Apparatus for processing wafers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9666459-B2
Application number	US-201414193927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A wafer processing apparatus includes a reaction tube extending in a vertical direction, a door plate positioned under the reaction tube to seal the reaction tube. The door plate may be configured to load a boat into the reaction tube and support a plurality of wafers. The wafer processing apparatus may include a cap plate on the door plate, the cap plate including a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body may surround a lower side surface of the boat. A guiding recess may be formed in an outer surface of the cylindrical body along a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body. The wafer processing apparatus may include an exhaust portion configured to remove the first gas from the reaction tube through the guiding recess.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wafer processing apparatus, comprising:
a reaction tube extending in a vertical direction;
a door plate under the reaction tube to seal the reaction tube, the door plate configured to load a boat into the reaction tube and support a plurality of wafers;
a cap plate on the door plate, the cap plate including a cylindrical body, a guiding recess and a first protruding portion, the first protruding portion and the cylindrical portion forming one body, the cap plate is not rotatable, the cylindrical body configured to surround a lower side surface of the boat, the guiding recess in an outer surface of the cylindrical body along a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body, the first protruding portion configured to be inserted between a side surface of a lower portion of the boat and a side surface of a flange;
at least one first nozzle in a lower portion of the reaction tube, the at least one first nozzle configured to supply a first gas in the reaction tube, the at least one first nozzle having at least one distal end portion, the at least one distal end portion penetrates through the flange to extend into the guiding recess of the cap plate; and
an exhaust portion configured to remove the first gas from the reaction tube through the guiding recess.

2. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cap plate includes a second protruding portion extending outward in a radial direction from an upper portion of the cylindrical body.

3. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cap plate includes a third protruding portion extending outward in a radial direction from a lower portion of the cylindrical body.

4. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the cap plate includes a base interposed between a lower portion of the boat and the door plate, and
the cylindrical body extends in the vertical direction from the base.

5. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flange is connected to the lower portion of the reaction tube, and the door plate is connected to the flange to seal the reaction tube.

6. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the cap plate is arranged between an inner surface of the flange and the lower side surface of the boat.

7. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the exhaust portion includes an exhaust port that is connected to a space between an inner surface of the flange and an outer surface of the cap plate.

8. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first nozzle is configured to spray the first gas to the guiding recess of the cap plate.

9. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first nozzle has at least two ejection holes which eject the first gas in different directions, respectively.

10. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first nozzle has an ejection hole.

11. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cap plate includes one of quartz and metal.

12. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first nozzle includes one of quartz and metal.

13. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one second nozzle arranged in the reaction tube and configured to supply a second gas on the wafers, the second gas being a reaction gas.

14. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the boat is rotatable in the reaction tube.

15. A wafer processing apparatus, comprising:
a reaction tube including a reaction chamber;
a flange connectable to a lower portion of the reaction tube;
a door plate connectable to the flange to seal the reaction chamber;
a wafer boat configured to support a plurality of wafers, the wafer boat configured to be inserted into the reaction chamber;
a cap plate on the door plate, the cap plate including a cylindrical body, a guiding recess and at least one protruding portion insertable between a side surface of a lower portion of the wafer boat and a side surface of the flange, the cap plate and the side surface of the flange forming an exhaust passage for a first gas, the cylindrical body and one of the at least one protruding portion form one body, the cap plate is not rotatable;
at least one first nozzle in a lower portion of the reaction tube, at least one first nozzle configured to supply the first gas in the reaction tube, the at least one first nozzle having at least one distal end portion, the at least one distal end portion penetrates through the flange to extend into the guiding recess of the cap plate.

16. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one protruding portion includes a first protruding portion extending outward in a radial direction from an upper portion of the cap plate, the exhaust passage being formed by a circumferential space below the first protruding portion.

17. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one protruding portion includes a second protruding portion extending outward in a radial direction from a lower portion of the cap plate.

18. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one protruding portion includes at least one concave portion, the at least one concave portion being configured to receive at least one second nozzle through which a second gas is ejected into the reaction chamber.

19. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a distance between an end of the at least one protruding portion and at least one of the side surface of the flange and a side surface of the reaction tube ranges from about 1 mm to about 3 mm.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Cheol-Kyu
• Lee Seog-Min
• Jang Chul-Young
• Son Dong-Min
• Ahn Byung-Ho

Classifications

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• C23C16/4405

  Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases · CPC title

• H01L21/67109 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C23C16/4409 Primary

  characterised by sealing means · CPC title

• C23C16/4408

  by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines · CPC title