Abstract: Nozzles that blow an air are disposed in a space between an outer wall of a process tube and a heat generating resistor. The openings of the nozzles are oriented to the process tube corresponding to an arrangement area of semiconductor wafers. An air blowing angle and alignment of the openings of the nozzles are designated corresponding to the length of the arrangement area of the semiconductor wafers. Thus, since a portion where natural heat radiation is weak is forcedly cooled, the cooling effect can become equal in the entire region of the process tube, thereby reducing temperature drop time.

Abstract: A thermal processing furnace provided with a helical-shaped heating resistance element along an inner wall surface of a cylindrical insulating member, wherein support members support the heating resistance element that has been divided into a plurality of parts in an axial direction of the insulating member. Each of the support members is formed of a plurality of support pieces that extend in a radially outward direction with respect to the furnace and at a pitch corresponding to that of the heating resistance element, on a base portion positioned on an inner side of the heating resistance element, and tip portions of the support pieces are embedded in the insulating member. Since this enables a simplification of the structure, it is possible to improve the practicability of the process and reduce the fabrication time, with a simple fabrication design, and it is also possible to improve the accuracy of the pitch at which the heating resistance element is arrayed.

Abstract: In order to form a film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer, a multiplicity of wafers are individually mounted on ring-shaped mounts of a wafer boat, while the temperature within a reaction tube is set at, e.g., 400.degree. C. under a nitrogen gas atmosphere. After loading the wafer boat into the reaction tube, the temperature within the reaction tube is raised up to, e.g., 620.degree. C. at a rate of, e.g., 100.degree. C./min, and SiH.sub.4 gas is supplied onto the surface of a silicon substrate to form a polysilicon film. After film formation, air is forced to flow along the internal surface of the heating section to forcibly cool the interior of the reaction tube. In the case of forming a metal silicon film using a wafer having a silicon substrate and a metal film formed on the surface of the silicon substrate, the temperature within the reaction tube is set at, e.g. 100.degree. C. for loading the wafers.

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: 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: 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 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 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: 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.

Abstract: A thermal processing station is provided with a first conveyor that conveys a wafer from a first conveyor access portion and a second conveyor that conveys another wafer from a second conveyor access opening portion. The wafer conveyed from the first conveyor is conveyed along a route consisting of the second conveyor, a washing portion, the second conveyor again, the first conveyor, and a thermal processing portion. On the other hand, the wafer conveyed from the second conveyor is conveyed along a route consisting of the washing portion, the second conveyor again, the first conveyor, and the thermal processing portion. An intermediate transfer portion that is free to rotate and rise and lower is provided between the first and second conveyor. A control section does not rotate the intermediate transfer portion while the wafer is being transferred along the former route, but it does rotate the intermediate transfer portion through 180.degree.

Abstract: A wafer loading and unloading chamber is provided at the bottom of a reaction tube of a heat treatment section, a robot chamber and cassette chamber are coupled via gate valves to the wafer loading and unloading chamber, the robot chamber comprises a first load lock chamber while the wafer loading and unloading chamber comprises a second load lock chamber. These first and second load lock chambers are mutually connected by a pressure balancing gas conduit via pressure balancing valves. During heat treatment of the target objects, the wafer loading and unloading chamber and robot chamber are first set to inert gas atmospheres, then the pressure balancing gas conduit valves are opened to balance the pressures of the robot and cassette chambers. Gate valves between these chambers are then opened, and the cassette is conveyed via the robot chamber to a wafer boat in the wafer loading and unloading chamber.

Abstract: A pusher which pushes up semiconductor wafers has wafer fixing grooves to which they are fixed. Wafer detecting sensors which detect whether the semiconductor wafers are present are positioned in side walls of the wafer fixing grooves. The pusher is composed of an grounded aluminum base material and a resin coat formed on the base material. The surface of the aluminum base material is alumite-treated. The resin coat has a thickness of approximately 20 .mu.m. The resin coat is made of Teflon.

Abstract: In a semiconductor wafer heat-treating apparatus, there is provided a piping connection device on a gas inlet pipe leading to the heat-treating apparatus and a gas outlet pipe derived from the heat-treating apparatus. The piping connection device has a spherical convex connecting element, and a concave connecting element having a concave spherical surface into which the spherical element is snugly fitted. A pair of presser plates are placed on the outer surfaces of the two connecting elements and clamped by bolts so as to press confronting sealing surfaces of the convex and concave connecting elements against each other. Because the outer surfaces of the two connecting elements to be engaged with the pair of presser plates are spherically fashioned, the connection surfaces can present a satisfactory sealing condition without subjecting the pair of the pipes connected by the piping connection device to excessive biasing forces even though the two pipes are angled to each other.