Apparatus for forming silicon oxide film and method of forming silicon oxide film
First Claim
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1. A method of forming a silicon oxide film, which comprises the step of:
- thermally oxidizing a surface of a silicon layer of a substrate in a process chamber of an apparatus by introducing water into the process chamber;
preventing dew formation in the process chamber, and evaporating any dew previously existing in the process chamber using a dew prevention/evaporation means;
replacing an atmosphere in the process chamber with inert gas in a state where no water vapor is formed in the process chamber; and
transferring the substrate out of the process chamber.
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Abstract
An apparatus for forming a silicon oxide film which has a process chamber and is for thermally oxidizing a surface of a silicon layer by introducing water vapor into the process chamber, and which further has dew-formation prevention/evaporation means for preventing dew formation in the process chamber and/or evaporating dew in the process chamber.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of forming a silicon oxide film, which comprises the step of:
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thermally oxidizing a surface of a silicon layer of a substrate in a process chamber of an apparatus by introducing water into the process chamber;
preventing dew formation in the process chamber, and evaporating any dew previously existing in the process chamber using a dew prevention/evaporation means;
replacing an atmosphere in the process chamber with inert gas in a state where no water vapor is formed in the process chamber; and
transferring the substrate out of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
(a) a water vapor generating apparatus, (b) a water vapor inlet port disposed in an upper portion of the process chamber, for introducing water vapor into the process chamber, for introducing water vapor into the process chamber, (c) a gas exhaust portion disposed in lower portion of the process chamber, for exhausting gas from the process chamber, (d) a substrate transfer portion disposed below the process chamber and allowed to be communicated with the process, (e) a substrate receiving unit composed of a substrate receiving member for receiving a plurality of substrates having silicon layers, and heat insulation member disposed on the bottom of the substrate receiving member. (f) an elevator unit for elevating the substrate receiving unit upwardly and downwardly to transfer the substrate receiving unit from the substrate transfer portion to the process chamber and form the process chamber to the substrate transfer portion, and (g) a heater unit disposed outside the process chamber for heating the silicon layer, wherein the dew-formation prevention/evaporation means is for preventing dew formation on the surface of the heat insulation member and evaporating dew on the surface of the heat insulation member.
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3. The method of claim 2, wherein a surface temperature of the heat insulation member is controlled in a range from 100°
- C. to 150°
C. by the dew-formation prevention/evaporation means.
- C. to 150°
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4. The method of claim 2, wherein the dew-formation prevention/evaporation means comprises an inert gas source, an inert gas inlet port disposed in the process chamber, a piping connecting the inert gas inlet portion and the inert gas source, and heating means for heating the inert gas to be introduced into the process chamber.
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5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inert gas inlet portion is arranged in the process chamber to allow flow of the inert gas introduced into the process chamber to collide with the heat insulation member.
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6. The method of claim 4, wherein the dew-formation prevention/evaporation means further comprises means for measuring a moisture content of the gas exhausted from the gas exhaust portion, and
after the moisture content of the gas exhausted from the gas exhaust portion comes to be equal at most a predetermined value, the substrates are transferred out of the process chamber. -
7. The method of claim 2, wherein the dew-formation prevention/evaporation means comprises an auxiliary heating unit which is disposed outside the process chamber and heats the heat insulation member.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein the dew-formation prevention/evaporation means further comprises temperature detecting means for detecting a surface temperature of the heat insulation member and a control unit for controlling the auxiliary heating unit.
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9. The method of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary heating unit is a heater.
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10. The method of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary heating unit comprises a piping and a hot medium flowing in the piping.
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11. The method of claim 1, wherein the water vapor to be introduced into the process chamber is generated by one of the following steps (A) reacting hydrogen gas and oxygen gas at a high temperature, (B) heating pure water, (C) bubbling hot pure water with oxygen gas or inert gas, (D) reacting hydrogen gas and oxygen gas in the presence of a catalyst, or (E) a reaction between oxygen plasma and hydrogen plasma.
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface of the silicon layer is thermally oxidized in the process chamber, then, the atmosphere in the process chamber is replaced with inert gas in a state where no dew is formed in the process chamber and/or dew in the process chamber is evaporated, to remove water vapor out of the process chamber, then, an inert gas atmosphere containing halogen element is provided in the process chamber to heat-treat the formed silicon oxide film, and then, the substrate is transferred out of the process chamber.
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13. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate transferred out of the apparatus for forming a silicon oxide film is transferred into a heat treatment apparatus and an inert gas atmosphere containing halogen element is provided in the heat treatment apparatus to heat-treat a formed silicon oxide film.
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14. A method of forming a silicon oxide film, which comprises the steps of:
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transferring a substrate having a silicon layer into a process chamber;
introducing water vapor into the process chamber to thermally oxidize a surface of the silicon layer;
replacing an atmosphere in the process chamber with an inert gas atmosphere to remove the water vapor and/or dew out of the process chambers; and
transferring the substrate out of the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of forming a silicon oxide film using apparatus having a process chamber and drw-formation prevention/evaporation means, comprising the steps of:
- transferring a substrate having a silicon layer into the process chamber;
introducing water vapor into the process chamber to thermally oxidize a surface of the silicon layer;
thermally oxidizing the surface of the silicon layer in the process chamber;
replacing an atmosphere in the process chamber with inert gas in a state such that no water vapor is formed in the process chamber; and
all drw in the process chamber is evaporated;
preventing drew formation in the process chamber;
evaporating dew formation in the process chamber;
removing water vapor out of the process chamber; and
transferring the substrate out of the process chamber.
- transferring a substrate having a silicon layer into the process chamber;
Specification