Patent · US Expired

Heat treatment apparatus, heat treatment process employing the same, and process for producing semiconductor article

US6407367B1 · kind B1 · utility

19Cited by
2References
73Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 21, 1998
Grant dateJun 18, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/76251
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A novel heat treatment apparatus is provided which comprises a first tube, a second tube placed therein, and a heater. A semiconductor article is heat treated in the second tube in an atmospheric gas. At least an internal face of the second tube is constructed from non-silicon oxide, and the first tube is constructed from vitreous silica. In this way, hydrogen gas is fed to a wafer without passing over a face comprised of silicon oxide heated to a high temperature. This apparatus prevents metal contamination of the wafer by fused quartz tube as the contamination source and also prevents etching of silicon by reaction of silicon oxide and silicon.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.