Vertical oven with a boat for the uniform treatment of wafers

Abstract

Method for the treatment of semiconductor substrates as well as an oven-boat system for this purpose. The oven is embodied as a vertical oven and it is aimed to simultaneously treat a number of substrates arranged one above the other in a boat. To carry out the deposition and such processes at raised temperatures as uniformly as possible, that is, so that each semiconductor substrate substantially undergoes the same treatment, it is proposed on the one hand to vary the ratio of the volume limited by two consecutive armrests and on the other hand the volume limited by screening off the process area and the edge of the substrates from the insertion end of the gas to the discharge end of the gas that flows through the oven.

1 . An oven-boat system for the treatment of a number of semiconductor substrates arranged in a spaced array in an oven, wherein the oven is provided at one end with an insertion opening which is provided with a lining tube for delimiting a treatment area and externally provided with heating elements and an insulating cover wherein means are provided for the insertion of a treatment gas from said end and means for the removal of gas from said end of the oven and wherein the boat comprises a number of mutually spaced supports, to carry the semiconductor substrates fitted to the frame of the boat such that said disk shaped semiconductor substrates substantially extend in sequence, wherein the distance (pitch) between the consecutive supports changes from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the discharge end, in such a way that the difference in distance between adjacent semiconductor substrates is substantially constant.  
     
     
         2 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 1   , wherein the cross section surface area of the lining tube changes from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the gas discharge end.  
     
     
         3 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 2   , wherein the lining tube is conically shaped.  
     
     
         4 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 1   , wherein the treatment gas comprises a deposition gas.  
     
     
         5 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 4   , wherein the treatment gas comprises tetraethylorthosilicate.  
     
     
         6 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 1   , wherein the cross section surface area of the lining tube decreases from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the gas discharge end.  
     
     
         7 . boat for use in an oven-boat system according to    claim 1   , comprising a number of mutually spaced supports to carry the semiconductor substrates fitted to the fame of the boat, such that those disk shaped semiconductor substrates substantially extend horizontally and are arranged one above the other in the position of use, wherein the distance (pitch) between the consecutive supports increases from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the gas removal end such that the difference in the distance between adjacent semiconductor substrates is substantially constant.  
     
     
         8 . An oven-boat system for the treatment of a number of semiconductor substrates arranged in a spaced array in an oven, wherein the oven is provided at one end with an insertion aperture which is provided with a lining tube for delimiting a treatment area and externally provided with heating elements and an insulating covering wherein means are present for the insertion of a treatment gas from that end and means for the removal of gas from that end of the oven and wherein the boat comprises a number of mutually spaced supports, to carry the semiconductor substrates fitted to the frame of the boat such that those disk shaped semiconductor substrates substantially extend in sequence, wherein the cross section surface area of the lining tube changes from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the gas discharge end.  
     
     
         9 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 8   , wherein the lining tube is embodied as a cone.  
     
     
         10 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 8   , wherein the treatment gas comprises a deposition gas.  
     
     
         11 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 10   , wherein the treatment gas comprises tetraethylorthosilicate  
     
     
         12 . An oven-boat system according to    claim 8   , wherein the cross section surface area of the lining tube decreases from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the gas removal end.  
     
     
         13 . An oven for use in a system according to    claim 8    for the treatment of a semiconductor substrates wherein the oven comprises a vertical oven provided on the underside with an insertion/removal aperture with a lining tube for delimiting a treatment area and externally provided with heating elements and an insulating covering wherein means are present for the insertion of a treatment gas from the top or underside of the oven and wherein means are present for the discharge of gas from the top or underside of the oven, wherein the cross section surface area of the lining tube decreases from the insertion end of the treatment gas to the gas discharge end.