KR101368206B1 - Vertical heat treatment apparatus and, assembly of pressure detection system and temperature sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

(Problem) The pressure sensor which detects the pressure in the space between a furnace main body and a processing container is installed in a simple structure.
(Solution means) The vertical heat treatment apparatus 1 is disposed in the furnace main body 5 having the heater element 18 and in the furnace main body 5, and for receiving and heat-treating the object to be processed w. The processing container 3 is provided. An air supply line 52 and an air exhaust line 62 are connected to the furnace body 5, an air supply blower 53 and an air supply line side valve mechanism 54A are disposed in the air supply line 52, An air exhaust blower 63 and an air exhaust line side valve mechanism 64A are disposed in the air exhaust line 62. The protective tube 50a which penetrates the furnace main body 5 and accommodated the temperature sensor signal line 83 is provided, and the pressure detection hole 85 is formed in the protective tube 50a. The pressure detection sensor 80 is connected to this pressure detection hole 85.

Description

VERTICAL HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS AND, ASSEMBLY OF PRESSURE DETECTION SYSTEM AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR}

The present invention relates to a vertical heat treatment device, a combination of a pressure detection system and a temperature sensor, and in particular, a vertical heat treatment device capable of accurately cooling a space between a furnace body and a processing container and a pressure detection device. A combination of a system and a temperature sensor.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, various vertical heat treatment apparatuses are used to perform processes such as oxidation, diffusion, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and the like on a semiconductor wafer as a workpiece. The general vertical heat treatment apparatus includes a heat treatment furnace including a processing container for accommodating and heat treating a semiconductor wafer, and a furnace body provided to cover the periphery of the processing container to heat the wafer in the processing container. Equipped with. The furnace body has a cylindrical heat insulating material and a heat generating resistor provided on an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating material via a support.

As the heat generating resistor, for example, in the case of a heat treatment apparatus capable of batch processing, a spiral heater element (also referred to as a heater wire or a heat generating resistor) arranged along an inner wall surface of a cylindrical heat insulating material is used. It can be used to heat the inside of a furnace to high temperature, for example about 500-1000 degreeC. As the heat insulating material, for example, a cylindrical shape of a heat insulating material made of ceramic fiber or the like can be used to reduce the amount of heat lost as radiant heat and conductive heat, thereby facilitating efficient heating. As the support, a ceramic material is used, for example, and the heater element is supported at a predetermined pitch such that thermal expansion and thermal contraction are possible.

By the way, in the above-mentioned vertical heat treatment apparatus, after heating a wafer to high temperature, the space between a furnace main body and a processing container is rapidly cooled, and the efficiency of heat processing operation is aimed at, maintaining the precision of the heat processing with respect to a wafer. Is developed.

When the rapid cooling method is performed on the vertical heat treatment device in this manner, when the pressure in the space between the furnace body and the processing vessel becomes positive pressure, hot air is blown out from the furnace body to the outside, and the furnace body itself and It may also be considered that the peripheral device of the furnace body is broken. On the other hand, when the pressure in this space becomes a high negative pressure, breakage of the heat insulating material of the furnace body may occur, or the outside air is drawn into the furnace body, resulting in uneven distribution of temperature in the processing container, resulting in a locally generated heating resistor. It may be considered to be damaged.

Therefore, when the rapid cooling method is performed on the vertical heat treatment device, it is necessary to maintain the pressure in the space between the furnace main body and the processing container at lightly negative pressure. However, conventionally, a method for maintaining the pressure in the space between the furnace main body and the processing vessel with high accuracy and reliably at the negative sound pressure has not been developed yet.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-205426 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-81415

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and a vertical heat treatment apparatus capable of rapidly cooling by precisely adjusting the pressure in the space between the furnace main body and the processing vessel to a negative sound pressure, and a combination of a pressure detection system and a temperature sensor The purpose is to provide.

The present invention provides a furnace main body provided with a heating unit on an inner circumferential surface thereof, a processing container arranged in the furnace main body to form a space between the furnace main body, and storing a plurality of objects to be processed therein, a furnace main body and a processing container; A temperature sensor disposed in the space between the air, an air supply line connected to the furnace body to supply cooling air into the space, an air exhaust line connected to the furnace body to exhaust the cooling air from the space, and an air supply. A blower provided on at least one of the line and the air exhaust line, and an air supply line side valve mechanism and an air exhaust line side valve mechanism provided respectively at the air supply line and the air exhaust line, and pass through the furnace main body. A protective tube extending from the outside to the space between the furnace body and the processing vessel is provided, and the temperature sensor signal connected to the temperature sensor in the protective tube. Is stored, is also a longitudinal type of thermal processing apparatus, characterized in that with the pressure detecting hole for opening to the space formed in the protective tube, install a pressure detection sensor connected to the pressure detecting hole of the protective tube in the main body to the outside in.

The present invention controls the heating unit based on the detection signal from the temperature sensor, and at least one of the blower, the air supply line side valve mechanism, and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism is based on the detection signal from the pressure detection sensor. It is a vertical heat treatment apparatus characterized by further comprising a control unit for controlling and adjusting the pressure in the space.

