Heat Insulation Structure, Substrate Processing Apparatus, Method of Manufacturing Semiconductor Device and Substrate Processing Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022108900-A1
Application number	US-202117553582-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Jun 27, 2019
Publication date	Apr 7, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a technique capable of shortening a temperature stabilization time in a process chamber by improving a heat insulation performance of a lower portion of the process chamber. A heat insulation structure is arranged in a vicinity of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace wherein a temperature gradient is formed at the vicinity of the furnace opening. The heat insulation structure includes a plurality of heat insulation plates with predetermined gaps therebetween. Each heat insulation plate includes a heat shield made of metal; and a seal made of quartz or ceramics and configured to cover a front surface and a rear surface of the heat shield. The heat shield is arranged in a vacuum cavity provided in the seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat insulation structure arranged in a vicinity of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace wherein a temperature gradient is formed at the vicinity of the furnace opening, comprising:
a plurality of heat insulation plates with predetermined gaps therebetween, wherein each heat insulation plate comprises:
a heat shield made of a metal; and
a seal made of quartz or ceramics and configured to cover a front surface and a rear surface of the heat shield, and
wherein the heat shield is arranged in a vacuum cavity provided in the seal.

2 . The heat insulation structure of claim 1 , wherein the seal is constituted by a pair of sealing plates, and
the pair of sealing plates are connected to each other over an entire circumference of each of the pair of sealing plates.

3 . The heat insulation structure of claim 2 , wherein the heat shield of each of the heat insulation plates is provided with a through-hole through which the front surface of the heat shield is in communication with the rear surface of the heat shield, and the pair of sealing plates are connected to each other at the entire circumference of each of the pair of sealing plates and in the through-hole.

4 . The heat insulation structure of claim 3 , wherein each of the pair of sealing plates is of a disk shape, and the heat shield is thinner than each of the pair of sealing plates.

5 . The heat insulation structure of claim 2 , wherein each of the pair of sealing plates is of a disk shape, and the heat shield is thinner than each of the pair of sealing plates.

6 . The heat insulation structure of claim 2 , wherein the heat shield of each of the plurality of heat insulation plates is supported in the vacuum cavity without making a surface contact with the pair of sealing plates.

7 . The heat insulation structure of claim 6 , wherein the heat shield of each of the plurality of heat insulation plates is embossed.

8 . The heat insulation structure of claim 2 , wherein the heat shield of each of the plurality of heat insulation plates is provided with a plurality of through-holes arranged regularly.

9 . The heat insulation structure of claim 2 , wherein a rigidity of each of the pair of sealing plates is set such that the pair of sealing plates do not bend due to their own weight, and a surface of each of the pair of sealing plates is configured as a mirror surface except for at least a portion where the pair of sealing plates are connected to each other.

10 . The heat insulation structure of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the heat shield of each of the plurality of heat insulation plates is configured as a mirror surface.

11 . The heat insulation structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat insulation plate retainer arranged substantially coaxially with an arrangement axis of the plurality of heat insulation plates and configured to support the plurality of heat insulation plates; and a cover of a cylindrical shape made of quartz or ceramics, arranged substantially coaxially with the arrangement axis of the plurality of heat insulation plates and configured to cover the plurality of heat insulation plates, wherein a side heat shield of a cylindrical shape is embedded in a side surface of the cover.

12 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a process vessel of a cylindrical shape in which a substrate is processed; and a heat insulation structure arranged in the process vessel in a vicinity of a furnace opening, wherein the heat insulation structure comprises:
a plurality of heat insulation plates with predetermined gaps therebetween,
wherein each heat insulation plate comprises:
a heat shield made of a metal; and
a seal made of quartz or ceramics configured to cover a front surface and a rear surface of the heat shield, and

wherein the heat shield is arranged in a vacuum cavity provided in the seal.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a substrate retainer configured to accommodate the substrate in the process vessel; a process gas supplier through which a process gas is supplied into the process vessel; a first heater of a cylindrical shape provided outside the process vessel and configured to heat an inside of the process vessel; a lid placed at an end of the process vessel; a second heater provided below the substrate retainer and closer to the substrate retainer than the lid and configured to heat the inside of the process vessel; a heat insulation cloth provided on an outer circumference of the process vessel between the lid and an end of the first heater facing the lid; and a heat shield sheet wrapped around an outside of the heat insulation cloth, wherein an end of the heat insulation structure far from the lid is provided closer to a center of the process vessel than the end of the first heater facing the lid.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the process vessel is constituted by a reaction tube, and at least a portion of the reaction tube surrounded by the first heater is made of an infrared-transmissible material,
wherein the reaction tube comprises a flange connected to a component provided between the flange and the lid via a seal, and wherein a heat absorber with a predetermined emissivity is provided on a surface of the flange opposite to the component.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the heat shield and the heat shield sheet are made of molybdenum.

16 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a heat insulation structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
arranging the heat insulation structure in a vicinity of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace wherein a temperature gradient is formed at the vicinity of the furnace opening; arranging a substrate to be processed in the heat treatment furnace; and heating the heat treatment furnace while maintaining insulation by the heat insulation structure.

17 . A substrate processing method using a heat insulation structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
arranging the heat insulation structure in a vicinity of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace wherein a temperature gradient is formed at the vicinity of the furnace opening; arranging a substrate to be processed in the heat treatment furnace; vacuum-exhausting an inside of the heat treatment furnace; and heating the heat treatment furnace while maintaining insulation by the heat insulation structure.

Assignees

• Kokusai Electric Corp

Inventors

• Shimada Hironori
• Taniyama Tomoshi

Classifications

• H10P95/90

  Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering · CPC title

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/7626

  characterised by the construction of the shaft · CPC title

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• H10P14/60

  of insulating materials · CPC title