Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and thermocouple support

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a reaction tube configured to accommodate a substrate holder holding a plurality of substrates and process a substrate held on the substrate holder; a heating unit installed outside the reaction tube and configured to heat an inside of the reaction tube; a protection tube installed to extend in a vertical direction in contact with an outer wall of the reaction tube; an insulating tube disposed inside the protection tube and having through-holes extending in a vertical direction; a thermocouple having a thermocouple junction provided at an upper end thereof, and thermocouple wires joined at the thermocouple junction and inserted into the through-holes of the insulating tube; a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas, for processing a substrate accommodated in the reaction tube, into the reaction tube; and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust a gas from the reaction tube.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a reaction tube configured to accommodate a substrate holder holding a plurality of substrates and process a substrate held on the substrate holder;   a heating unit installed outside the reaction tube and configured to heat an inside of the reaction tube;   a protection tube installed in contact with an outer wall of the reaction tube;   an insulating tube disposed inside the protection tube and having through-holes therein;   a thermocouple having a thermocouple junction provided at an upper end thereof, and a first thermocouple wire and a second thermocouple wire joined at the thermocouple junction and inserted into the through-holes of the insulating tube;   a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas, for processing a substrate accommodated in the reaction tube, into the reaction tube; and   an exhaust unit configured to exhaust a gas from the reaction tube.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a wall portion of the protection tube varies according to an installation position of the protection tube on the outer wall of the reaction tube, and one or more protection tubes are provided. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of protection tubes are installed on the outer wall of the reaction tube separately in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of protection tubes are configured such that a thickness of a wall portion of an uppermost protection tube is smaller than a thickness of a wall portion of a lowermost protection tube. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulating tube comprises four or more through-holes, and two pairs of thermocouple wires of the thermocouple are inserted into the through-holes. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a cap having an outer diameter greater than a horizontal outer diameter of the insulating tube is provided at an upper end of the insulating tube, and a bottom surface of the cap is supported by an upper surface of the protection tube such that the insulating tube is supported by the protection tube. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the cap comprises a contact portion for preventing a horizontal rotation of the insulating tube by contacting a side surface thereof with the outer wall of the reaction tube. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulating tube comprises a cut portion accommodating the thermocouple junction, a cover covering the cut portion is provided at a position of the cut portion of the insulating tube, and a spacer having an outer diameter greater than a horizontal outer diameter of the cover is provided under or over the cut portion of the insulating tube. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a buffer area is provided under the insulating tube to suppress the thermocouple wires from being bound when the thermocouple wires extracted from a lower end of the insulating tube are thermally expanded. 
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a thermal capacity of the protection tube varies according to an installation position of the protection tube on the outer wall of the reaction tube. 
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , a heating unit thermocouple is disposed near the heating unit to detect a temperature of the heating unit. 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using a substrate processing apparatus including: a reaction tube configured to accommodate a substrate holder holding a plurality of substrates and process a substrate held on the substrate holder; a heating unit installed outside the reaction tube and configured to heat an inside of the reaction tube; a protection tube installed in contact with an outer wall of the reaction tube; an insulating tube disposed inside the protection tube and having through-holes therein; a thermocouple having a thermocouple junction provided at an upper end thereof, and a first thermocouple wire and a second thermocouple wire joined at the thermocouple junction and inserted into the through-holes of the insulating tube; a gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas, for processing a substrate accommodated inside the reaction tube, into the reaction tube; and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust a gas from the reaction tube, the method comprising:
 accommodating the substrate holder holding the plurality of substrates into the reaction tube;   heating the inside of the reaction tube by the heating unit;   detecting a temperature by using the thermocouple inserted into the insulating tube inside the protection tube;   supplying the process gas from the gas supply unit into the reaction tube;   exhausting a gas from the reaction tube by the exhaust unit; and   processing the plurality of substrates on the substrate holder accommodated in the reaction tube, based on the temperature detected.   
     
     
         13 . A thermocouple support structure comprising:
 an insulating tube that has a pillar shape and has through-holes intersecting an inside of the pillar shape in a longitudinal direction; and   a thermocouple having a thermocouple junction provided at an upper end thereof, and a first thermocouple wire and a second thermocouple wire joined at the thermocouple junction and inserted into the through-holes of the insulating tube,   wherein the insulating tube has a cut portion accommodating the thermocouple junction, a cover covering the cut portion is provided at a position of the cut portion, and a spacer having an outer diameter greater than a horizontal outer diameter of the cover is provided under or over the cut portion.   
     
     
         14 . The thermocouple support structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the insulating tube comprises four or more through-holes, and two pairs of thermocouple wires of the thermocouple are inserted into the through-holes. 
     
     
         15 . The thermocouple support structure according to  claim 14 , wherein a cap having an outer diameter greater than a horizontal outer diameter of the insulating tube is provided at an upper end of the insulating tube. 
     
     
         16 . The thermocouple support structure according to  claim 14 , wherein the cap comprises a flat portion at a side surface thereof.