IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,595,562
Granted Patent B2
US 12,595,562 · App. 18/446,634 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Heat treatment apparatus

Inventor: Yoshitaka Miura (Iwate, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
C23C16/46C23C16/4583H01L21/67109
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,595,562
App. No.
18/446,634
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing container having a roof in a cylindrical shape and a lower end opening, and in which a first space is formed; a lid for closing the lower end opening; a support including a shaft portion and a placement portion; a boat installed on the placement portion to vertically hold substrates; a partitioning member provided around the shaft portion with a gap left from a lower surface of the placement portion to form a second space partitioned from the first space; and a heat insulating material provided in the second space. An exhaust port is provided in a sidewall of the processing container. In a circumferential direction of the processing container, the gap includes a first gap having at least an angular position where the exhaust port is provided, and a second gap provided at an angular position excluding the first gap.

Claims (34)

1 . A heat treatment apparatus, comprising:

a processing container having a roof in a cylindrical shape and a lower end opening, and in which a first space is formed;

a lid configured to close the lower end opening;

a support provided to pass through the lid and including a shaft portion and a placement portion located above the shaft portion;

a boat installed on the placement portion and configured to hold a plurality of substrates arranged in multiple stages in a vertical direction;

a partitioning member provided around the shaft portion with a gap left from a lower surface of the placement portion and configured to form a second space partitioned from the first space; and

a heat insulating material provided in the second space,

wherein an exhaust port is provided in a portion of a sidewall of the processing container,

in a circumferential direction of the processing container, the gap includes a first gap having at least an angular position where the exhaust port is provided, and a second gap provided at an angular position excluding the first gap, and

the first gap is wider than the second gap.

2 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is provided to include at least the same height position as the first gap.

3 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the partitioning member includes an inner wall portion provided around the shaft portion, an outer wall portion provided coaxially with the inner wall portion around the inner wall portion, and a top wall portion configured to connect an upper end of the inner wall portion and an upper end of the outer wall portion and close an upper portion of a space between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, and

the top wall portion has a groove formed on an upper surface of the top wall portion to extend from a radially inner side to a radially outer side and form the first gap.

4 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the partitioning member includes an inner wall portion provided around the shaft portion, an outer wall portion provided coaxially with the inner wall portion around the inner wall portion, and a top wall portion configured to connect an upper end of the inner wall portion and an upper end of the outer wall portion and close an upper portion of a space between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion,

the heat treatment apparatus further comprises a plate provided on the top wall portion, and

the plate has a C shape that opens toward the exhaust port in a plan view from an axial direction of the processing container.

5 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing container includes a first cylindrical portion having a first inner diameter, a second cylindrical portion having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter, and a larger diameter portion provided between the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion,

the first cylindrical portion, the larger diameter portion, and the second cylindrical portion are provided sequentially from an upper side to a lower side of the processing container, and

the larger diameter portion is provided to include a same height position as the first gap.

6 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the exhaust port is formed to extend from the first cylindrical portion to at least the larger diameter portion.

7 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing container includes an overhang portion overhanging radially outward from the sidewall, and

the overhang portion is provided to include a same height position as the first gap.

8 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:

a heater provided between the top wall portion and the heat insulating material in the second space.

9 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

a heater provided between the top wall portion and the heat insulating material in the second space.

10 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an injector provided to extend along an arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates inside the processing container; and

a heater provided inside the partitioning member and at an angular position where the injector is provided in a circumferential direction of the processing container, and provided to extend along the arrangement direction.

11 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a labyrinth structure is provided in the second gap.

12 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a purge gas source configured to supply a purge gas between the shaft portion and the partitioning member.

13 . The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second processing container having a roofed cylindrical shape and configured to cover an outside of the processing container.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2023
From: MIURA, YOSHITAKA
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064534/0886 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-131128 · Aug 19, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240060184A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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