Apparatus for thermal diffusion of semiconductor devices
AssigneeNippondenso Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasao Yamawaki, Katsuo Aoki, Osamu Ina, Takao Suzuki, Yoshio Oka, Kunihiko Hara
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Abstract
The invention discloses an apparatus for thermal diffusion of semiconductor devices, wherein a plurality of wafer boats each made of a refractory material and adapted to carry a predetermined number of wafers to be processed are sequentially fed into a furnace tube containing a high temperature, diffusion gas atmosphere and continuously transported at a predetermined speed through the furnace tube so that each wafer may have substantially the same thermal treatment and high productivity may be attained.
Claims12
A thermal diffusion apparatus for use in fabricating semiconductor devices comprising:
- a furnace tube which is so controlled as to have a predetermined temperature distribution or gradient,
- gas supply means laid in said furnace tube axially thereof for introducinga diffusion gas into said furnace tube through a plurality of gas outlets to provide a predetermined diffusion atmosphere,
- a plurality of boats each of which is made of a refractory material and is adapted to carry a number of wafers to be processed in said furnace tube, and
- pushing means for pushing said plurality of boats in contact with the adjacent boats from an inlet end to an outlet end of said furnace tube, said gas supply means functioning as a guide rail so that said boats are guided by said gas supply means from said inlet end to said outlet end when they proceed in said furnace tube.
A thermal diffusion apparatus for heat-treating semiconductor wafters comprising:
- a furnace tube for receiving a diffusion gas to provide a predetermined gaseous atmosphere therein;
- a plurality of boats each of which is adapted to carry a number of wafers to be heat-treated in said furnace tube;
- guide rail means laid in said furnace tube axially thereof for guiding said boats from the inlet to the outlet of said furnace tube;
- a clean chamber airtrightly communicated with said inlet of said furnace tube;
- transfer means positioned in said clean chamber for sequentially transferring said plurality of boats to a predetermined position adjacent said inlet of said furnace tube from which each boat is inserted into said furnace tube;
- and
- pushing means positioned in said clean chamber for sequentially pushing said plurality of boats from said predetermined position in said clean chamber into said inlet of said furnace tube, whereby said plurality of boats are moved through said furnace tube, contacting with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.