Batch type heat-treating method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsHitoshi Kato, Takako Sano, Yukio Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Kikuchi
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Abstract
In a batch type vertical heat-treating method, first, product wafers and dummy wafers are set to be stacked on an upstream side of a flow of a process gas, in heat treatment, within main holding positions of a holder. The dummy substrates are set more downstream of the process gas than the product wafers. The product wafers and the dummy wafers are set in the holder in a total number smaller than a total number of the main holding positions corresponding to a maximum number of wafers that can be held by the holder, and the holder is in a partially loaded state. The partially loaded holder is loaded in a process vessel, and the product wafers are processed in the process vessel.
Claims18
A heat-treating method of accommodating, in a process vessel, a holder which holds a plurality of target substrates apart from each other, and subjecting the target substrates to heat treatment at once while flowing a process gas in said process vessel in a direction along which the target substrates are arranged, comprising:
- setting the target substrates and dummy substrates to be stacked on an upstream side of a flow of the process gas, in the heat treatment, within main holding positions of said holder where the target substrates are to be set, the dummy substrates being set more downstream of the process gas than the target substrates, the target substrates and the dummy substrates being set in said holder in a total number smaller than a total number of the main holding positions corresponding to a maximum number of wafers that can be held by said holder, and thus said holder being in a partially loaded state;
- and
- transferring into said process vessel said holder in the partially loaded state, and subjecting the target substrates to the heat treatment in said process vessel.
A processing method in a vertical heat-treating apparatus for subjecting a plurality of target substrates having substantially the same size to heat treatment at once, wherein
- said apparatus comprises
- a hermetic process vessel for housing the target substrates,
- a holder for holding the target substrates in said process vessel to be stacked with gaps thereamong, said holder having at least a (K+M+N)-number of main holding levels for respectively holding the target substrates (K, M, and N are integers of not less than 2),
- a supply mechanism having a supply port which opens to said process vessel to supply a process gas into said process vessel,
- a heating mechanism for heating an internal atmosphere in said process vessel, and
- an exhaust mechanism having an exhaust port which opens to said process vessel to exhaust said process vessel, a process gas from said supply port to said exhaust port flowing in a direction along which the target substrates are arranged,
- said method comprising:
- setting a K-number of target substrates in said holder, the K-number of target substrates being set at a K-number of main holding levels, among said (K+M+N)-number of main holding levels, that are closest to said supply port in the heat treatment;
- setting, in said holder, an M-number of dummy substrates having substantially the same size as that of the target substrates, the M-number of dummy substrates being set at an M-number of main holding levels, among a (M+N)-number of main holding levels at which the K-number of target substrates are not held, that are closest to said supply port in the heat treatment;
- transferring into said process vessel said holder in a partially loaded state where a (K+M)-number of main holding levels hold the K-number of target substrates and the M-number of dummy substrates, and an N-number of main holding levels are empty;
- and
- heating said holder in the partially loaded state in said process vessel and subjecting the K-number of target substrates to the heat treatment while flowing the process gas in said process vessel from said supply port toward said exhaust port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.