Heat treatment equipment

• US 7,850,449 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Kun-Hyung, Kim, Mi-Ae, Cho, Gui-Young, Yang, Jae-Hyun, Jeong, Hong-Hee, Ahn, Yo-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/775,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20080011735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 432/72, 432/152, 432/200, 432/205, 432/241, 432/247, 432/251, 219/390, 118/733
• US Class Current: 432/251
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 17/0025 Especially adapted for treating semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

In an embodiment, heat treatment equipment comprises a process tube, an exhaust duct connected to the process tube, and, during operation, exhausting gases present within the process tube. The heat treatment equipment also comprises a hollow pressure control member interposed between the process tube and the exhaust duct, the pressure control member being operatively connected to the process tube and the exhaust duct respectively, and including one or a number of openings. Negative pressure is avoided in the process tube during heat treatment processes so that unwanted gas and impurities cannot enter the process tube from outside.

Claims

1. Heat treatment equipment comprising:

a process tube having an enclosed process space;

an exhaust duct connected to the process tube to exhaust gases present within the process tube; and

a hollow pressure control member interposed between the process tube and the exhaust duct, the pressure control member being operatively connected, via first openings, to the process tube and the exhaust duct respectively, and including one or more second openings to a part external to the process space,

wherein the process tube comprises a gas exhaust hole through which the gases present within the process tube are exhausted and the pressure control member is in physical contact with a side of the process tube so that the pressure control member is operatively connected to the gas exhaust hole.

2. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the one or more second openings comprise a check valve to prevent a gas present within the pressure control member from being discharged through the one or more second openings.

3. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the gas exhaust hole is formed in a top side of the process tube, and the pressure control member is in physical contact with the top side of the process tube.

4. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the gas exhaust hole is formed in a side of the process tube, and the pressure control member is in physical contact with the side of the process tube.

5. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the process tube is operatively connected to the bottom of the pressure control member, the exhaust duct is operatively connected to the top of the pressure control member, and the one or more second openings is formed at a side of the pressure control member.

6. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 5, wherein the pressure control member is the shape of a hollow cylinder.

7. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a heater positioned outside the process tube to heat the process tube.

8. Heat treatment equipment comprising:

a process tube having an enclosed process space;

an exhaust duct for exhausting gases present in the process tube;

a hollow pressure control member interposed between the process tube and the exhaust duct and including one or more openings to a part external to the process space;

a first gas exhaust line enabling the process tube and the pressure control member to be operatively connected to each other via a first opening other than the one or more openings; and

a second gas exhaust line enabling the pressure control member and the exhaust duct to be operatively connected to each other via a second opening other than the one or more openings,

wherein the one or more openings comprise a check valve to prevent a gas present within the pressure control member from being discharged to outside through the opening.

9. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 8, wherein one end of the first gas exhaust line is connected to a top side of the process tube, and the other end of the first gas exhaust line is connected to a bottom side of the pressure control member.

10. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 9, wherein one end of the second gas exhaust line is connected to a top side of the pressure control member, and the other end of the second gas exhaust line is connected to a bottom side of the exhaust duct.

11. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 8, further comprising a heater outside the process tube to heat the process tube.

12. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 8, wherein the part external to the process space is a clean room.

13. Heat treatment equipment comprising:

a process tube having an enclosed process space;

an exhaust duct for exhausting gases present in the process tube;

a hollow pressure control member interposed between the process tube and the exhaust duct and including one or more openings to a part external to the process space;

a first gas exhaust line enabling the process tube and the pressure control member to be operatively connected to each other via a first opening other than the one or more openings; and

a second gas exhaust line enabling the pressure control member and the exhaust duct to be operatively connected to each other via a second opening other than the one or more openings,

wherein one end of the first gas exhaust line is connected to a top side of the process tube, and the other end of the first gas exhaust line is connected to a bottom side of the pressure control member,

wherein one end of the second gas exhaust line is connected to a top side of the pressure control member, and the other end of the second gas exhaust line is connected to a bottom side of the exhaust duct, and

wherein the pressure control member is cylindrical, and the one or more openings are formed on a side of the pressure control member.

14. Heat treatment equipment comprising:

a process tube having an enclosed process space;

an exhaust duct for exhausting gases present in the process tube;

a hollow pressure control member interposed between the process tube and the exhaust duct and including one or more openings to a part external to the process space;

a first gas exhaust line enabling the process tube and the pressure control member to be operatively connected to each other via a first opening other than the one or more openings;

a second gas exhaust line enabling the pressure control member and the exhaust duct to be operatively connected to each other via a second opening other than the one or more openings; and

a tube cap to hold objects to be heat treated and to seal the process tube, the tube cap operable to move to and from the process chamber.

15. A method of a heat treatment in a chamber, the method comprising:

providing a process gas at a first pressure in the chamber;

exhausting the gas into a pressure control chamber;

allowing an ambient gas external to the chamber, at a second pressure less than the first pressure, to enter the pressure control chamber;

forming a mixed gas that includes the process gas and the ambient gas; and

exhausting the mixed gas to outside the pressure control chamber.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

placing semiconductor wafers to be heat treated onto a tube cap; and

raising the tube cap to load the wafers into the chamber until the tube cap contacts a bottom portion of the chamber so that the tube cap creates a gas-tight seal with the chamber.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling a flow of the ambient gas entering the pressure control chamber by using check valves.

18. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

supplying the ambient gas from a clean room, and

providing an entrance path of the ambient gas through openings formed within the pressure control chamber.