Asm Japan K.k.

Nec Corporation

Mitsusuke Kyogoku

Hirohito Watanabe

Takayuki Yamagishi

Osamu Honma

In a multi-chamber load-locking device which is placed between a loading station which places a wafer cassette which houses semiconductor wafers and a transfer chamber which conveys the semiconductor wafers and in which lock-loading device chamber space is divided into two by the vertical motion of a plate, a device which comprises: sealing means by which the chamber space is selectively divided into two by contacting the plate and a state of no airflow is caused; a cylindrical cam provided with the same axis as that of the chamber; and a rotary actuator dynamically connected with the cylindrical cam, wherein the turning moment of the rotary actuator is converted into the vertical thrust of the axis and the plate rises and descends.

Sealing mechanism of multi-chamber load-locking device

There is provided a load-lock device which allows high productivity and occupies a small space. There is provided a load-lock device which stands by with objects to be processed loaded thereon in order to cooperate with a transport mechanism in transporting the objects to be processed to processing chambers in order. The load-lock device according to the present invention comprises chamber means, wafer holding means for loading a plurality of the objects to be processed which is movable up and down in the chamber and flange means provided on a side of the wafer holding means which is engaged with a part of an inner wall of the chamber to divide the space inside the chamber into two isolated rooms. The transport mechanism is connected to a side of the chamber means substantially in the center thereof, and the flange means is coupled to the side of the wafer holding means substantially in the center thereof. The flange means includes sealing means which is engaged with a part of the inner wall of the chamber to achieve complete sealing. The load-lock device according to the invention allows a gate valve between the transport mechanism and the load-lock device to be removed to double the efficiency of the prior art at least.

Device and method for load locking for semiconductor processing

In order to study an etching rate difference of a layer formed mainly with silicon dioxide on a wafer, a thermal oxide film (113) and layers of BSG (117), BPSG (125), and PSG (129) are laminated on a wafer and are etched in a gaseous etching atmosphere consisting essentially of hydrogen fluoride or a mixture of hydrogen fluoride and water vapor. The layers are etched with various etching rates which are higher than that of the thermal oxide film. The etching rate difference is a difference between the etching rate of each layer and an etching rate of the thermal oxide film. The layers may include impurities, such as boron and phosphorus, collectively as a part of a layer material of each layer. The etching rate difference depends on the layer material. Preferably, the gaseous etching atmosphere should have a reduced pressure. Alternatively, a water vapor partial pressure should not be greater than 2000 Pa. As a further alternative, either the layer or the gaseous etching atmosphere should be heated.

Vapor selective etching method and apparatus

HF vapor selective etching method and apparatus

Load lock chamber for vertical type heat treatment apparatus

Heat treatment apparatus

A thermal treatment apparatus for semiconductor materials is configured to prevent a metal contamination caused by a metal manifold and maintain a sufficient sealing and isolation effect between a transfer system containing chamber and a reaction chamber even when there exists a significant difference in pressure between the two chambers. A vent (7) having an inner diameter of 50 millimeters or greater for evacuating an inner section of a reaction chamber (1) made by quartz is provided in the reaction chamber (1). A seal flange is a double structure of a quartz flange (9) and a metal flange (10), and the metal flange is not emerged in the reaction chamber while the reaction chamber is sealed. Additionally, after the seal flange has been moved at a sealing position, a mobile section (12) is further moved such that the seal flange can not be pushed away by a pressure in the reaction chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Tama, Japan

Mitsusuke Kyogoku