The present invention is characterized in that the protective tube is made of an elongated ceramic tube having a pressure detecting hole, and an opening hole for a temperature sensor signal line extending in parallel with the pressure detecting hole is formed in the ceramic tube. It is a vertical heat treatment device.

The present invention is connected to a protective tube having a pressure detecting hole and an opening hole, a temperature sensor provided at one end of the protective tube, and a temperature sensor, stored in the opening hole of the protective tube, and extending outward from the other end of the protective tube. It is a combination of a pressure detection system and a temperature sensor, characterized by including a temperature sensor signal line.

The present invention is a combination of a pressure detecting system and a temperature sensor, wherein a pressure detecting tube communicating with a pressure detecting hole is provided at the other end of the protective tube, and a pressure detecting sensor is connected to the pressure detecting tube. to be.

According to the present invention as described above, a protective tube is provided through which the temperature sensor signal line connected to the temperature sensor is accommodated, and a pressure detecting hole is formed in the protective tube, and a pressure detecting sensor is provided in the pressure detecting hole. Is connected. For this reason, this pressure detection sensor can detect the pressure in the space between the furnace main body and the processing container directly via the pressure detection hole, and can force-cool the space while maintaining the pressure in the space at a negative pressure. In this case, since the pressure detection sensor is connected to the pressure detection hole of the protective tube in which the temperature sensor signal line is accommodated, it is not necessary to form a pressure hole penetrating the furnace main body separately from the protective tube in order to install the pressure detection sensor. It is possible to improve the heat insulating properties and heat treatment characteristics of the furnace body.

1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing an air supply line and an air exhaust line of the vertical heat treatment apparatus.
3 is a view showing a modification of the air supply line and the air exhaust line of the vertical heat treatment apparatus.
It is a figure which shows the cooling method of a vertical type heat processing apparatus.
It is an enlarged view which shows a temperature sensor, a pressure detection sensor, and a protective tube.
6 (a) and 6 (b) are front views illustrating the protective tube.
7 is a side sectional view showing a front end portion of the protective tube.
8 is a side cross-sectional view showing a base end portion of the protective tube.

(Mode for carrying out the invention)

First embodiment

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, 1st Embodiment of this invention is described with reference to drawings. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a view showing an air supply line and an air exhaust line of the vertical heat treatment apparatus, Figure 3 is an air supply line and It is a figure which shows the modification of an air exhaust line, FIG. 4 is a figure which shows the cooling method of a vertical heat processing apparatus, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view which shows a temperature sensor, a pressure detection sensor, and a protective tube, FIG. 6 is a front view which shows a protective tube. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing a distal end of a protective tube, and FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing a proximal end of a protective tube.

In Fig. 1, the vertical heat treatment apparatus 1 is a vertical heat treatment furnace capable of accommodating a plurality of workpieces, for example, a semiconductor wafer w at once, and performing heat treatment such as oxidation, diffusion, and reduced pressure CVD ( 2) is provided. The heat treatment furnace 2 is provided in the furnace body 5 provided with a heat generating resistor (heating unit) on the inner circumferential surface, and is formed in the furnace body 5 to form a space 33 between the furnace body 5. And a processing container 3 for accommodating and heat treating the wafer w.

In addition, the furnace main body 5 is supported by a base plate 6, and the base plate 6 is formed with an opening 7 for inserting the processing container 3 from below to upward. Moreover, the heat insulating material which is not shown in figure is provided in the opening part 7 of the base plate 6 so that the gap between the base plate 6 and the processing container 3 may be covered.

The processing container 3 is made of quartz and has a vertically long cylindrical shape in which an upper end is closed and an lower end is opened as a furnace opening 3a. A flange 3b facing outward is formed at the lower end of the processing container 3, and the flange 3b is supported by the base plate 6 via a flange press (not shown). In addition, in the processing container 3, the introduction port (inlet) 8 which introduces a processing gas, an inert gas, etc. into the processing container 3 in the lower part, and the gas in the processing container 3 are not shown in figure. An exhaust port (exhaust vent) is formed. A gas supply source (not shown) is connected to the inlet port ^8, and an exhaust system (not shown) is provided with a vacuum pump capable of controlling the pressure reduction to about 133 × 10 Pa to 133 × 10 ⁻⁸ Pa, for example. Is connected.

Below the processing container 3, the lid 10 which closes the furnace port 3a of the processing container 3 is provided to be capable of lifting and lowering by a lifting mechanism (not shown). On the upper part of the cover body 10, a heat insulating tube 11 serving as a heat insulating means of a furnace is placed thereon, and a plurality of wafers w having a diameter of 300 mm are placed on the upper portion of the heat insulating tube 11, for example, 100 to 150. A quartz boat 12, which is a retainer to be mounted at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction every time, is placed. The lid 10 is provided with a rotation mechanism 13 for rotating the boat 12 around its axis. The boat 12 is unloaded from the inside of the processing container 3 by the lowering movement of the lid 10 in the loading area 15 below, and after the replacement of the wafer w. The container 10 is loaded into the processing container 3 by the upward movement of the lid 10.

