Abstract: A single-substrate processing apparatus (20) has a worktable (40) disposed in a process chamber (24), which accommodates a target substrate (W). The worktable (40) has a thermally conductive mount surface (41) to place the target substrate (W) thereon. The worktable (40) is provided with a flow passage (50) formed therein, in which a thermal medium flows for adjusting temperature of the target substrate (W) through the mount surface (41). The flow passage (50) is connected to a thermal medium supply system (54), which selectively supplies a cooling medium and a heating medium.

Abstract: A single-substrate processing apparatus (20) has a worktable (40) disposed in a process chamber (24), which accommodates a target substrate (W). The worktable (40) has a thermally conductive mount surface (41) to place the target substrate (W) thereon. The worktable (40) is provided with a flow passage (50) formed therein, in which a thermal medium flows for adjusting temperature of the target substrate (W) through the mount surface (41). The flow passage (50) is connected to a thermal medium supply system (54), which selectively supplies a cooling medium and a heating medium.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding gases for use in semiconductor manufacturing reduced in size and manufacturing costs and facilitating maintenance and operation of the gas supply system. The apparatus comprises a plurality of gas supply sources, gas source valves provided on the gas lead-out pipes from the respective gas supply sources, flow rate controllers provided on main gas feed pipes into which the lead-out pipes converge, and gas supply valves provided on the outlet side of the flow rate controllers.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding gases for use in semiconductor manufacturing reduced in size and manufacturing costs and facilitating maintenance and operation of the gas supply system. The apparatus comprises a plurality of gas supply sources, gas source valves provided on the gas lead-out pipes from the respective gas supply sources, flow rate controllers provided on main gas feed pipes into which the lead-out pipes converge, and gas supply valves provided on the outlet side of the flow rate controllers.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding gases for use in semiconductor manufacturing reduced in size and manufacturing costs and facilitating maintenance and operation of the gas supply system. The apparatus comprises a plurality of gas supply sources, gas source valves provided on the gas lead-out pipes from the respective gas supply sources, flow rate controllers provided on main gas feed pipes into which the lead-out pipes converge, and gas supply valves provided on the outlet side of the flow rate controllers.

Abstract: A boat for semiconductor wafers includes first, second and third support rods arranged between and connected to top and bottom plates. The first, second and third support rods include a plurality of first racks, a plurality of second racks, and a plurality of third racks, respectively, such that the racks of each rods are vertically arrayed with gaps therebetween. The first, second and third racks serving to define a plurality of horizontal wafer supporting levels. Each wafer supporting level is defined by only combination of the first, second and third racks of the corresponding height. In each wafer supporting level, the first and second racks are arranged substantially in symmetry with respect to an axis passing through the center of a wafer transfer port, and the third rack is arranged deviant from the axis by a certain distance corresponding to 5% to 48% of the diameter of the wafer.

Abstract: A heat treating apparatus for mounting objects to be treated on an object-to-be-treated boat (wafer boat) provided on a heat insulating cylinder, and loading the object-to-be-treated boat into a processing vessel for a heat treatment, a temperature detecting sensor is provided in a film depositing area of a relatively large heat capacity, which is a lower part of a gap defined between an inner tube of the processing vessel and an outer tube thereof so as to detect temperatures of those of the objects to be treated located there and control temperatures of the heating unit. Thus heat response is improved, and temperatures of the objects to be treated can be accurately detected.

Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a substrate transferring apparatus for transferring substrates from a substrate transport container containing a plurality of substrates to be treated to a substrate holder for holding a plurality of substrates to be treated or vice versa, the apparatus including arms for supporting substrate, a supporting member for supporting the arms, and a drive arrangement for driving the supporting member to operate. Each of the arms include a plate shaped arm main body having a connecting section for connecting the arm to the drive arrangement, supporting sections having a thickness greater than that of the arm main body for supporting corresponding peripheral areas of the substrate, and stoppers having a thickness greater than that of the supporting sections for abutting lateral sides of the substrate to rigidly hold the substrate.

