Heating furnace and semiconductor wafer-holding jig assembly and process of manufacturing semiconductor devices

Abstract

An assembly of heating furnace and semiconductor wafer-holding jig. This assembly includes a furnace body made of refractory or heat insulting material; a heater disposed around the inner side surface of the furnace body; a reaction chamber which forms a uniform heating zone; and a wafer-holding jig. The wafer-holding jig is capable of holding the wafer and advancing and retracting the wafer in the uniform heating region along the longitudinal direction of the furnace body. The front surface of the semiconductor wafer to be heat-treated is substantially in parallel with the surface of the heater. The assembly of the invention can be used in rapid thermal processing and the footprint of the heating furnace can be reduced.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An assembly of heating furnace and semiconductor wafer-holding jig, comprising: 
 a furnace body made of refractory or heat insulting material having at least one flat surface;    a heater disposed around the inner side surface of said furnace body;    a reaction chamber which forms a uniform heating zone; and    a wafer-holding jig capable of holding a semiconductor wafer and advancing and retracting the semiconductor wafer in the uniform heating zone along the longitudinal axes of the furnace body, the wafer-holding jig arranged such that the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is substantially in parallel with said flat surface of said heater.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said heating furnace is a vertical heating furnace.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said heating furnace is a horizontal heating furnace.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of thermal storage plates disposed in the uniform heating zone, wherein the thermal storage plates are of the same size, or are smaller than the semiconductor wafers, and are disposed substantially in parallel with the semiconductor wafer or between two semiconductor wafers.  
     
     
         5 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising heat-treating a semiconductor wafer by rapid thermal processing using the assembly as claimed in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         6 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising heat-treating a semiconductor wafer by rapid thermal processing using the assembly as claimed in  claim 4 .  
     
     
         7 . A semiconductor wafer-holding jig used in a-heating furnace, comprising: 
 a gas introduction hollow conduit disposed along the longitudinal direction of the heating furnace; and    a wafer-holding jig disposed on the front end of said gas introduction hollow conduit, comprising a wafer-holding portion which includes an ejection hole for ejecting a gas to the semiconductor wafer from said gas introduction hollow conduit.    
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor wafer-holding jig as claimed in  claim 7 , which is used in a vertical heating furnace.  
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor wafer-holding jig as claimed in  claim 7 , which is used in a horizontal heating furnace.