The furnace main body 5 includes a cylindrical heat insulating material 16, a groove-shaped shelf portion 17 formed in multiple stages in the axial direction (up and down direction in the illustrated example) on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating material 16, and each shelf. A heater element (heater wire, heat generating resistor) 18 is disposed along the portion 17. The heat insulating material 16 consists of inorganic fiber containing silica, alumina, or alumina silicate, for example. The heat insulating material 16 is divided | segmented into two lengthwise, and for this reason, attachment of a heater element and assembly of a heater can be performed easily.

The heater element 18 is formed by molding (bending) a strip-shaped heat generating resistor into a corrugate type (waveform). This corrugated heater element 18 is made of, for example, an alloy of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and aluminum (Al) (so-called Kantal alloy). The heater element 18 has, for example, a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm, a width of about 14 to 18 mm, an amplitude of about 11 to 15 mm, and a pitch p of the wave portion. It is about 28-32 mm. Moreover, the apex angle (theta) of the corrugated part of the heater element 18 is set to about 90 degrees, and each vertex (also called a convex part or a mountain part) is subjected to R-bending processing. It is preferable in that it can allow the movement of the heater element 18 to some extent in the circumferential direction on the shelf part 17 of the heat insulating material 16, and can improve the strength of a bending part. Do.

The said heat insulating material 16 is provided with the fin member 20 which supports the said heater element 18 so that a radial direction can be moved at appropriate intervals, and does not fall out or escapes from the shelf part 17. As shown in FIG. On the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical heat insulating material 16, concentric annular groove portions 21 are formed in multiple stages at a predetermined pitch in the axial direction, and between the upper groove portions 21 and the lower groove portions 21 adjacent to each other. In the circumferential direction, the shelf portion 17 of the annular shape is formed. The thermal expansion and contraction of the heater element 18 and the movement in the radial direction are allowed between the upper and lower portions of the heater element 18 in the groove portion 21 and the inner wall of the groove portion 21 and the heater element 18. Sufficient gaps are formed, and these gaps allow the cooling air at the time of forced air cooling to return to the rear surface of the heater element 18, thereby effectively cooling the heater element 18. (See Figure 5).

Each heater element 18 is joined by a connecting plate, and the heater element 18 positioned at the end side is connected to an external power source via terminal plates 22a and 22b provided to penetrate the heat insulating material 16 in the radial direction. Connected.

In order to hold the shape of the heat insulating material 16 of the furnace main body 5 and to reinforce the heat insulating material 16, as shown in FIG. 1, the outer circumferential surface of the heat insulating material 16 is made of metal, for example, a stainless steel shell ( outer shell; Moreover, in order to suppress the heat influence to the outside of the furnace main body 5, the outer peripheral surface of the outer shell 28 is covered with the water cooling jacket 30. As shown in FIG. An upper heat insulating material 31 covering the upper part of the heat insulating material 16 is provided, and a stainless steel top board covering the upper part of the shell 28 is provided on the upper part of the upper heat insulating material 31. ) Is installed.

1 and 2, the furnace main body 5 and the processing vessel are provided in the furnace main body 5 in order to accelerate the processing and to improve throughput by rapidly lowering the wafer after the heat treatment. (3) a heat exhaust system (35) for exhausting the atmosphere in the space (33) to the outside, and forcibly cooling by introducing air at room temperature (20 ~ 30 ℃) into the space (33) Forced air cooling means 36 is provided. The array system 35 includes, for example, an exhaust port 37 formed in the upper portion of the furnace body 5, and the exhaust port 37 includes an air exhaust line 62 for exhausting air in the space 33. Is connected.

In addition, the forced air cooling means 36 is provided with the annular flow path 38 formed in the height direction between the heat insulating material 16 of the said furnace main body 5, and the outer shell 28, and the heat insulating material 16 from each annular flow path 38. As shown in FIG. The air intake hole 40 for forced air cooling formed in the heat insulating material 16 is formed so that air may be taken out to the center diagonal direction of (), and to generate a swirl flow in the circumferential direction of the said space 33. As shown in FIG. The annular flow passage 38 is formed by adhering a strip or annular heat insulating material 41 to the outer circumferential surface of the heat insulating material 16 or by shaving the outer circumferential surface of the heat insulating material 16 in an annular manner. The air blowout hole 40 is formed so as to penetrate the inside and outside of the radial direction in the shelf part 17 between the heater elements 18 which adjoin the upper and lower sides in the heat insulating material 16. As shown in FIG. By forming the air blowing holes 40 in the shelf 17 in this manner, the air can be blown into the space 33 without being disturbed by the heater element 18.

By the way, although the band-shaped heat generating resistor was used as the heater element 18, the example which shape | molded this heat generating resistor to the Colgate type and stored it in the shelf part 17 was shown, but the heater element 18 is limited to this structure. Instead, other elements of the heater element can be used. Moreover, although the example which showed the swirl flow in the space 33 by the air from the forced air cooling air blowout hole 40 was shown, the swirl flow is necessarily generated by the air from the forced air cooling air blowout hole 40. You don't have to.

One common supply duct 49 for distributing and supplying cooling fluid to each annular flow passage 38 is provided along the height direction on the outer circumferential surface of the outer shell 28, and the supply duct 49 is provided on the outer shell 28. The communication port which communicates with the inside of each annular flow path 38 is formed. The air supply line 52 which draws in the clean room air as cooling air (20-30 degreeC) to the supply duct 49, and supplies this cooling air is connected.

