Abstract: A semiconductor wafer plasma treatment apparatus comprising a processing vessel whose interior is maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum; a plasma generation means which is arranged on an upper surface of the processing vessel and generates radio-frequency waves into the interior thereof, to cause the generation of a plasma in the process gas within the processing vessel; and a holder for holding a semiconductor wafer that is to be subjected to a predetermined treatment by the plasma generated from the process gas by the action of the plasma generation means, a supply means which supplies process gas into the processing vessel comprises first gas supply pipes that are arranged at positions equidistant in the peripheral direction around the processing vessel and a second gas supply pipe that is arranged at the center of an upper surface of the processing vessel, and gas exhaust means from exhaust gases from the processing vessel is arranged at positions equidistant in the peripheral direction around th

Abstract: An Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layer is formed on a surface of a wafer, which is an object to be processed, at a high temperature of, for example, 780.degree. C., using a vertical thermal processing apparatus having a reaction tube of a double-wall structure comprising an inner tube and an outer tube in which a predetermined reduced-pressure status is maintained within the reaction tube while a reaction gas comprising, for example, SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 is made to flow from an inner side to an outer side of the inner tube by the action of a first gas supply pipe and first exhaust pipe provided in the thermal processing apparatus. Next, the temperature in the interior of the reaction tube is raised to, for example, 1000.degree. C., a reaction gas comprising, for example, H.sub.2 O vapor and HCl is made to flow from the outer side to the inner side of the inner tube by the action of a second gas supply pipe and second exhaust pipe, and an SiO.sub.2 layer is formed by the oxidation of the surface of the Si.sub.

Abstract: A heat treatment boat for mounting a number of disc-shaped objects to be treated at a vertical interval for heat treatment thereof in a vertical heat treatment furnace comprises arcuate or ring-shaped support members provided on support rods at a vertical interval for supporting the objects to be treated in surface contact with the undersides of peripheral parts of the objects to be treated. The heat treatment boat is disposed on a ring-shaped intermediate member of high radiant heat absorption disposed on a heat insulating cylinder. The heat treatment boat comprises support rods which are planted on an annular support member circumferentially in accordance with a contour of the objects to be treated and whose upper ends are secured to an annular fixation member. The heat treatment boat of such constitution can reduce occurrences of slips in the disc-shaped objects when heat treated.

Abstract: A heat treatment boat for mounting a number of disc-shaped objects to be treated at a vertical interval for heat treatment thereof in a vertical heat treatment furnace comprises arcuate or ring-shaped support members provided on support rods at a vertical interval for supporting the objects to be treated in surface contact with the undersides of peripheral parts of the objects to be treated. The heat treatment boat is disposed on a ring-shaped intermediate member of high radiant heat absorption disposed on a heat insulating cylinder. The heat treatment boat comprises support rods which are planted on an annular support member circumferentially in accordance with a contour of the objects to be treated and whose upper ends are secured to an annular fixation member. The heat treatment boat of such constitution can reduce occurrences of slips in the disc-shaped objects when heat treated.

Abstract: A heat treating device including a processing vessel for exposing objects to be treated (e.g., semiconductor wafers) held in a wafer boat for a heat treatment, processing gas introduction nozzles for introducing processing gases, a cap for openably closing tightly an opening of the processing vessel; a heat retention cylinder on which the boat is mounted; and a gas introduction opening, a gas passage, and a gas release opening opened in the heat retention cylinder. Processing gases introduced from the introduction nozzles are taken into the heat retention cylinder through the gas introduction opening and released radially from the gas release opening in the top thereof. The heat retention cylinder has the function of introducing the processing gases, whereby high intra-plane film thickness uniformity can be retained without rotating the wafer boat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a processing chamber that processes an object to be processed in an atmosphere of a processing gas. The processing chamber is provided with a mounting stand having a holder mechanism that holds the object to be processed within the processing chamber. The mounting stand is connected to a rotational mechanism and is free to rotate, and the holder mechanism on the mounting stand is also provided with a separate, independent rotational mechanism whereby the front surface and rear surface of the object to be processed can be rotated (inverted) relative to the mounting stand. Thus the present invention provides a processing method and apparatus therefor in which the front surface and rear surface of the object to be processed can be processed under the same conditions, without having to change the atmospheric status of the object to be processed.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for semiconductor wafers is provided with a number, such as two, of heat treatment units which are arranged horizontally and which load wafer boats containing wafers from below. A wafer delivery section is provided to correspond to each of the two heat treatment units, and wafers are conveyed by a wafer transfer mechanism between the wafer delivery section and the heat treatment units. Carrier accommodation racks are provided in upper and lower positions across the two heat treatment units in such a manner that they can be used in common for both wafer delivery sections. The carrier transfer mechanism is provided in front of the two carrier accommodation racks in order to convey carriers containing wafers between carrier stages at front portions of the wafer heat treatment apparatus, the two carrier accommodation racks, and the two wafer delivery sections.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus wherein treatment objects such as semiconductor wafers contained in a treatment boat are loaded in a treatment container such as a process tube. Water vapor is supplied from the top of the treatment container toward the bottom for heat treatment of the treatment objects to permit water vapor passage between the treatment container top and the top face of the heat treatment boat. A gas diffusion plate possessing for example 16 flow holes is provided, moreover, a heat treatment space is formed at the bottom direction of the gas diffusion plate. These flow holes are arranged at equal intervals in the circumference direction of a space between the outer circumference of the treatment objects held by the heat treatment boat and the inner side of the treatment container.

