied by the nozzle part (300) is discharged to the outside of the inner tube (200) through the exhaust port (230), only the inner tube (200) made of quartz or the like, the support body part (120), and the seal cap plate (720) come into contact, thereby effectively preventing the flange (600) from corroding or deteriorating.

[0064] In other words, in the present invention, before the processing gas is discharged to the outside of the inner tube (200) through the exhaust port (230), only the inner tube (200), the support body part (120), and the seal cap plate (720) are in contact, and after the processing gas is discharged to the outside of the inner tube (200) through the exhaust port (230), only the inner tube (200) and the support body part (120) are in contact, thereby fundamentally preventing deterioration, such as corrosion of metal parts, during the substrate processing process. Additionally, the exhaust port (400) may also be made of quartz or SiC and formed integrally with the outer tube (100).

[0065] According to the batch-type substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the uniformity of the substrate processing process can be improved by inducing a side flow in which the processing gas flows along the surface of the substrate by exhausting the processing gas supplied through the nozzle portion through a rectangular exhaust port extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction formed on the side wall of the inner tube.

[0066] The upper part of the rectangular exhaust port is provided to be adjacent to a vertical virtual line passing through the center of the exhaust port rather than the lower part of the rectangular exhaust port, thereby more effectively inducing the lateral flow of the processing gas and allowing the pressure on the vertically stacked substrate to remain constant without changing with height, thus improving not only the uniformity within the substrate plane but also the uniformity between substrate planes.

[0067] In addition, the rectangular exhaust section is extended to the area where the pedestal is accommodated, so that a uniform substrate processing process can be carried out even on substrates placed at the bottom of the substrate boat.

[0068] In addition, the inner tube is supported at the bottom of the outer tube, and the space between the outer tube and the seal cap is sealed to minimize direct contact between the processing gas supplied to the substrate processing gas and the metal parts, thereby preventing corrosion of the batch-type substrate processing device and extending the maintenance cycle as much as possible.

[0069] The term 'on' as used in the above description includes cases of direct contact as well as cases where it is positioned facing the upper or lower surface without direct contact. It is possible to be positioned facing the entire upper or lower surface, or to be positioned facing it partially; it is used to mean facing it from a distance or in direct contact with the upper or lower surface. Furthermore, terms such as 'up,' 'down,' 'front end,' 'rear end,' 'upper,' 'lower,' 'top end,' and 'bottom end' used in the above description are defined based on the drawings for convenience, and the shape and position of each component are not restricted by these terms.

[0070] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Accordingly, the technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. An outer tube extending in the vertical direction; An inner tube disposed within the outer tube and extending in a vertical direction to provide a substrate processing space; A nozzle part that supplies substrate processing gas to the above substrate processing space; An exhaust port for exhausting the spaced-apart space between the outer tube and the inner tube; A substrate boat that stacks multiple substrates in multiple layers in a vertical direction; A hollow flange supporting the outer tube and the inner tube; and It includes a seal cap portion that supports the above-mentioned substrate boat and opens and closes the open lower portion of the above-mentioned flange; and The above inner tube is a batch-type substrate processing device including a rectangular exhaust port extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

2. In Claim 1, The above inner tube is a batch-type substrate processing device in which the lower part is open and the upper part is closed so that the substrate boat can enter and exit.

3. In Claim 1, The exhaust port is provided on the lower side of the outer tube, and The spacing (d) of the upper portion of the exhaust port, which is spaced horizontally along the outer surface of the inner tube from a vertical virtual line (L) passing through the outer surface of the inner tube opposite the central portion of the connection between the outer tube and the exhaust port. T ) is the separation distance (d) of the lower part of the exhaust port. B Batch-type substrate processing device shorter than ) 4. In Claim 1, The above nozzle part extends in a vertical direction, and A batch-type substrate processing device in which the nozzle section and the exhaust port are located on both sides of the vertical virtual line (L) in a horizontal direction along the side of the inner tube.

5. In Claim 4, The lower part of the exhaust port is a batch-type substrate processing device facing the nozzle part with the center of the inner tube as the center.

6. In Claim 1, It further includes a pedestal provided between the substrate boat and the seal cap portion; The above exhaust section is a batch-type substrate processing device that extends to an area where the above pedestal is received.

7. In Claim 1, A batch-type substrate processing device in which the opening area of ​​the exhaust port is greater than or equal to the opening area of ​​the exhaust port.

8. In Claim 1, The above outer tube is, A cylindrical outer wall portion that is closed at the top and extends vertically; and A support body portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall portion and having a width greater than that of the outer wall portion; comprising The above inner tube is a batch-type substrate processing device provided on the above support body part.

9. In Claim 8, A batch-type substrate processing device comprising a step portion provided on the upper surface of the support body portion to determine the position where the lower end of the inner tube is mounted.

10. In claim 8, A batch-type substrate processing apparatus further comprising a sealing member provided between the lower surface of the support body portion and the seal cap portion.

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