Apparatus and method for positioning gas injectors in a vertical furnace
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsHeng-Yi Tseng, Guey-Shyung Cho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vertical furnace equipped with self-positioning gas injectors for processing wafers and a method for mounting self-positioning gas injectors in the furnace are disclosed. The vertical furnace is constructed by a cylindrical-shaped tube fabricated of quartz having a cavity therein for positioning of a wafer boat; a mounting ring positioning inside the cavity and for mounting the gas injectors thereon; and a plurality of gas injectors each formed in a “L” configuration with a stopper formed on a bottom of the horizontal portions of the gas injectors such that each of the stoppers is formed at a different location and fits only one slot opening formed on the mounting ring.
Claims20
A vertical furnace equipped with self-positioning gas injectors for processing wafers comprising:
- a cylindrical-shaped tube having a sealed top and an open bottom, said open bottom being sealable by an end cap;
- a cavity formed inside said cylindrical-shaped tube having a size sufficient for a wafer carrier to be positioned therein;
- a mounting ring for positioning inside said cavity juxtaposed to said open bottom, said mounting ring having a substantially rectangular cross-section, a width in the radial direction, a thickness in the vertical direction, and a plurality of slot openings each opens to an outer periphery of said ring and each having a different depth cut into said width of said ring;
- and
- a plurality of gas injectors each formed in a “L” shape having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion in fluid communication with each other, each of said horizontal portions having an inlet end and are provided with a stopper mounted on a bottom surface at a different location when measured from said inlet end of said horizontal portion such that when said plurality of gas injectors are positioned on top of said mounting ring with each of said nozzle stopper engaging a corresponding one of said plurality of slot openings, the horizontal portions of said plurality of gas injectors extend into said cavity of said cylindrical-shaped tube in said radial direction at a substantially equal distance as measured from an inner surface of said cylindrical-shaped tube.
A method for mounting a plurality of gas injectors in a vertical furnace for processing wafers comprising the steps of:
- providing a furnace body of a cylindrical-shaped tube having a sealed top and an open bottom, said open bottom being sealable by an end cap, said furnace body having a cavity formed therein of a size sufficient for a wafer carrier to be positioned therein, said furnace body further having a mounting ring positioned inside said cavity juxtaposed to said open bottom, said mounting ring having a substantially rectangular cross-section, a width in the radial direction, a thickness in the vertical direction, and a plurality of slot openings each opens to an outer periphery of said ring and each having a different depth cut into said width of said ring;
- providing a plurality of gas injectors in tubular shape each formed in a “L” configuration having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion in fluid communication with each other, each of said horizontal portions having an inlet end and are provided with a stopper mounted on a bottom surface at a location different than the other gas injectors when measured from said inlet end of said horizontal portion;
- and
- positioning said plurality of gas injectors on top of said mounting ring by engaging each of said stoppers on said gas injectors to a corresponding one of said plurality of slot openings on said mounting ring such that the horizontal portions of said plurality of gas injectors extend into said cavity of said cylindrical-shaped tube in said radial direction at a substantially equal distance as measured from an inner surface of said cylindrical-shaped tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.