Abstract: A heat treatment boat for mounting a number of disc-shaped objects to be treated at a vertical interval for heat treatment thereof in a vertical heat treatment furnace comprises arcuate or ring-shaped support members provided on support rods at a vertical interval for supporting the objects to be treated in surface contact with the undersides of peripheral parts of the objects to be treated. The heat treatment boat is disposed on a ring-shaped intermediate member of high radiant heat absorption disposed on a heat insulating cylinder. The heat treatment boat comprises support rods which are planted on an annular support member circumferentially in accordance with a contour of the objects to be treated and whose upper ends are secured to an annular fixation member. The heat treatment boat of such constitution can reduce occurrences of slips in the disc-shaped objects when heat treated.

Abstract: This invention relates to a combustion device for feeding hydrogen gas and oxygen gas into a combustion vessel, while heating the same, to generate water vapor. The combustion device comprises a hydrogen gas injection nozzle for feeding hydrogen gas into the combustion vessel, and an oxygen gas injection nozzles for feeding oxygen gas into the combustion vessel. The oxygen nozzles are projected further upward in the combustion vessel beyond the forward end of the hydrogen gas injection nozzle, and opened at a plurality of positions, whereby to diffuse oxygen widely around. The combustion device of this structure can feed a large amount of hydrogen gas for the combustion, whereby a large amount of water vapor can be generated without enlarging the combustion vessel, and troubles, such as the devitrification of the forward ends of the nozzles, abnormal heating in the combustion vessel.

Abstract: A heat treating device including a pressure detecting unit for outputting an output signal when a pressure in a heat processing furnace becomes a set value, an air release pipe having a first valve and a check valve, a differential pressure gauge shut off by a second valve in terms of pressure from the interior of the heat processing furnace, and an air feed pipe having a third valve. One ends of each of the air release pipe and the air feed pipe is connected respectively to the heat processing furnace and the other ends opened in air. In such arrangement, after processing gases are evacuated from the heat processing furnace, an inert gas is fed. Then when an internal pressure of the furnace becomes near an air pressure, the first valve is opened in response to the output signal of the pressure detecting unit to make the internal pressure of the heat processing furnace a little higher than the air pressure.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus which has a vertical processing vessel with heat source, and a loading mechanism for holding an object to be treated and for loading and unloading the object into and out of the processing vessel through its bottom. The loading mechanism includes an outer cylindrical shaft which is moved up and down by a lift drive unit, a liner plate disposed on the upper end of the outer rotary shaft, and a rotary holder which is disposed in the liner plate and is moved up and down independently of the liner plate. As a result, a large object to be treated, such as a large-diameter semiconductor wafer, LCD substrate, etc., can be rapidly heated up to a required treatment temperature while uniform temperature distributions are attained. Thus, heat-treatments of high precision can be efficiently conducted.

Abstract: In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, provided are a vacuum processing chamber which implements a required processing to an object of processing under an atmosphere of reduced pressure, a single spare vacuum processing chamber provided to one side and adjacent to the vacuum processing chamber and provided with a support mechanism to support the object of processing and a conveyor arm to convey the object of processing internally. Thus the object of processing is conveyed to the vacuum processing chamber and conveyed from the vacuum processing chamber via the spare vacuum processing chamber.

