Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and reaction vessel

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus that affords improved uniformity to in-plane wafer and interwafer film thickness of a large number of wafers on which a film is simultaneously formed, having: a reaction tube having in an interior thereof a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates disposed in a direction perpendicular to a substrate processing surface can be processed; and a heating device provided to surround an outer circumference of the reaction tube, a gas inlet tube being provided on a side face of the reaction tube in a region for processing a substrate inside the reaction tube, so as to reach at least an outside of the heating device; and a gas spouting port being disposed in this gas inlet tube in a slit form so as to straddle at least a plurality of the substrates in a direction perpendicular to the substrate processing surface, for spouting gas from the gas inlet tube into the processing chamber.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a reaction tube having in an interior thereof a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates disposed in a direction perpendicular to a substrate processing surface can be processed; and   a heating device provided to surround an outer circumference of the reaction tube,   a gas inlet tube being provided on a side face of said reaction tube in a region for processing a substrate inside said reaction tube, so as to reach at least an outside of said heating device, and   a gas spouting port being disposed in the gas inlet tube in a slit form so as to straddle at least a plurality of the substrates in a direction perpendicular to said substrate processing surface, for spouting gas from said gas inlet tube into said processing chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 said gas inlet tube comprises a plurality of gas introduction partition portions partitioned in a direction perpendicular to a processing surface of said substrates, and   said gas spouting port is formed in each of said gas introduction partition portions.   
   
   
       3 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said gas spouting port is formed one for each of said gas introduction partition portions. 
   
   
       4 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein an opening area of said gas spouting port is identical to a cross-sectional area of said gas introduction partition portion in a direction perpendicular to said substrate processing surface. 
   
   
       5 . The substrate processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said gas inlet tube is formed so that a distance from at least said gas spouting port to an upstream tip-end portion of the gas inlet tube is greater than a distance between two ends of said gas spouting port in a circumferential direction of the substrates. 
   
   
       6 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said gas inlet tube is formed along an entire side along said substrate processing region. 
   
   
       7 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gas exhaust tube being provided on a side face of said reaction tube in a region for processing a substrate inside said reaction tube so as to reach at least an outside of said heating device; and   a gas exhaust port being disposed in the gas exhaust tube in a slit form so as to straddle at least a plurality of the substrates in a direction perpendicular to said substrate processing surface, for exhausting gas into said gas exhaust tube from said processing chamber.   
   
   
       8 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein
 said gas exhaust tube comprises a plurality of gas exhaust partition portions partitioned in a direction perpendicular to a processing surface of said substrates, and   said gas exhaust port is formed in each of said gas exhaust partition portions.   
   
   
       9 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein a process gas supply portion and a first inert gas supply portion are connected to an upstream side of said gas introduction partition portions,   the substrate processing apparatus further comprising a gas supply control portion for, when processing the substrates in said reaction tube, supplying a process gas from the process gas supply portion when the substrates are disposed in positions opposing the gas introduction partition portions, and supplying an inert gas from the inert gas supply portion when no substrate is disposed in positions opposing the gas introduction partition portions.   
   
   
       10 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a plasma generating device constituted from electrodes disposed outside the processing chamber, with said gas inlet tube placed between these electrodes, for creating plasma of a gas in said gas inlet tube. 
   
   
       11 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a second inert gas supply portion for supplying an inert gas from above said reaction tube into the reaction tube. 
   
   
       12 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising a third inert gas supply portion for supplying an inert gas from below said reaction tube into the reaction tube. 
   
   
       13 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a gas interrupting portion above said reaction tube. 
   
   
       14 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said gas interrupting portion is provided in an inner wall of said reaction tube. 
   
   
       15 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising protruding portions provided to protrude inward from an inner wall surface of said reaction tube at, at least, an upper and a lower end of said gas inlet tube and said gas exhaust tube. 
   
   
       16 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , comprising notched portions provided in the same positions as in said protruding portions in a circumferential direction with respect to a processing surface of said substrates. 
   
   
       17 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein a temperature detector for detecting a temperature within a processing chamber is housed in said notched portions of said protruding portions. 
   
   
       18 . The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein a width of said spouting port in a direction horizontal to said substrate surface is ½ or less of a diameter of said substrates.   
   
   
       19 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device for processing in use of the substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 the method comprising the steps of:   conveying substrates into said reaction tube;   processing the substrates by introducing a gas from said gas spouting port across the substrates within said reaction tube while maintaining a gas flow velocity in said gas inlet tube, and heating said reaction tube by means of said heating device; and   conveying the substrates out of said reaction tube.   
   
   
       20 . A reaction vessel in a cylindrical shape having in an interior thereof a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates disposed in a direction perpendicular to a substrate processing surface can be processed, comprising:
 a gas inlet tube and a gas exhaust tube being provided on a side face of said reaction tube in a region for processing a substrate inside said reaction tube, said gas inlet tube and said gas exhaust tube extending in a direction perpendicular to said side face of said reaction tube, and   a gas spouting port being disposed in at least said gas inlet tube in a form so as to straddle at least a plurality of the substrates in a direction perpendicular to said substrate processing surface, for spouting gas from said gas inlet tube into said processing chamber.