Patent ID: 6262393
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: C23C,C30B

Abstract:
An epitaxial growth furnace for effecting precipitation growth of Si epitaxial layers through the reduction or thermal decomposition of a reaction gas on a principal surface of each of a plurality of semiconductor wafers under an elevated temperature within a reaction chamber, comprising:partition wall means arranged inside the reaction chamber;holding means for holding a plurality of semiconductor wafers on said partition wall means; andheating means for heating said wafers held by said holding means from the back side of said principal surface of each of said wafers,said partition wall means defining, within said reaction chamber, a first separate space surrounded by said partition wall means and the inner wall surface of said reaction chamber and a second separate space partitioned by said partition wall means so as to be isolated from the inner wall surface of said reaction chamber, and including a first partition wall and a second partition wall facing each other through said second separate space,said holding means including holding mechanisms for separately holding at least one of said wafers on each of said first and second partition walls such that the principal surface of each of the wafers held on said first partition wall faces the principal surface of each of the wafer held on said second partition wall while both the principal surfaces being exposed to said second separate space and spaced apart from each other, andsaid heating means including a pair of heaters each adapted to irradiate radiant heat to one of said oppositely arranged wafers from the back side thereof.