In addition, as described above, the air outlet hole for forced air cooling that penetrates the shelf portion 17 into and out of the shelf portion 17 between the heater elements 18 adjacent to each other vertically in the heat insulating material 16. Since the 40 is formed, air can be easily taken out without being disturbed by the heater element. Moreover, the heat insulating material 16 is divided into two longitudinally, and the said heater element 18 is also divided | segmented according to the heat insulating material. Thereby, the heater element 18 can be easily attached to the heat insulating material 16, and the assembly property can be improved.

1 and 2, the pressure detecting system 50 is provided in the furnace main body 5. The pressure detecting system 50 has a pressure detecting tube (protection tube) 50a extending through the furnace body 5 composed of the heat insulating material 16, the outer shell 28, and the cooling jacket 30, and the furnace body ( The pressure in the space 33 between 5) and the processing container 3 is detected.

When the pressure of the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is detected by such a pressure detecting system 50, a detection signal from the pressure detecting system 50 is sent to the control unit 51. It is supposed to be.

In addition, in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, a temperature sensor 83a for detecting the temperature in the space 33 is also disposed, and the temperature sensor 83a is provided. The heat treatment control of the vertical heat treatment apparatus is performed by the controller 51 based on the detection signal. (See FIG. 7).

Next, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 5-8, the pressure detection system 50 and the temperature sensor 83a are explained in full detail.

As described above, a pressure detecting tube (protective tube) 50a is provided to penetrate through the furnace body 5 formed of the heat insulating material 16, the outer shell 28, and the cooling jacket 30, and in this pressure detecting tube 50a. The temperature sensor signal line 83 connected to the temperature sensor 83a is accommodated (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

That is, the pressure detecting tube 50a is made of an elongated ceramic tube, for example, an alumina tube, and the opening holes 81 for two temperature sensor signal lines are formed above the pressure detecting tube 50a. In addition, two pressure detection holes 85 are formed below the pressure detection tube 50a and extend in parallel with the opening holes 81 for two temperature sensor signal lines. a)).

Among them, the temperature sensor signal lines 83 and 83 are stored and disposed in the opening holes 81 for the two temperature sensor signal lines of the pressure detecting tube 50a, respectively. And outside of the tip (one end) 50A of the pressure detecting tube 50a are connected to each other to form a temperature sensor 83a (see FIG. 7). 7 and 8, the temperature sensor signal lines 83 and 83 connected to each other in the temperature sensor 83a connect the opening hole 81 and the temperature sensor tube 84 of the pressure detecting tube 50a. It extends to the thermometer 90 through. In this case, the combination of a pressure detection system and a temperature sensor is comprised by the pressure detection tube 50a, the temperature sensor 83a, and the temperature sensor signal line 83. As shown in FIG.

And the temperature in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is calculated | required by the thermometer 90, and the detection signal calculated | required by the thermometer 90 is sent to the control part 51. As shown in FIG.

In addition, the two pressure detecting holes 85 of the pressure detecting tube 50a communicate with the outside of the furnace body 5 and the space 33 between the furnace body 5 and the processing container 3, and the two pressures. The detection hole 85 is connected to the pressure detection tube 86 at the base end (the other end) 50B of the pressure detection tube 50a (see FIGS. 5 and 8).

In addition, although the example which formed the two openings 81 for temperature sensor signal lines, and the two pressure detection holes 85 in the pressure detection tube 50a was shown (FIG. 6 (a)), it is not limited to this. Two temperature sensor signal line opening holes 81 and one pressure detection hole 85 may be formed in the pressure detection tube 50a without any damage (FIG. 6B).

Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, the connection structure of the pressure detection tube 50a, the temperature sensor tube 84, and the pressure detection tube 86 is demonstrated.

As shown to FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, in the base end part 50B of the pressure detection tube 50a, the pressure detection hole 85 has reached | attained to the front-end | tip of the base end part 50B. In addition, the base end portion 50B of the pressure detecting tube 50a is provided with a cutout end 89 for exposing the opening hole 81 for the temperature sensor signal line, and for a temperature sensor signal line exposed from the cutout end 89. The opening hole 81 is connected to the temperature sensor tube 84. And the temperature sensor signal line 83 arrange | positioned in the opening hole 81 for temperature sensor signal lines protrudes outward from this notch end 89, and is connected to the temperature hole signal 81 opening hole 81 for temperature sensor signal lines. It extends into the sensor tube 84 to reach the thermometer 90.

On the other hand, the pressure detection hole 85 which opens at the front-end | tip of the base end part 50B of the pressure detection tube 50a is connected to the pressure detection tube 86, and this pressure detection tube 86 is connected to the pressure detection sensor 80. Connected. The pressure in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 passes through the pressure detecting hole 85 and the pressure detecting tube 86 of the pressure detecting tube 50a and the pressure detecting sensor 80. ), The pressure in the space 33 is detected by this pressure detecting sensor 80.

The pressure in the space 33 detected by the pressure detecting sensor 80 is sent to the control unit 51.

