Patent ID: 7198447
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor device producing apparatus, comprising: a carrier-holding stage for placing a carrier for accommodating a substrate or substrates; a processing chamber for thermal processing the substrate or the substrates therein; a first boat holder for holding first and second boats one at a time which are capable of respectively holding the substrate or the substrates and for moving the first and second boats one at a time into and out from said processing chamber, wherein said first boat holder is located directly below said processing chamber, and said first boat holder moves vertically to move the first and second boats one at a time into and out from said processing chamber; a second boat holder for holding the first and second boats one at a time in standby, said second boat holder not being located directly below said processing chamber in contrast to said first boat holder; a third boat holder for holding the first and second boats one at a time for cooling the substrate or the substrates after thermal processing in the processing chamber, said third boat holder not being located directly below said processing chamber in contrast to said first boat holder; a boat transfer mechanism which transfers the first and second boats between said first, second and third boat holders, said boat transfer mechanism including a linear actuator disposed in parallel to a line connecting a center of said second boat holder and a center of said first boat holder to transfer the first and second boats one at a time at least from said second boat holder to said first boat holder; a substrate transfer mechanism which transfers the substrate or substrates directly from the carrier placed at said carrier-holding stage directly to either one of the first and second boats, said substrate transfer mechanism being located at a position which allows the substrate or substrates to be transferred from the carrier placed at the carrier-holding stage to either one of said first and second boats held by said first boat holder; and a controller which controls said first boat holder, said boat transfer mechanism and said substrate transfer mechanism for said boat transfer mechanism to transfer one of the first and second boats from said second boat holder to said first boat holder, for said substrate transfer mechanism to thereafter transfer the substrate or the substrates from the carrier held at said carrier-holding stage to said one of the first and second boats held by said first boat holder, and for said first boat holder thereafter to move said one of the first and second boats into said processing chamber to process the substrate or the substrates in said processing chamber.