Vertical batch furnace assembly comprising a cooling gas supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12130084-B2
Application number	US-202217986113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2022
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A vertical batch furnace assembly, comprising a core tube, an outer casing, a cooling chamber bounded and enclosed by the outer casing and the core tube, and at least one cooling gas supply emanating in the cooling chamber. The core tube has an elongated circumferential wall extending in a longitudinal direction, and is configured to accommodate wafers for processing in the vertical batch furnace. The outer casing extends around the core tube and comprises a heating element for applying a thermal treatment to wafers accommodated in the core tube. The at least one cooling gas supply comprises at least one cooling gas supply opening which is arranged such that the cooling gas enters the cooling chamber with a flow direction which is substantially tangent to the circumferential wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vertical batch furnace assembly, comprising:
a core tube having an elongated circumferential wall extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the core tube is configured to accommodate wafers for processing in the vertical batch furnace assembly;
an outer casing extending around the core tube and comprising a heating element for applying a thermal treatment to wafers accommodated in the core tube;
a cooling chamber bounded on a radial outer side by the outer casing and on a radial inner side by the core tube;
at least one cooling gas supply emanating in the cooling chamber, wherein the cooling gas supply comprises at least one cooling gas supply opening which is configured such that the cooling gas enters the cooling chamber with a flow direction which is substantially tangent to the circumferential wall; and
a cooling gas recirculation channel extending from at least one cooling gas discharge to the at least one cooling gas supply, the cooling gas recirculation channel comprising:
two suction parts, each suction part comprising a discharge valve;
a pressure increasing device comprising an inlet connected to the two suction parts and an outlet coupled to the at least one cooling gas supply opening; and
a heat exchanger configured to cool the cooling gas in the recirculation channel,
wherein the at least one cooling gas discharge comprises at least one discharge opening,
wherein the flow direction of the cooling gas within the cooling chamber is reversible,
whereby when the flow direction is reversed, the at least one discharge opening serves as a cooling gas supply opening.

2. The vertical batch furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the substantially tangent flow direction includes an angle with the longitudinal direction of the elongated circumferential wall in the range of 90°±15°.

3. The vertical batch furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the substantially tangent flow direction includes an angle in the range of 0°±10° with a plane through a point of the elongated circumferential wall that is closest to said respective cooling gas supply opening and that is tangential to the circumferential wall.

4. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling gas supply comprises a cooling gas inlet tube that extends through the outer casing and of which an end part extends into the cooling chamber, wherein said end part is provided with the at least one cooling gas supply opening.

5. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the cooling gas inlet tube is embodied as one integral part.

6. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the cooling gas inlet tube is made of a ceramic material.

7. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 4 , wherein an axial end of the cooling gas inlet tube extending into the cooling chamber is closed.

8. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of cooling gas supplies including the at least one cooling gas supply, wherein the plurality of cooling gas supplies are spaced around the core tube.

9. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling gas discharge comprises a plurality of cooling gas discharges which are spaced around the core tube.

10. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling gas supply is arranged at or near a first longitudinal end of the cooling chamber, and the at least one cooling gas discharge is arranged at or near a second longitudinal end of the cooling chamber.

11. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure increasing device is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger.

12. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling gas recirculation channel comprises diverter valves and/or discharge valves to direct the cooling gas either to the at least one cooling gas supply, and subsequently via the cooling chamber to the at least one cooling gas discharge or, alternatively, to the at least one cooling gas discharge, and subsequently via the cooling chamber to the at least one cooling gas supply.

13. A method for cooling a vertical batch furnace, comprising:
providing a vertical batch furnace according to claim 1 ; and
supplying a cooling gas in the cooling chamber with a flow direction that is substantially tangent to the circumferential wall.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the substantially tangent flow direction includes an angle with the longitudinal direction of the elongated circumferential wall in the range of 90°±15°.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the substantially tangent flow direction includes an angle in the range of 0°±10° with a plane through a point of the circumferential wall that is closest to a said respective cooling gas supply opening and that is tangential to the circumferential wall.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• VERBAAS Melvin
• De Ridder Christianus G M

Classifications

• H10P72/3312

  Vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces · CPC title

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0431 Primary

  Apparatus for thermal treatment · CPC title

• F27D2003/166

  the fluid being a treatment gas · CPC title