By the way, the base end part 50B of the pressure detection tube 50a and the pressure detection tube 86 contact each other in the cross section, and the base end 50B of the pressure detection tube 50a and the pressure detection tube 86 The outer circumference is covered and fixed by the first heat shrink tube 87, so that pressure leakage does not occur between the pressure detecting hole 85 and the pressure detecting tube 86 of the pressure detecting tube 50a.

In addition, a second heat shrink tube 88 is provided to cover the proximal end 50B, the temperature sensor tube 84 and the first heat shrink tube 87 of the pressure detecting tube 50a, so that the second heat shrink tube 88 is provided. The base end 50B, the temperature sensor tube 84, and the first heat shrink tube 87 of the pressure detecting tube 50a are firmly fixed to each other.

Thus, the pressure detection tube 50a which penetrated the furnace main body 5 and the temperature sensor signal line 83 connected to the temperature sensor 83a was accommodated, and the pressure detection hole is provided in this pressure detection tube 50a. 85 is formed. The pressure detection sensor 80 is connected to the pressure detection hole 85 via a pressure detection tube 86. For this reason, the pressure detection sensor 80 directly detects the pressure of the space 33 between the furnace body 5 and the processing container 3 and pushes the pressure in the space 33 as described later. The space 33 can be forcedly cooled while maintaining the negative pressure. In this case, since the pressure detecting sensor 80 is connected to the pressure detecting hole 85 of the pressure detecting tube 50a in which the temperature sensor signal line 83 is stored, the pressure detecting sensor 80 is used to install the pressure detecting sensor 80. It is not necessary to form the pressure hole penetrating the main body 5 separately from the pressure detecting tube 50a.

For this reason, compared with the case where the pressure hole for the pressure detection sensor 80 is formed separately, the heat insulation characteristic and heat processing characteristic of the furnace main body 5 can be improved, and also the pressure detection sensor 80 is easy, and Easy to attach

By the way, as shown to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the air supply line 52 and the air exhaust line 62 each independently comprise the open type air supply / exhaust line. Among these, the air supply blower 53 is provided in the air supply line 52, and this air supply blower 53 has the inverter drive part 53a.

In addition, a damper 56 is provided on the inlet side of the air supply blower 53, and a hole valve 54 and a butterfly valve 55 are disposed on the outlet side of the air supply blower 53. The damper 56 on the inlet side of the air supply blower 53 and the hole valve 54 and the butterfly valve 55 on the outlet side of the air supply blower 53 are freely open and closed, and the damper 56 is free. The hole valve 54 and the butterfly valve 55 constitute an air supply line side valve mechanism 54A.

In addition, the air exhaust blower 63 is provided in the air exhaust line 62, and this air exhaust blower 63 has the inverter drive part 63a.

In addition, a butterfly valve 66 and a hole valve 67 are provided at the inlet side of the air exhaust blower 63, and a hole valve 64 and a butterfly valve 65 are disposed at the outlet side of the air exhaust blower 63. have. The butterfly valve 66 and the hole valve 67 on the inlet side of these air exhaust blowers 63 and the hole valve 64 and the butterfly valve 65 on the outlet side of the air exhaust blower 63 are both open and closed. The butterfly valve 66 and the bore valve 67 at the inlet side of the air exhaust blower 63 and the bore valve 64 and the butterfly valve 65 at the outlet side of the air exhaust blower 63 are free. 64A of air exhaust line side valve mechanisms are comprised.

Next, the effect | action of the vertical type heat processing apparatus which consists of such a structure is demonstrated.

First, the wafer w is mounted in the boat 12, and the boat 12 on which the wafer w is mounted is placed on the heat insulating container 11 of the lid 10. Thereafter, the boat 12 is carried into the processing container 3 by the upward movement of the lid 10.

Next, the controller 51 controls the power to operate the heater element 18, heats the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, thereby controlling the boat in the processing container 3. The necessary heat treatment is performed on the wafer w mounted on 12).

In the meantime, the signal from the temperature sensor 83a is sent to the thermometer 90 via the temperature sensor signal line 83, and between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 by this thermometer 90. The temperature of the space 33 is obtained. And based on the detection signal from the thermometer 90, the control part 51 performs the heat processing with high precision with an appropriate temperature with respect to the wafer w.

When the heat treatment for the wafer w is finished, the inside of the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is forcibly cooled in order to increase the efficiency of the heat treatment operation.

Next, the forced cooling method in the space 33 is demonstrated.

First, the air supply blower 53 and the air exhaust blower 63 operate by the control unit 51. At this time, the cooling air (20-30 degreeC) in a clean room is introduce | transduced into the air supply line 52, and cooling air is then sent from the air supply blower 53 to the supply duct 49. As shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the cooling air in the supply duct 49 enters each annular flow passage 38 formed outside the heat insulating material 16 of the furnace body 5, and the cooling air in the annular flow passage 38 is then insulated. ) Is blown into the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 from the air blowout hole 40 formed through the air blower, thereby forcibly cooling the inside of the space 33 (first cooling step). ).

The heated air in the space 33 is cooled by the heat converter 69 via the air exhaust line 62 and then exhausted to the outside by the air exhaust blower 63.

