Patent ID: 7008880
Filing Date: 2006-03-07
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising the steps of: (a) preparing moisture at a first temperature from oxygen and hydrogen by use of a catalyst; (b) transferring the thus-prepared moisture into a vertical wafer heat treatment chamber of a batch processing vertical oxidation furnace through a gas introducing tube to form a wet oxidative atmosphere around a plurality of wafers inside the chamber, while keeping the moisture in a gaseous state; and (c) performing thermal oxidation to a silicon member over a first major surface of each of the wafers in the wet oxidative atmosphere in the wafer heat treatment chamber by heating the wafers up to a second temperature higher than the first temperatures, wherein the wet oxidative atmosphere is introduced into the vertical wafer heat treatment chamber through the gas introducing tube disposed along a wall surface of the vertical wafer heat treatment chamber from its lower end to upper end, and the gas introducing tube has its outlet at the upper end of the vertical wafer heat treatment chamber so that the wet oxidative atmosphere flows from the upper end to the lower end in the vertical heat treatment chamber.