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 semiconductor wafer boat used in a vertical CVD apparatus includes four columns fixed to upper and lower support plates. Each of the columns has a plurality of first grooves arranged at regular intervals in the vertical direction so as to place wafers in substantially parallel to each other, and a plurality of second grooves formed alternately with the first grooves. A plate ring is provided for each of the second grooves so as to improve the uniformity of thickness of a film to be formed on each wafer. Each ring has an outer diameter larger than that of a wafer, and an inner diameter smaller than that of the wafer. Each ring is placed such that there is a clearance for transferring each wafer between each ring and each wafer in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A vertical wafer heat treatment apparatus for for forming a film on and dry etching a plurality of wafers stored in a wafer boat. The apparatus has at least first and second load lock chambers connected by a gate. Each load lock has an inert gas independently introduced therein and exhausted therefrom. The load lock chambers are vertically connected between two separate process containers. An elevator is provided in the first load lock chamber to transfer a wafer boat into and out of the first container. A transfer means is provided in the second load lock to transfer wafers into and out of a wafer boat.

Abstract: According to this invention, a method of transferring a plurality of semiconductor wafers between a carrier and a support ring type boat comprises the steps of picking up the semiconductor wafer from the carrier on a station by an arm in a substantially horizontal state, positioning the wafer supported by the arm above a support ring of the boat, positioning a receiver below the support ring, moving the receiver upward to a position where a pin of the receiver reaches the arm through an opening of the support ring, lifting the wafer from the arm by the pin, moving the arm backward from the boat, moving the receiver downward to a position where the wafer is transferred from the receiver to the support ring, and then loading the boat into a heat treatment furnace.

Abstract: A vertical heat-treatment apparatus is provided with a mechanism for automatically transferring semiconductor wafers from carriers to a boat for a vertical type furnace. The automatic transferring mechanism comprises a port for receiving a plurality of carriers arranged in series in an upright state, a posture change mechanism for changing the posture of wafers in the carriers from the upright state to the horizontal state, a parallel transfer mechanism for transferring the carriers on the boat to the posture change mechanism, a carrier loading/unloading mechanism for loading the carriers on a station, a wafer loading/unloading mechanism for taking out the wafers from the carriers on the station in turn and transferring the taken-out wafers to the boat in turn, and a mounting mechanism for mounting the boat in the furnace. The carrier loading/unloading mechanism and the wafer loading/unloading mechanism are mounted on a common frame and are rotated and lifted at the same time.

Abstract: A substrate transfer device containing an arm support member for supporting plural substrate support arms at one ends thereof, said arms having substrate housing areas at the other ends thereof, a structure arranged on a base to freely move in the longitudinal direction of the substrate support arms while holding the arm support member, another arm support member for holding a substrate support arm at the other side of the first arm support member, a structure arranged on the base to freely move in the longitudinal direction of the one substrate support arm while holding the arm support member for one substrate, a structure for moving the base up and down, and a structure for moving the base in a direction perpendicular to the substrate support arms on a plane parallel to the plane in which the substrate support arms are included.

Abstract: A treatment apparatus used in manufacturing processes for semiconductor devices and the like, in which substrates are treated by means of a reaction gas. An inner tube, which is coaxially disposed in a reaction tube, defines a reaction region surrounding the substrates to be treated. The inner tube has a number of perforations in its wall, by means of which the inside and outside of the reaction region communicate with each other. During reaction treatment, the reaction gas is supplied to the reaction region, while a cleaning gas is supplied to the region outside the reaction region. Both these gases are discharged through a common exhaust pipe. The flows of the reaction gas and the cleaning gas are controlled so that the pressure inside the reaction region is higher than the pressure outside the region. As the cleaning gas is supplied, production and adhesion of reaction compound particles on the inner surface of the reaction tube is prevented.