KR200284632Y1 - Vertical Furnace with an Advanced Heater Structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vertical furnace used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, a manifold supporting the vertical furnace forming the chamber from the bottom, a heater base supported on the upper manifold, the side is supported by the heater base to form a chamber It is a vertical furnace apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor comprising a heater formed extending to the lower end of the tube along the vertical direction of the tube, and a heater fixing support for supporting the heater from the side.

Description

Vertical Furnace with an Advanced Heater Structure for Improved Heater Structure

The present invention relates to a vertical furnace used for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a vertical furnace in which the heater structure is improved so that the heat of the heater installed in the furnace can heat all parts of the quartz tube evenly. It is about.

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various processes are performed in various environments to form and pattern various material films for forming devices. Many of these processes take place at high temperatures and several types of heating methods are used to provide this high temperature environment.

In some cases, a quartz tube is installed in a space inside the heater wall, and a wafer is placed inside the tube to create a high-temperature processing environment. This type is often referred to as furnace type equipment. In general, such a furnace equipment uses a batch method in which a large amount of wafers are loaded into a loading tool at a time and put into a process space. In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, a thermal oxide film is formed or a diffusion furnace for diffusing injected elements.

The most commonly used furnace type is a vertical furnace, in which a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process is mainly performed. LPCVD utilizes a phenomenon in which, when a source gas is introduced into a space in a high temperature vacuum atmosphere, the injected gases react with each other to form a reactant, and at the same time, are diffused in a vacuum space and stacked in a film on a wafer in the process.

Figure 1 schematically shows a cross section of a conventional longitudinal furnace structure.

The furnace has an inner tube (not shown) of the innermost cylinder shape, and the outer tube 4 of the dome-shaped closed upper part of the cylinder and the outer tube 4 are located outside the outer tube 4 to heat the outer tube 4. The heater 1 is provided. The tube is mainly made of quartz and the heat of the heater is directed to the chamber 6 which is the wafer and the tube inner space loaded therein through the radiation and conduction tube.

The heater base 2 which supports the heater 1 is located in the lower part of the heater 1, and the heater base 2 is being fixed to the manifold 3 by the fixing pin 5. As shown in FIG. The manifold 3 is provided with an inlet pipe 7 through which process gas is injected.

In a conventional vertical furnace having such a structure, when the heater is heated for chemical reaction such as deposition in the chamber 6 after gas injection, as shown in the structure of FIG. The heat in 1) is not completely transferred. At this time, the deposition occurs from the position A in the temperature deviation between the upper portion of the outer tube 4, the heat of the heater 1 is completely transmitted and the lower portion of the outer tube 4, the heat of the heater 1 is incompletely transferred. As a result, cracks are concentrated at the A position between the heater 1 and the manifold 3. The occurrence of such cracks increases the defect rate of the process by generating a large amount of particles during the process, and the tube must be frequently cleaned to remove the particles, which not only complicates the process but also reduces the life of the equipment, thereby reducing the cost. It is a major cause of the rise.

The present invention is to solve this problem, to prevent the cracks occurring in the tube to suppress the generation of particles that cause the failure rate of the process to the maximum, and as a result, to maximize the life of the tube.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional longitudinal furnace structure, and

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vertical furnace structure according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on main parts of drawing

2: heater base 3: manifold

4: outer tube 5: holding pin

6: chamber 7: gas inlet pipe

11: Heater 13: Heater Fixture

In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a longitudinal furnace structure in which the position of the heater is improved to be heated to the bottom of the tube.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vertical furnace structure according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the vertical furnace has a manifold 3, a fixing pin 5, a heater base 2, an outer tube 4, a chamber 6, a gas inlet tube 7 and a heater 11. ) And the heater fixing stand 13 or the like.

The outer tube 4 is fixed to the manifold 3, and the gas inlet pipe 7 is provided in the manifold 3.

The heater 11 is coupled to the heater base 2, where the lower position of the heater 11 extends to the lower end of the outer tube 4 (part B).

In addition, in order to more firmly support the heater 11 supported by the heater base 2, a heater fixing stand 13 is separately provided on the heater base 2.

In the vertical furnace of the present invention having such a structure, when a process gas is injected into the chamber 6 heated by the heater to cause a chemical reaction such as vapor deposition, as shown in the structure of FIG. It extends to the lower part of the outer side tube 4, and can be heated to the lower part of the outer side tube 4. Accordingly, the heat of the heater 11 evenly heats the entire upper and lower portions of the outer tube 4, thereby eliminating the temperature deviation generated between the manifold 3 and the heater 11, thereby reducing the temperature between the heater 11 and the heater 11. The occurrence of cracks or the like is prevented at the B position between the manifolds 3.

In addition, the heater fixing stand 13 installed on the heater base 2 is fixed to support the heater 11 firmly from the side, so that the heater 11 that may be caused by extending downward from the side of the heater base 2. The support also prevents the weakening.

According to the vertical furnace structure of the present invention having the above structure and action, it is possible to prevent the cracks generated in the tube to suppress the generation of particles that cause the failure rate of the process to the maximum, and consequently to maximize the life of the tube The life of the furnace can be extended. In addition, the operation rate of the equipment can be improved, the process can be stabilized, and the productivity can be improved.

Claims (1)

In the vertical furnace used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, A manifold supporting the longitudinal furnace which forms the chamber from below; A heater base supported and fixed on the manifold; A heater which is laterally supported by the heater base and extends to a lower end of the tube along a vertical direction of the tube forming the chamber; And Vertical furnace apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, characterized in that it comprises a heater fixing support for supporting the heater from the side.