In the meantime, the control part 51 drives and controls the inverter drive part 53a of the air supply blower 53, and the inverter drive part 63a of the air exhaust blower 63, and the air supply line side valve mechanism 54A and 64 A of air exhaust line side valve mechanisms are drive-controlled, and the inside of the space 33 is micro sound pressure (0Pa--85Pa with respect to the environment (atmospheric pressure) outside the furnace main body 5, Preferably -20Pa--30Pa) It remains in the range A of (refer FIG. 4).

Thus, the space 33 is maintained by maintaining the inside of the space 33 in the range A of the negative sound pressure of 0 Pa to -85 Pa, preferably -20 Pa to -30 Pa with respect to the environment (atmospheric pressure) outside the furnace body 5. It is possible to prevent hot air from blowing out from the furnace main body 5 to the outside by the positive pressure, and the inside of the space 33 becomes the strong negative pressure to draw outside air into the furnace main body 5, so that the temperature in the processing container 3 is increased. Uneven distribution can be prevented.

When the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is forcibly cooled by the first cooling process, the temperature in the space 33 is lowered, and the space ( The pressure in 33 is lowered.

In the meantime, the pressure in the space 33 is directly detected by the pressure detection sensor 80 connected to the pressure detection hole 85 and the pressure detection tube 86 of the pressure detection tube 50a, and the control part 51 Is based on the detection signal from the pressure detection sensor 80, when the pressure in the space 33 is significantly lower than the pressure in the first cooling process, air is supplied as the set pressure larger than the set pressure in the first cooling process. While controlling the inverter driver 53a of the blower 53 and the inverter driver 63a of the air exhaust blower 63, the air supply line side valve mechanism 54A and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 64A are driven. To control. In this case, the pressure in the space 33 is increased, and a larger amount of cooling air is supplied from the air supply line 52 into the space 33 than in the first cooling process, and the pressure in the space 33 is again restored to the first. It can return to the pressure of a cooling process (2nd cooling process). That is, when not employ | adopting such a 2nd cooling process, although the pressure fall as shown by the broken line of FIG. 4 continues, as shown by the solid line of FIG. 4 by using a 2nd cooling process, the space 33 Can be returned to the level of the first cooling process again.

By this second cooling step, outside air is not swept into the furnace body 5 with the pressure drop in the space 33, and a larger amount of cooling air can be supplied into the space 33, thereby providing a space ( 33) Forced cooling can be performed quickly and reliably.

Next, operation | movement in a 1st cooling process and a 2nd cooling process is further explained in full detail.

In the first cooling step, as described above, the air for cooling in the annular flow passage 38 is formed between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 from the air blowout holes 40 formed through the heat insulating material 16. It is taken out into the space 33 and forcibly cools the space 33. In this case, the cooling air blown into the space 33 cools the heater element 18 and the processing vessel 3 of the furnace body 5 and expands at once, increasing in volume and increasing in pressure (see FIG. 4). . As described above, the pressure detecting tube 50a is provided in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, and the pressure in the space 33 is directly controlled by the pressure detecting tube 50a. Since the pressure sensor is detected in the air supply line 52 or the air exhaust line 62 away from the space 33, without being affected by external disturbance, for example, The pressure rise in the space 33 can be detected quickly and reliably. And the control part 51 controls suitably so that the space 33 may become the said negative sound pressure based on the detection signal from the pressure detection system 50.

That is, the case where the pressure in the space 33 is detected by the pressure sensor provided in the air supply line 52 or the air exhaust line 62 can also be considered, but when a pressure sensor is provided in the air supply line 52, it will cool. It is necessary to consider the influence of the pressure applied to the air for disturbance as a disturbance, and when the pressure sensor is provided in the air exhaust line 62, the effect of the phosphorus pressure applied to the cooling air must be considered as the disturbance. There is.

In contrast, according to the present invention, since the pressure detecting tube 50a is provided in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, the space 33 is not affected by disturbance. The pressure rise can be directly and quickly and reliably detected, and can be appropriately controlled by the control unit 51 so that the space 33 becomes a negative sound pressure.

After that, when the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is forcibly cooled, the temperature in the space 33 decreases and the pressure in the space 33 also decreases (second cooling process). (See Figure 4).

Also in this case, since the pressure in the space 33 is directly detected by the pressure detecting tube 50a provided in the space 33, the pressure drop in the space 33 can be detected quickly and reliably. . At this time, the control unit 51 supplies a large amount of cooling air from the air supply line 52 to the space 33 in the space 33 on the basis of the detection signal from the pressure detecting tube 50a, thereby providing a space ( The pressure in 33) can be returned to the pressure of a 1st cooling process again.

Thus, when a 2nd cooling process supplies a large amount of cooling air compared with the 1st cooling process, and raises the pressure in the space 33, the cooling rate will not fall too much at the time of a 2nd cooling process. none.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, based on the detection signal from the pressure detection sensor 80, the control part 51 makes the inverter drive part 53a of the air supply blower 53, and the inverter drive part of the air exhaust blower 63 ( 63a), but the example which drive-controls the air supply line side valve mechanism 54A and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 64A was shown, The control part 51 is the inverter drive part 53a of the air supply blower 53, and air. Any one of the inverter drive part 63a of the exhaust blower 63, the air supply line side valve mechanism 54A, and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 64A may be drive-controlled, or a combination thereof may be controlled. Only the members 54, 55, 56 of the air supply line side valve mechanism 54A may be driven and controlled, or only the members 64, 65, 66, 67 of the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 64A may be driven controlled. You may also

Second Embodiment

Next, 2nd Embodiment of this invention is described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the air supply line 52 and the air exhaust line 62 are connected to each other to form a closed air supply / exhaust line. That is, the air supply line 52 and the air exhaust line 62 are connected to each other, and a blower 73 for air supply and air exhaust is provided at the connection portion, and the blower 73 has an inverter driver 73a. have.

