Abstract: An epitaxial growth furnace is provided for effecting the formation of an epitaxial layer on the surface of a semiconductor wafer by CVD in a reaction chamber of the furnace. The furnace comprises a wafer holder having an opening for exposing a surface area of the wafer which is subject to epitaxial growth, an opening flange adapted for engagement with a chamfered tapered face of a whole peripheral edge of the wafer on the side of said surface area thereof, and a plurality of jaws for detachably engaging with an outer periphery of the wafer on a back surface side of said surface area.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compact apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor wafers, which is aimed at complete removing of moisture from the wafers after final cleaning while reducing the manufacturing time. The apparatus includes a cleaning chamber (1) for final cleaning, a storage chamber (3) for storing wafers, a transfer chamber (2) communicating with the both cleaning and storage chambers (1, 3), and formed in its upper wall with a heat-conducting window (7), a robot hand (5) and a robot arm (4) for transporting the wafer (W) from the cleaning chamber (1) to the storage chamber (3) within the transfer chamber, infrared lamps (6) arranged to face the window (7) outside the transfer chamber (2) so as to heat the wafer (W) in the course of transportation within the transfer chamber, gas supply ports (8) for producing a laminar flow of inert gas from the storage chamber (3) to the cleaning chamber (1) to expose wafers (W) with the gas, and exhaust ports (9) for exhausting the moisture removed from wafers.

Abstract: In an arrangement to grip lower part of a portion with larger diameter of single crystal formed by CZ method, the present invention provides an apparatus and a method for growing and pulling up the single crystal without causing deformation or rupture and under dislocation-free and stable condition even when the portion with larger diameter is at high temperature and when the single crystal rod has heavy weight of about 400 kg and large diameter. Under the condition that a material having Shore hardness of not less than 70, Vickers hardness of not more than 100, and tensile strength of not less than 400 MPa is used as a contact member which is used on a portion of gripping members in contact with lower part of the portion with larger diameter, and when minimum diameter of a constricted portion under the portion with larger diameter is set to 12 mm or more, temperature (° C.

Abstract: The present invention aims to improve thermal efficiency and to reduce melting time when a raw material in an auxiliary crucible is heated and melted by induction heating method. When an initial raw material 30a is at low temperature and its conductivity is relatively low, a conductive carbon cylinder 2 is arranged at such a height as to cover the entire side wall of the auxiliary crucible 1, and when high frequency current is applied on a high frequency coil 3, secondary induction current is generated on the carbon cylinder 2. Then, Joule heat is generated on the carbon cylinder 2 by the secondary induction current, and heat of the carbon cylinder 2 is transmitted to the raw material inside via the auxiliary crucible 1. Thus, the raw material is heated, and melting is started. When the raw material is melted, an insulating ceramic base 4 is arranged at such a position as to cover the entire side wall of the auxiliary crucible 1.

Abstract: A newly proposed wire cleaning apparatus used for removing slurry from a wire, which reciprocatively travels between a slicing chamber and a wiring chamber. The wire cleaning apparatus has a couple of multigrooved guide rollers 41, 42 rotatably provided at a cover 30. A slurry receiver 20 is detachably attached to the cover 30. A centrifugal force is generated during repeated reciprocative movement of the wire 5 between the multigrooved guide rollers 41 and 42. Slurry is shaken off from the wire 5 by the centrifugal force and gathered in the slurry receiver 20. Removal of the slurry is accelerated by spraying a cleaning liquid W at the same time. Introduction of the cleaning liquid W into the slicing chamber is inhibited by on-off control of the cleaning nozzles 41, 42 in response to a travelling direction of the wire 5.

Abstract: An epitaxial growth furnace comprising first and second partition walls arranged within a reaction chamber, a first separate space surrounded by the partition walls and the inner wall surface of the reaction chamber, a second separate space partitioned by the partition walls so as to be isolated from the inner wall surface of the reaction chamber, a holding mechanism adapted to hold a pair of semiconductor wafers respectively on the first and second partition walls so that the principal surfaces of the pair of wafers face each other with spacing therebetween and are also exposed to the second separate space, and a pair of heaters for respectively irradiating radiant heat to the back surfaces of the two wafers.

