Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including temperature control mechanism

Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a furnace having a tubular body with inner and outer tubular members. A boat having wafers mounted thereon is positioned inside the inner tubular member. Temperature control inside the tubular body is provided by a thermocouple device located between the inner and outer tubular members. A mixture of dichlorosilane gas and ammonium gas formed by a mixing nozzle at a temperature which is lower than the temperature in the tubular body is supplied to the wafers from positions juxtaposed with the wafers mounted on the boat.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: furnace means including heating means and a tubular body comprising an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member, the tubular body having an inlet region at a first end of the tubular body, and a furnace port flange connected to the tubular body at a second end of the tubular body, and the heating means being provided around the periphery of the outer tubular member;   boat means removably inserted in the tubular body;   a plurality of wafers provided on the boat means each having a thin film formed thereon;   temperature control means provided in the tubular body between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member for controlling the temperature therein, to maintain the circumference of the boat means at a uniform temperature;   mixed gas supply means provided in the furnace means for supplying a mixture of dichlorosilane gas and ammonium gas, mixed at a temperature lower than the uniform temperature in the tubular body, into the tubular body adjacent wafers disposed nearest the inlet region of the tubular body; and   gas supply means for separately supplying dichlorosilane gas and ammonium gas into the tubular body adjacent wafers disposed nearest the furnace port flange.   
     
     
       2. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the flow rate of dichlorosilane gas and that of ammonium gas for producing mixed gas is between 1:5 and 1:15. 
     
     
       3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature for mixing dichlorosilane and ammonium gas is about 30° to about 180° C. 
     
     
       4. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: furnace means including heating means and a tubular body having an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member, the tubular body having a furnace port flange connected to one end of the tubular body, and the heating means being provided around the outer periphery of the outer tubular member;   boat means removably inserted in the tubular body;   a plurality of wafers provided on the boat means each having a thin film formed thereon;   temperature control means provided in the tubular body between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member for controlling the temperature therein to maintain at least a portion of the tubular body at a uniform temperature;   mixed gas supply means provided in the furnace means for supplying a mixture of dichlorosilane gas and ammonium gas, mixed at a temperature lower than the uniform temperature in the tubular body, into the tubular body adjacent wafers disposed nearest the inlet region of the tubular body.   
     
     
       5. A semiconductor manufacturing means according to claim 4 wherein the ratio of the flow rate of dichlorosilane gas and that of ammonium gas for producing mixed gas is between 1:5 and 1:15. 
     
     
       6. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the temperature for mixing the dichlorosilane gas and the ammonium gas is between about 30° and about 180° C. 
     
     
       7. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising gas supply means for separately supplying dichlorosilane gas and ammonium gas into the tubular body adjacent wafers disposed nearest the furnace port flange. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: hot wall furnace means including heating means for producing a first temperature region and a second temperature region inside the furnace means, the second temperature region being lower in temperature than the first temperature region;   boat means, removably inserted in the first temperature region of the furnace means, for holding a plurality of wafers only in the first temperature region;   temperature control means, including a plurality of temperature sensing elements arranged inside the furnace means, for maintaining a uniform temperature in the first temperature region;   gas supply means for supplying a first reactive gas and a second reactive gas into the second temperature region of the furnace means; and   mixed gas supply means for mixing, in the second temperature region, the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas together and for supplying the resultant mixed gas toward a portion of the plurality of wafers in the first temperature region of the furnace means. .Iaddend..Iadd.9. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of temperature sensing elements are thermocouples.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.10.  The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second gases react to each other and are supplied toward the plurality of wafers to form a film on the plurality of wafers. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second gases are mixed together at a temperature suppressing pyrolysis of the first gas. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the mixed gas supply means includes a nozzle having a plurality of openings. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first gas is dichlorosilane gas, and the second gas is ammonium gas. .Iaddend..Iadd.14. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the ratio of the flow rate of the dichlorosilane gas to that of the ammonium 
     
     
        gas is between 1:5 and 1:15. .Iaddend..Iadd.15.  The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the temperature at which the dichlorosilane gas and the ammonium gas are mixed together is between about 30° C. and about 180° C. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the gas supply means separately supplies the first and second gases into the second temperature region of the furnace means. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the gas supply means mixed the first and second gases together and supplies the resultant mixed gas to the second temperature region of the furnace means. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: hot wall furnace means including heating means for producing a first temperature region and a second temperature region inside the furnace means, the second temperature region being lower in temperature than the first temperature region;   boat means, removably inserted into the first temperature region of the furnace means, for holding a plurality of wafers only in the first temperature region;   temperature control means, heated by the heating means and including a plurality of temperature sensing elements arranged inside the furnace means, for maintaining a uniform temperature in a region surrounding the plurality of wafers; and   mixed gas supply means for mixing, in the second temperature region, a first reactive gas and a second reactive gas together and for supplying the resultant mixed gas toward a portion of the plurality of wafers.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.19.  The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of temperature sensing elements are thermocouples. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first and second gases react to each other and are supplied toward the plurality of wafers to form a film on the plurality of wafers. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the second gas serves to retard pyrolysis of the first gas. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first and second gases are mixed together at a temperature which 
     
     
        suppresses pyrolysis of the first gas. .Iaddend..Iadd.23.  The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the mixed gas supply means includes a nozzle having a plurality of openings. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first gas is dichlorosilane gas, and the second gas is ammonium gas. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the ratio of the flow rate of the dichlorosilane gas to that of the ammonium gas is between 1:5 and 1:15. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the temperature at which the dichlorosilane gas and the ammonium gas are mixed together is between about 30° C. and about 180° C. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. A semiconductor manufacturing method for use in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a hot wall furnace having a gas introducing port, a gas exhaust port, and a heater; a boat inserted into the furnace and capable of holding a plurality of wafers; and temperature control means inside the furnace, the semiconductor manufacturing method comprising the steps of: causing the temperature control means to control the heater to maintain a first temperature region surrounding the plurality of wafers at a uniform temperature sufficiently high to perform wafer processing;   mixing a first reactive gas and a second reactive gas together in a second temperature region inside the furnace at a temperature lower than the first temperature region so as to obtain a mixed gas, said first and second reactive gases reacting with each other to form the mixed gas; and   supplying the mixed gas toward the plurality of wafers in the first temperature region such that the mixed gas reaches at least the vicinity   
     
     
        of the plurality of wafers. .Iaddend..Iadd.28.  The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 27, wherein the first gas is dichlorosilane gas, and the second gas is ammonium gas. .Iaddend..Iadd.29. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 28, wherein the dichlorosilane gas before mixing is maintained at a temperature within a range of between about 30° C. and about 180° C. .Iaddend..Iadd.30. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 28, wherein the ratio of the flow rate of the dichlorosilane gas to that of the ammonium gas is between 1:5 and 1:15. .Iaddend..Iadd.31. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 27, wherein the mixing step is performed using a nozzle having a plurality of openings. .Iaddend.