Moreover, the butterfly valve 76 and the hole valve 77 are provided in the inlet side of the blower 73, and the hole valve 74 and the butterfly valve 75 are arrange | positioned at the outlet side of the blower 73. As shown in FIG. The butterfly valve 76 and the hole valve 77 on the inlet side of these blowers 73 and the hole valve 74 and the butterfly valve 75 on the outlet side of the blower 73 are all freely opened and closed. The orifice valve 74 and the butterfly valve 75 on the air supply line 52 side constitute 74 A of air supply line side valve mechanisms.

In addition, the butterfly valve 76 and the hole valve 77 on the air exhaust line 62 side constitute the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 76A.

Next, the effect | action of the vertical type heat processing apparatus which consists of such a structure is demonstrated.

First, the wafer w is mounted in the boat 12, and the boat 12 on which the wafer w is mounted is placed on the heat insulating container 11 of the lid 10. Thereafter, the boat 12 is carried into the processing container 3 by the upward movement of the lid 10.

Next, the controller 51 controls the power to operate the heater element 18, heats the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, thereby controlling the boat in the processing container 3. The necessary heat treatment is performed on the wafer w mounted on 12).

In the meantime, the signal from the temperature sensor 83a is sent to the thermometer 90 via the temperature sensor signal line 83, and between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 by this thermometer 90. The temperature of the space 33 is obtained. And based on the detection signal from the thermometer 90, the control part 51 performs an accurate heat processing with the appropriate temperature with respect to the wafer w.

When the heat treatment for the wafer w is finished, the inside of the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is forcibly cooled in order to increase the efficiency of the heat treatment operation.

Next, the forced cooling method in the space 33 is demonstrated.

First, the blower 73 for supplying air and exhausting air is operated by the control unit 51. At this time, cooling air in the air supply line 52 is sent to the supply duct 49.

Thereafter, the cooling air in the supply duct 49 enters each annular flow passage 38 formed outside the heat insulating material 16 of the furnace body 5, and the cooling air in the annular flow passage 38 is then insulated. ) Is blown into the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 from the air blowout hole 40 formed through the air blower, thereby forcibly cooling the inside of the space 33 (first cooling step). ).

The heated air in the space 33 is cooled by the heat exchanger 79 via the air exhaust line 62 and then returned to the blower 73.

In the meantime, the control part 51 controls the drive of the inverter drive part 73a of the blower 73, and drive-controls the air supply line side valve mechanism 74A and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 76A, and is spaced. The inside of (33) is maintained in the range A of 0 Pa--85 Pa, preferably --20 Pa--30 Pa with respect to the micro sound pressure (environment (atmospheric pressure) outside the furnace main body 5) (refer FIG. 4).

Thus, the space 33 is maintained by maintaining the inside of the space 33 in the range A of the negative sound pressure of 0 Pa to -85 Pa, preferably -20 Pa to -30 Pa with respect to the environment (atmospheric pressure) outside the furnace body 5. It is possible to prevent hot air from blowing out from the furnace main body 5 to the outside by the positive pressure, and the inside of the space 33 becomes the strong negative pressure to draw outside air into the furnace main body 5, so that the temperature in the processing container 3 is increased. Uneven distribution can be prevented.

When the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is forcibly cooled by the first cooling process, the temperature in the space 33 is lowered, and the space ( The pressure in 33 is lowered.

During this time, the pressure in the space 33 is detected by the pressure detecting sensor 80 connected to the pressure detecting hole 85 and the pressure detecting tube 86 of the pressure detecting tube 50a. On the basis of the detection signal from the pressure detection sensor 80, when the pressure in the space 33 is significantly lower than the pressure in the first cooling process, the blower 73 as a set pressure larger than the set pressure in the first cooling process. While controlling the inverter drive part 73a, the air supply line side valve mechanism 74A and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 76A are drive-controlled. In this case, the pressure in the space 33 is increased, and a larger amount of cooling air is supplied from the air supply line 52 into the space 33 than in the first cooling process, and the pressure in the space 33 is again restored to the first. It can return to the pressure of a cooling process (2nd cooling process). That is, when not employ | adopting such a 2nd cooling process, although the pressure fall as shown by the broken line of FIG. 4 continues, as shown by the solid line of FIG. 4 by using a 2nd cooling process, the space 33 The pressure in) may be returned to the level of the first cooling process.

By this second cooling step, outside air is not swept into the furnace body 5 with the pressure drop in the space 33, and a larger amount of cooling air can be supplied into the space 33, thereby providing a space ( 33) Forced cooling can be performed quickly and reliably.

Next, operation | movement in a 1st cooling process and a 2nd cooling process is further explained in full detail.

