Wafer Support Tool for Heat Treatment and Heat Treatment Apparatus

• US 20070006806A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Imai, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,393,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/620
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/324 Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/322 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67303 Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67309 characterized by the substrate support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6875 characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions

Abstract

The present invention provides a wafer support tool for heat treatment easy in working and capable of realizing reduction in cost without generating damages or slip dislocations that would be otherwise caused by high temperature heat treatment and a heat treatment apparatus. The present invention is directed to a wafer support tool for heat treatment comprising: a plurality of wafer support members for supporting a wafer to be heat treated; and a support member holder for holding the wafer support members, wherein the wafer support members each has a contact portion with the wafer, at least one of the contact portions being movable relative to the support member holder.

Claims

1. A wafer support tool for heat treatment comprising:

a plurality of wafer support members for supporting a wafer to be heat treated; and

a support member holder for holding the wafer support members,

wherein the wafer support members each has a contact portion with the wafer, at least one of the contact portions being movable relative to the support member holder.

2. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 1, wherein a configuration of the contact portion is a curved surface convex against the wafer to be heat treated.

3. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 1, wherein a configuration of the contact portion is spherical or ellipsoidal.

4. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support member is a pin, the support member holder is a pin holder for holding the pin and the pin is fitted in a pinhole formed in the pin holder.

5. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 4, wherein the pin is removable from the pin holder.

6. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 4, wherein the pin is formed by working a cylindrical body.

7. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 4, wherein raw material of the pin and the pin holder is SiC, silicon or quartz.

8. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of pinholes is provided.

9. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 4, wherein the pinhole is slit-shaped.

10. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 9, wherein the slit-shaped pinholes are provided radially from the center of the pin holder.

11. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 4, wherein the pin holder is disc-shaped or ring-shaped.

12. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 11, wherein the pin holder is disc-shaped and a circular pinhole is formed in the center position thereof.

13. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support member comprises a rotatable body as the contact portion with the wafer to be heat treated, and the rotatable body is accommodated in a rotatable body accommodating hole formed in the wafer support member or the support member holder and rotatable by friction force with the wafer to be heat treated.

14. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 13, wherein the rotatable body is in the form of a sphere, an ellipsoid, a hollow cylinder or a solid cylinder.

15. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 13, wherein the rotatable body accommodating hole is in the form of a slit groove.

16. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 15, wherein the rotatable body accommodating holes each in the form of a slit groove are formed radially from the center of the support member holder.

17. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 13, wherein the support member holder is disc-shaped or ring-shaped.

18. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 13, wherein material of the rotatable body is SiC, silicon or quartz.

19. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 1, further comprising:

support poles for holding the plural support member holders; and

bases for holding the support poles.

20. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 19, wherein the support member holders are removable from the support poles.

21. The wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 19, wherein material of the support poles and the bases is SiC, silicon or quartz.

22. A heat treatment apparatus having the wafer support tool for heat treatment according to claim 1.