Abstract: A sub sensor for measuring a small area is integrally incorporated in a main sensor for measuring a large area and a part in the vicinity of the edge of a wafer is measured by the sub sensor, while a center of a wafer is measured by the main sensor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming an epitaxial layer on a semiconductor wafer supported on a suscepter in an epitaxial growth furnace. Ther wafer to be processed is placed on the suscepter outside the furnace. The suscepter carrying the wafer is transferred into the furnace from the outside thereof and mounted in a loading position within the furnace. An epitaxial growth process is then performed on the wafer on the suscepter mounted in the loading position. After the completion of the growth process, the suscepter carrying the wafer thereon is removed from the furnace loading position and transferred to the outside of the furnace.

Abstract: An ingot 9 is sliced to wafers by a wire 5 which travels around grooved rollers 1 to 3. A tension applied to the wire 5 is detected by tension sensors 21, while vertical displacement of dancer rollers 19 is detected by position sensors 20. At least one of a fluctuation gap of the tension, a fluctuating velocity of the tension, an acceleration of the fluctuation, vertical movement of the dancer rollers 19, a velocity of the vertical movement and acceleration of the vertical movement is calculated from the detection results, and compared with a threshold in a calculating circuit 23 to judge a sign predicting abnormal increase of the tension. When the predicting signal appears, a command signal is outputted from the calculating circuit 22 to a controller 23 to stop operation of a wire-sawing machine or to relax the wire 5. Since rupture of the wire 5 is prevented in bud, a wire-sawing machine is efficiently driven for slicing the ingot 9 with a high productivity.

Abstract: If something goes wrong with a wire saw, a personal computer outputs a dial signal to a modem, which dials a calling number of a pager carried by an operator through a telephone system. The sound of the pager notifies the operator of the abnormality of the wire saw even if he or she is not in the vicinity of the wire saw.

Abstract: In the apparatus according to the present invention, self-weight of a single crystal is moved in soft manner when the single crystal being pulled up is gripped by grippers, and driving of pulling operation after self-weight movement is performed by a single driving source, and it is aimed to prevent contamination and dislocation of the single crystal by arranging all driving units outside a vacuum chamber for storing the single crystal. There is provided a support member 70 for supporting a portion with larger diameter 5 under a seed crystal 3, and the support member 70 is provided with a through-hole, which is communicated with outer peripheral portion via a slit 74, and it can be rotated in horizontal direction between a non-holding position and a holding position by the motor 40.

Abstract: A pair of ring-shaped lapping plates 13, 23 are faced to both surfaces of a wafer 1. Each lapping plate 13, 23 has an outer diameter approximately equal to a radius of the wafer 1 and a lapping surface 14, 24 sliding in contact with the wafer 1. Each lapping plate 13, 23 is rotated along a direction reverse from the other, while an abrasion slurry A is fed into cavities 15, 25 of the lapping plates 13, 23 and discharged together with dusts separated from the wafer 1 through grooves engraved in the lapping surfaces 14, 24 and gaps between the wafer 1 and the lapping surfaces 14, 24. The lapping plate 23 is carried toward the stationary lapping plate 13 at a rate corresponding to abrasion of the lapping surfaces 14, 24. During lapping, the wafer 1 is rotated by drive rollers 31 and supported by guide rollers 32. In this way, both surfaces of the wafer 1 are simultaneously lapped.

Abstract: A sensor measures a displacement of a sensor, and a control part of a wire saw calculates a sliding load in accordance with the measured displacement and an initial tension of the wire. Then, the control part compares the calculated cutting load with a preset reference value, and controls an ingot feed speed for a drive unit of a workpiece feed table in accordance with the results of the comparison.

