Process gas discharged from a bypass pipe to a gas exhaust system can be prevented from diffusing back to the inside of a process chamber without having to install a dedicated vacuum pump at the downstream side of the bypass pipe. The substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate, a gas supply system supplying process gas from a process gas source to the process chamber for processing the substrate, a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber, two or more vacuum pumps installed in series at the gas exhaust system, and a bypass pipe connected between the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system. The most upstream one of the vacuum pumps is a mechanical booster pump, and the bypass pipe is connected between the mechanical booster pump and the rest vacuum pumps located at a downstream side of the mechanical booster pump.

Substrate Processing Apparatus

A novel rapid thermal process (RTP) reactor processes a multiplicity of wafers or a single large wafer, e.g., 200 mm (8 inches), 250 mm (10 inches), 300 mm (12 inches) diameter wafers, using either a single or dual heat source. The wafers or wafer are mounted on a rotatable susceptor supported by a susceptor support. A susceptor position control rotates the wafers during processing and raises and lowers the susceptor to various positions for loading and processing of wafers. A heat controller controls either a single heat source or a dual heat source that heats the wafers to a substantially uniform temperature during processing. A gas flow controller regulates flow of gases into the reaction chamber. Instead of the second heat source, a passive heat distribution is used, in one embodiment, to achieve a substantially uniform temperature throughout the wafers. Further, a novel susceptor is used that includes a silicon carbide cloth enclosed in quartz.

Rapid thermal processing apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers

An atomic deposition (ALD) thin film deposition apparatus includes a deposition chamber configured to deposit a thin film on a wafer mounted within a space defined therein. The deposition chamber comprises a gas inlet that is in communication with the space. A gas system is configured to deliver gas to the gas inlet of the deposition chamber. At least a portion of the gas system is positioned above the deposition chamber. The gas system includes a mixer configured to mix a plurality of gas streams. A transfer member is in fluid communication with the mixer and the gas inlet. The transfer member comprising a pair of horizontally divergent walls configured to spread the gas in a horizontal direction before entering the gas inlet.

Reaction system for growing a thin film

An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.

System and process for heating semiconductor wafers by optimizing absorption of electromagnetic energy

A heating plate for a substrate support assembly in a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus, comprises multiple independently controllable planar heater zones arranged in a scalable multiplexing layout, and electronics to independently control and power the planar heater zones. Each planar heater zone uses at least one diode as a heater element. A substrate support assembly in which the heating plate is incorporated includes an electrostatic clamping electrode and a temperature controlled base plate. Methods for manufacturing the heating plate include bonding together ceramic or polymer sheets having planar heater zones, power supply lines, power return lines and vias.

Heating plate with planar heater zones for semiconductor processing

A heat treatment apparatus including a flat heat source having a plural number of ring-shaped heating units of different diameters arranged concentrically and so as to face a processing surface of a semiconductor wafer for example, a heat control portion which performs either independent or batch control of a plural number of ring-shaped heating units, a process tube which houses the object for processing, and a movement mechanism which brings a processing surface of the object for processing and the flat heat source into relative proximity. By this configuration, it is possible to have fast heat treatment such as oxidation and diffusion processing, or CVD processing, to a uniform temperature for the entire processing surface of a flat object for processing.

Heat treatment apparatus utilizing flat heating elements for treating semiconductor wafers

The present invention relates to a thermal processing method wherein a cylindrical process tube that has at one end an entrance/exit is provided at the other end thereof with a heat source, and thermal processing is performed on a workpiece which has been brought in from the entrance/exit of the process tube to a prescribed position therein. This thermal processing method and an apparatus therefor is characterized in that, when the workpiece is moved to the prescribed position, it is first moved to a proximity position that is closer to the heat source than the prescribed position, then it is returned therefrom to the prescribed position. The invention is further characterized in that, if the actual processing temperature at the prescribed position changes while the workpiece is undergoing thermal processing, the workpiece is moved such that the position of the workpiece with respect to the heat generation source is changed in order to return the processing temperature at the prescribed position to the prescribed processing temperature. This ensures that the temperature of the workpiece can be rapidly raised to the prescribed processing temperature and also that, if the temperature of the workpiece should change, it can be rapidly returned to the prescribed processing temperature.

Heat treatment method and apparatus thereof

The present invention relates to a thermal processing method wherein a cylindrical process tube that has at one end an entrance/exit is provided at the other end thereof with a heat source, and thermal processing is performed on a workpiece which has been brought in from the entrance/exit of the process tube to a prescribed position therein This thermal processing method and an apparatus therefor is characterized in that, when the workpiece is moved to the prescribed position, it is first moved to a proximity position that is closer to the heat source than the prescribed position, then it is returned therefrom to the prescribed position The invention is further characterized in that, if the actual processing temperature at the prescribed position changes while the workpiece is undergoing thermal processing, the workpiece is moved such that the position of the workpiece with respect to the heat generation source is changed in order to return the processing temperature at the prescribed position, to the prescribed processing temperature This ensures that the temperature of the workpiece can be rapidly raised to the prescribed processing temperature and also that, if the temperature of the workpiece should change, it can be rapidly returned to the prescribed processing temperature

Heat treatment method

PURPOSE: To enable uniformity of a temperature within a surface of a body to be treated during traveling to be improved by placing a thermal buffer mem ber between a treatment container and an auxiliary heating source for relaxing heat of the auxiliary heating source with the thermal buffer member CONSTITUTION: A treatment container 2 is formed by a material with a high heat resistance, for example crystal A main heating source 3 is fixed and placed on an upper and inner wall of a heat-insulating material 8 so that it opposes a treatment surface of a semiconductor wafer 1 An auxiliary heating source 4 is placed so that it surrounds an outer periphery of the treatment container 2 for heating the semiconductor wafer 1 from the side part A thermal buffer member 5 is placed between the treatment container 2 and the auxiliary heating source 4 Since the thermal buffer member is placed between the treatment container 2 and the auxiliary heating source 4, heating according to the main heating source 3 is weakened when a distance to the main heating source 3 is increased when elevating the semiconductor wafer 1 but heating according to the auxiliary heating source 4 from the side surface is also weakened by the thermal buffer member 5, thus enabling uniformity of temperature as an entire surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 to be improved COPYRIGHT: (C)1993,JPO&Japio

Satoshi Kawachi

Papers

Heat treatment apparatus utilizing flat heating elements for treating semiconductor wafers

Heat treatment method and apparatus thereof

Heat treatment method

Heat-treatment device