Patent ID: 8153534
Filing Date: 2012-04-10
Classification: C23C,H01L

Abstract:
1. An oxidation method for performing direct oxidation as a semiconductor process on a plurality of target substrates, the method comprising: placing the target substrates at intervals in a vertical direction within a process field of a process container; respectively supplying an oxidizing gas and a deoxidizing gas to the process field, while heating the process field; causing the oxidizing gas and the deoxidizing gas to react with each other, thereby generating oxygen radicals and hydroxyl group radicals within the process field; and performing an oxidation process of directly oxidizing a surface of the target substrates by use of the oxygen radicals and the hydroxyl group radicals, wherein the oxidizing gas is supplied through an oxidizing gas nozzle extending over a vertical length corresponding to the process field, and is spouted from a plurality of gas spouting holes formed on the oxidizing gas nozzle and arrayed over the vertical length corresponding to the process field, and the deoxidizing gas is supplied through a plurality of deoxidizing gas nozzles having different heights respectively corresponding to a plurality of zones of the process field arrayed vertically, and is spouted from gas spouting holes respectively formed on the deoxidizing gas nozzles each at height of a corresponding zone.