Abstract: A double side grinding apparatus and a double side polishing apparatus, with a narrow tolerance range, reduces pitching errors, and ensures a sufficient level of rigidity against the force of reaction to machining, while enhancing positioning accuracy. The double side grinding apparatus or a double side polishing apparatus includes a plurality of guideways for supporting and shifting main spindles, and these plural guideways on end define a geometric center matched with the center of gravity of the main spindles. The number of the guideways is preferably three in order not to obstruct the mounting and removal of a workpiece.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for preventing dropping of a single crystal having large diameter and heavy weight in a chamber with reduced pressure and for pulling it in reliable and safe manner. After a seed crystal 24a is immersed in Si melt in a quartz crucible 14, the seed crystal is pulled up, and a neck portion 1a with small diameter is formed under the seed crystal 24a, and a spherical constricted portion 1b is formed under the neck portion 1a, whereby a tip 23a of a single crystal support 23 is opened so that it does not come into contact with the constricted portion 1b under pulling operation.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to achieve reliable and safe pulling operation of a single crystal having large diameter and heavy weight in a chamber with reduced pressure. According to the present invention, a constricted portion is formed under a seed crystal, and a single crystal is pulled up by supporting the constricted portion, and a support base 30 is used, which has an opening 22, serving as a through-hole, and a slit 34, which leads from the opening to outer periphery of the support base, and a portion with larger diameter of the constricted portion is supported from below in linear contact manner. The support base 30 further comprises a recess 32, which leads to the opening 22, and it can be designed and selected to have such configuration as to suit the shape of the constricted portion. The support base 30 can be moved between a non-support position and a support position by operating a moving unit.

Abstract: An ingot slicing method and apparatus is disclosed. An ingot is sliced by a wire saw having a wire wound over a plurality of grooved rollers at a predetermined pitch. The ingot is secured to a holder and then pressed onto the wire which is carried along one direction or reciprocatively carried over a plurality of grooved rollers. The holder is shifted along one direction parallel to an axis of the grooved rollers until about a half section of the ingot is sliced. The holder is shifted along an inverse direction during slicing the remainder of the ingot. Thus, a wafer sliced off the ingot has a bowed shape corresponding to a locus of movement of the holder.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to achieve reliable and safe pulling operation of a single crystal having large diameter and heavy weight in a chamber with reduced pressure. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the invention comprises a seed crystal lift mechanism for holding a seed crystal and for moving it up and down, and a single crystal gripping mechanism for gripping a constricted portion of a single crystal formed, whereby the apparatus comprises an accommodation container 10a for accommodating at least a driving unit 14 of the seed crystal lift mechanism and at least a driving unit 15 of the single crystal gripping mechanism, and further accommodation container lift mechanisms 3 and 4 for moving the accommodation container up and down. The accommodation container may be designed in heat-insulating structure, or a cooling means for cooling inside the accommodation container may be further provided.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to prevent the single crystal during pulling operation from turning to polycrystal when the single crystal under pulling operation is gripped by a gripper and to achieve the gripping automatically. When a wire 1 is moved down to immerse a seed crystal 3 into surface of a Si melt 11 in a quartz crucible 10, arms 12 and 13 wait at such positions that tips do not come into contact with the Si melt 11, and tips of the gripping arm 12 are opened so that the tips are not brought into contact with a portion with larger diameter 5 during pulling operation. By pulling up the wire 1, a neck portion 4, a portion with larger diameter 5, a constricted portion 6, and a crystal main portion 7 are formed under the seed crystal 3. When a sensor 14 detects that upper surface of the portion with larger diameter 5 has come into contact with the tips of the contact/detecting arm 13 during pulling operation, tips of the gripping arm 12 are closed and grip the constricted portion 6.

Abstract: A wafer 1 has a chamfered edge 2 polished to specular glossiness, and a laser mark for indication of crystal orientation is put on the chamfered edge 2. Another laser mark 4 for indication of specification, production number, identification, etc. may be carved as a bar code on the chamfered edge 2. These marks 3, 4 are carved on the chamfered edge 2 by laser marking which does not put any harmful influences on the wafer 1.