Silicon Valley Group, Inc.

Aviza Technology Limited

Asml Us, Inc.

Christopher T Ratliff

Taiqing Qiu

Jeffrey M Kowalski

Morteza Yadollahi

Saeed Sedehi

Terry A Koble, Jr

Jeff Kowalski

Anthony Dip

Ian Roger Oliver

Erik H Engdahl

Michael H Yang

Jon H Pack

An apparatus for heat treatment of a wafer is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating chamber having a heat source. A cooling chamber is positioned adjacent to the heating chamber and includes a cooling source. A wafer holder is configured to move between the cooling chamber and the heating chamber through a passageway and one or more shutters defines the size of the passageway. The one or more shutters are movable between an open position where the wafer holder can pass through the passageway and an obstructing position which defines a passageway which is smaller than the passageway defined when the shutter is in the open position.

Hot wall rapid thermal processor

An apparatus for heat treatment of a wafer. The apparatus includes a heating chamber having a heat source. A cooling chamber is positioned adjacent to the heating chamber and includes a cooling source. A wafer holder is configured to move between the cooling chamber and the heating chamber through a passageway and one or more shutters defines the size of the passageway. The one or more shutters are movable between an open position where the wafer holder can pass through the passageway and an obstructing position which defines a passageway which is smaller than the passageway defined when the shutter is in the open position.

An apparatus for heat treatment of a wafer is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating chamber having a heat source. A cooling chamber is positioned adjacent to the heating chamber and includes a cooling source. A wafer holder is. configured to move between the cooling chamber and the heating chamber through a passageway and one or more shutters defines the size of the passageway. The one or more shutters are movable between an open position where the wafer holder can pass through the passageway and an obstructing position which defines a passageway which is smaller than the passageway defined when the shutter is in the open position.

A vertical rapid heating furnace for treating semiconductor wafers comprising a hot wall reaction tube positioned within a cylindrical array of circular parallel heating elements substantially concentric therewith, each heating element being spaced from the hot wall reaction tube, each heating element comprising a coil of resistance heating conductor. The coiled resistance heating conductor can be a coil of resistance heating wire, the coil having an outer diameter of from 1 to 7 mm and supported in an annular heating element support. Each heating element support is dimensioned to support and accommodate the thermally expanded heating element supported therein at both the minimum and maximum furnace temperatures. Preferably, each annular heating element support is provided by an annular recess in the insulation surrounding the array of heating elements. The preferred vertical rapid heating and cooling furnace for treating semiconductor wafers comprises a hot wall reaction tube and a cylindrical array of circular parallel heating elements substantially concentric therewith and spaced therefrom to define a cooling gas passageway between said hot wall reaction tube and said cylindrical array of heating elements. The cooling gas passageway has lower and upper ends, the furnace has a cooling gas inlet opening in communication with said lower end, and a cooling gas exhaust outlet in communication with said upper end.

Thermal processing apparatus

Thermal treatment boat comprising a cylinder having a central axis and a plurality of band slots having opposed upper and lower surfaces in planes perpendicular to said central axis and spaced at predetermined locations along said central axis. At least one slot in each set extends around at least 180.degree. and less than of the full circumference of said cylinder. Pairs of adjacent band slots define an annular band therebetween. The height of each slot being from about 3.8 to 12.7 mm. Each of the bands having a height, Height.sub.Band, in mm, according to the equation: ##EQU1## wherein Height.sub.Band is always .ltoreq. wafer thickness; ColumnHeight is the total height of the cylinder, mm; BandSlotHeight is the height of the slot, mm; and NumberBands is the total number of bands in the treatment boat. The cylinder can include a wafer loading effector slot therethrough in a plane of the central axis extending along the length of the cylinder. Each band preferably includes wafer support means for supporting a wafer therein. The wafer support means preferably includes at least three inwardly extending projections. The spacing between the wafer edge and the cylinder wall is within the range of from about 1.5 to 6.3 mm. In the optimum process, the heat provided by the heater is sufficient to raise the temperature of the wafers from 21.degree. C. up to 1100.degree. C. at a rate of from 50.degree. C./min to 100.degree. C./min without causing mechanical damage from thermal stresses to the wafers.

Growing community of inventors

Felton, CA, United States of America

Christopher T Ratliff