Vertical heat treatment apparatus

Abstract

A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes: a substrate holder including a column, substrate holding parts configured to hold the substrates, and gas flow guide parts installed in the column in a corresponding relationship with the substrates; an elevator stand configured to support the substrate holder and to load the substrate holder into the reaction vessel from below the reaction vessel; a rotating mechanism installed in the elevator stand and configured to rotate the substrate holder about a vertical axis; a process gas supply port and an exhaust port respectively formed at a rear side and a front side of a substrate holding region; and a plurality of baffle parts installed independently of the substrate holder so that the baffle parts protrude from the outside toward spaces between the gas flow guide parts adjoining each other and run into the spaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertical heat treatment apparatus for performing a process with respect to a plurality of substrates disposed in a shelf-like fashion within a vertical reaction vessel surrounded by a heating part by forming a gas flow of a process gas flowing in a transverse direction from one side toward the other side, comprising:
 a substrate holder including a column, a plurality of substrate holding parts installed along the column and configured to hold the substrates, and a plurality of gas flow guide parts installed in the column in a corresponding relationship with the substrates and formed so that peripheral edge portions of the gas flow guide parts protrude outward beyond the substrates;   an elevator stand configured to support the substrate holder and to load the substrate holder into the reaction vessel from below the reaction vessel;   a rotating mechanism installed in the elevator stand and configured to rotate the substrate holder about a vertical axis;   a process gas supply port and an exhaust port respectively formed at a rear side and a front side of a substrate holding region where the substrates are held; and   a plurality of baffle parts installed independently of the substrate holder at a left side and a right side of the substrate holding region so that the baffle parts protrude from the outside toward spaces between the gas flow guide parts adjoining each other and run into the spaces.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle parts are installed in the elevator stand through support parts, and portions facing the baffle parts in a sidewall of the reaction vessel bulge outward. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle parts are installed in a sidewall of the reaction vessel, and on the basis of orientation when the substrate holder moves up and down, cutouts are formed in portions facing the baffle parts in the gas flow guide parts when viewed from the top. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle parts overlap with the gas flow guide parts when viewed from the top. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gas flow guide parts correspond to peripheral edge portions of the substrate holding parts. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate holding parts are formed in an annular shape along a circumferential direction of the substrate holding parts. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate holding parts are installed in the column independently of the gas flow guide parts.