In the first cooling step, as described above, the air for cooling in the annular flow passage 38 is formed between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 from the air blowout holes 40 formed through the heat insulating material 16. It is taken out into the space 33 and forcibly cools the space 33. In this case, the cooling air blown out into the space 33 cools the heater element 18 and the processing container 3 of the furnace body 5 and expands at once to increase the volume, thereby increasing the pressure (see FIG. 4). ). As described above, the pressure detecting tube 50a is provided in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, and the pressure in the space 33 is directly controlled by the pressure detecting tube 50a. In this case, the space 33 is not affected by disturbance compared to the case where a pressure sensor is provided in the air supply line 52 or the air exhaust line 62 away from the space 33, for example. The internal pressure rise can be detected quickly and reliably. And the control part 51 controls suitably so that the space 33 may become the said negative sound pressure based on the detection signal from the pressure detection system 50.

That is, it is conceivable to detect the pressure in the space 33 by the pressure sensor provided in the air supply line 52 or the air exhaust line 62. However, when the pressure sensor is provided in the air supply line 52, It is necessary to consider the influence of the pressure applied to the air as the disturbance, and when the pressure sensor is provided in the air exhaust line 62, the effect of the phosphorous pressure applied to the cooling air needs to be considered as the disturbance.

In contrast, according to the present invention, since the pressure detecting tube 50a is provided in the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3, the space 33 is not affected by disturbance. The pressure rise can be directly and quickly and reliably detected, and can be appropriately controlled by the control unit 51 so that the space 33 becomes a negative sound pressure.

After that, when the space 33 between the furnace main body 5 and the processing container 3 is forcibly cooled, the temperature in the space 33 decreases and the pressure in the space 33 also decreases (second cooling process). (See Figure 4).

Also in this case, since the pressure in the space 33 is directly detected by the pressure detecting tube 50a provided in the space 33, the pressure drop in the space 33 can be detected quickly and reliably. . At this time, the control unit 51 supplies a large amount of cooling air from the air supply line 52 to the space 33 in the space 33 on the basis of the detection signal from the pressure detecting tube 50a, thereby providing a space ( The pressure in 33) can be returned to the pressure of a 1st cooling process again.

Thus, when a 2nd cooling process supplies a large amount of cooling air compared with the 1st cooling process, and raises the pressure in the space 33, it is not excessively reduced in a cooling rate at the time of a 2nd cooling process. none.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, based on the detection signal from the pressure detection sensor 80, the control part 51 controls the inverter drive part 73a of the blower 73 for air supply and air exhaust, and the air supply line side valve. Although the example which drive-controlled the mechanism 74A and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 76A was shown, the control part 51 is an inverter drive part 73a and the air supply line side of the blower 73 for air supply and air exhaust. Any one of the valve mechanism 74A and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 76A may be drive-controlled, or a combination thereof may be controlled, and any of the members 74 and 75 of the air supply line-side valve mechanism 74A may be controlled. Only the drive control may be performed, or only the members 76 and 77 of the air exhaust line side valve mechanism 76A may be drive controlled.

In addition, this invention is not limited to each said embodiment, A various design change is possible within the scope of the summary of this invention. For example, the processing container may be formed by connecting a heat-resistant metal having an inlet pipe part and an exhaust pipe part, for example, a cylindrical manifold made of stainless steel, to a lower end part, or a double pipe structure. good.

Claims (5)

Furnace body provided with a heating unit on the inner peripheral surface,
A processing container disposed in the furnace main body, forming a space between the furnace main body and accommodating a plurality of objects to be processed therein;
A temperature sensor disposed in the space between the furnace body and the processing container;
An air supply line connected to the furnace main body and supplying cooling air into the space;
An air exhaust line connected to the furnace main body and exhausting cooling air from the space;
A blower provided on at least one of said air supply line and said air exhaust line,
An air supply line side valve mechanism and an air exhaust line side valve mechanism respectively provided in said air supply line and said air exhaust line;
A protective tube extending through the furnace body from the outside of the furnace body to the space between the furnace body and the processing container is provided, and a temperature sensor signal line connected to the temperature sensor is housed in the protective tube. A pressure detecting hole is formed in the protective tube to open into the space, and a pressure detecting sensor connected to the pressure detecting hole of the protective tube is provided outside the furnace main body. The method of claim 1,
At least one of the blower, the air supply line side valve mechanism, and the air exhaust line side valve mechanism is controlled based on a detection signal from the pressure detection sensor while controlling the heating unit based on a detection signal from the temperature sensor. And a control unit for controlling one side to adjust the pressure in the space. The method of claim 1,
The protective tube is made of an elongated ceramic tube having the pressure detecting hole, and an opening hole for a temperature sensor signal line extending in parallel with the pressure detecting hole is formed in the ceramic tube. Vertical heat treatment device. A protective tube having a pressure detecting hole and an opening hole;
A temperature sensor provided at one end of the protective tube,
A temperature sensor signal line connected to the temperature sensor and stored in the opening of the protective tube and extending outward from the other end of the protective tube,
A pressure detecting tube connected to the pressure detecting hole is provided at the other end of the protective tube, and a pressure detecting sensor is connected to the pressure detecting tube. The combination of a pressure detecting system and a temperature sensor.
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