Abstract: The vertical treating apparatus according to this invention comprises as major units a process tube for receiving objects to be treated through an opening in a lower part thereof, a lift mechanism (boat elevator) for mounting a wafer boat holding the wafers to load the wafers into the process tube, and a wafer transfer device for transferring the wafers to the lift mechanism. The lift mechanism flexibly supports a cap for closing the opening of the process tube by way of an urging force provided by coil springs, and mounts the wafer boat for holding the wafers on the upper surface thereof. A cap restricting member is provided for restricting the urging force of the coil springs. The cap is provided at a lowermost position of the lift mechanism. Thus, the cap is restricted by the cap restricting member when the wafers are transferred by the transfer device, whereby the wafer boat, etc.

Abstract: While the interior of a reaction vessel is being deaerated by a first vacuum pump, an inert gas is supplied from an upstream side (reaction gas bottle side) of a flow rate control unit (MFC) to a reaction gas supply pipe. Thus, a reaction gas is substituted with the inert gas. A passageway downstream of the MFC is closed and the interior of the pipe is deaerated from the upstream side through a bypass pipe so that a predetermined degree of vacuum is obtained. Thus, the gas substituting efficiency can be improved. The interior of the reaction vessel and the interior of the reaction gas supply pipe are quickly deaerated without an influence of resistance of the MFC. The inert gas substitution process and the deaerating process are repeated for 10 cycles or more.

Abstract: A double cylinder shaped multilayer structural member comprising ring shaped thin plate small diameter discs and large diameter discs respectively layered via spacers is disposed in the enclosure vessel of a trap device for a vapor phase reaction apparatus. Gas from the intake opening section of the enclosure vessel is introduced into the outer side space of the multilayer structural member of the enclosure vessel, passes through the spaces between the large diameter discs and also passes through the spaces between the small diameter discs, then exits via the inner side space of the multilayer structural member from the outlet opening section of enclosure vessel to the system exterior. As a result of this construction, in comparison to conventional devices, the collection efficiency of reactive components can be increased, the equipment life extended, and maintenance frequency reduced, thereby providing a trap device for a vapor phase reaction apparatus capable of improving productivity.

Abstract: A vertical heat treating apparatus includes a cap body, which is movable up and down, for sealing a treatment vessel that holds objects to be treated. A rotary loading device is provided with a rotary shaft which extends into a through hole provided in the cap body, and a magnetic fluid seal member is provided around the rotary shaft. Heat-exchange media, such as water or ethylene glycol, is circulated within the rotary shaft, preferably to cool the rotary shaft. A temperature sensor may be provided in a housing for the rotary shaft, such that when the temperature exceeds a set temperature, the flow rate of the heat exchange medium is increased. Baffle plates may be provided above an upper surface of the cap body and opposed to the through-hole in the cap body. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, nitrogen gas is circulated through the through-hole in the cap body to prevent corrosive gas from contacting the shaft.

Abstract: A contact ring having probe pins is mounted in the top surface of a casing, and a wafer holder table is placed below the contact ring. A holder member comprising a longitudinally extended cylindrical body are provided in such a manner as to be free to move into and out of a space between the probe pins and the wafer holder table, parallel to the upper surface of a wafer and along guide rails protruding from a casing. An image of the probe pins which act as contact means and an image of the electrode pads of an IC chip on the wafer are input to a camera that is provided in the holder member. With the probe apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to position the wafer while viewing these images, and there is no need to provide a region for separate positioning. This facilitates the design of a smaller probe apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vertical heat treating device of a two-boat system including below a vertical reaction furnace a first waiting position where a treated boat waits, and second waiting position where a boat to be next treated waits. The device comprises boat transferring device for transfer wafers at the first and the second waiting positions and at the vertical reaction furnace. The boat transferring device can be displaced in a two-dimensional plane at least including rotation and radial displacement from the rotation center. A heat shielding member is also provided for hindering thermal influence between the first and the second waiting positions so that the first and the second waiting positions can be positioned as near each other as possible to minimize a space occupied by the boat transferring device, whereby the vertical heat treating device can be made smaller-sized.