Patent ID: 8709159
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A vertical heat treatment apparatus comprising: a reaction tube; a heating section surrounding the reaction tube; a wafer holding section configured to hold wafers in the reaction tube, the wafer holding section having a fin heat retaining tube having fins made of quartz; a supporting section movably provided in the vertical direction so that the wafer holding section can be transferred to and from the inside of the reaction tube and configured to seal the reaction tube while the wafer holding section is in the reaction tube, wherein the supporting section includes a supporting section base and a base quartz section made of quartz on the supporting section base; a temperature sensor insertion section provided in the supporting section and having a through hole for guiding a temperature sensor in the reaction tube while the reaction tube is sealed by the supporting section, the temperature sensor insertion section being at the position where the temperature sensor can be inserted in the reaction tube while the wafer holding section is on the supporting section; and a cap section configured to open the through hole of the temperature sensor insertion section for insertion of the temperature sensor in the reaction tube and configured to close the through hole of the temperature sensor insertion section to prevent gas leakage from inside the reaction tube to outside the vertical heat treatment apparatus while the wafer holding section is on the cap section, wherein the cap section is further configured to rotate in a plane that is between the base quartz section and the fin heat retaining tube inside the reaction tube and in contact with a top surface of the base quartz section; wherein the wafer holding section is placed on the base quartz section in a manner so that the fin heat retaining tube is between the wafer holding section and the base quartz section; and the through hole of the temperature sensor insertion section is configured to be opened and closed by rotating the cap section, and wherein the fin heat retaining tube includes plural supporting legs and is configured to stand on the base quartz section with the supporting legs; plural concave portions are formed on the top surface of the base quartz section and configured to determine the positions of the supporting legs of the fin heat retaining tube; the cap section has arc-shaped elongated holes located at positions corresponding to the positions of the supporting legs of the fin heat retaining tube; and wherein the supporting legs of the fin heat retaining tube extend through the elongated holes of the cap section; and wherein the cap section is configured to rotate without changing the positions of the fin heat retaining tube, the supporting legs, and the wafer holding section with respect to the base quartz section.