JPS62214177A - Gaseous phase reactor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To bring a reactive gas into uniform contact with a wafer on a circular wafer imposing base and to form an excellent film by forming a reaction chamber to an approximately square cross section, providing the imposing base to the center thereof and disposing wafer handling mechanisms to the respective corners of the reaction chamber in a manner that the mechanisms can move vertically. CONSTITUTION:The reaction chamber 100 of a gaseous phase reactor is formed to the square cross section and the circular wafer imposing base 110 is disposed to approximately the central part of the reaction chamber 100. The wafer handling mechanisms 120 are respectively disposed to the respective corners of the reaction chamber 100 and a shutter ring 130 is disposed adjacently to the outside peripheral part of the wafer imposing base 110. Each wafer handling mechanism 120 consists of a wafer receiving claw 122, an arm 124 to support the receiving claw 122, and a horizontal bar 126 to support the arm 124. The wafer handling mechanisms 120 and the shutter ring 130 are vertically movably constituted. The flow pattern of the reactive gas fed from the upper part of the reaction chamber 100 is thereby made uniform and the reactive gas contacts uniformly with the wafer on the imposing base 110.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a gas phase reactor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gas phase reactor for plasma CVD or plasma etching processes having a square reaction chamber with a wafer handling mechanism disposed at each corner.

[Prior Art] One of the methods widely used in the semiconductor industry for forming thin films is the vapor deposition method (CVD:C
chemical vapor deposition
). CVD refers to turning a gaseous substance into a solid substance through a chemical reaction, and depositing the solid substance on the substrate 1-.

Characteristics of CVD are that various thin films can be obtained at deposition temperatures considerably lower than the melting point of the thin film to be grown;
The grown thin film has high purity and its electrical properties are stable even when grown on Si or a thermal oxide film on Si, so it is widely used as a padding film on semiconductor surfaces.

CVD methods can be broadly classified into three types: (1) normal pressure, (2) reduced pressure, and (3) plasma.

Due to recent rapid progress in ultra-LSI technology, 'ultra-ultra
Along with this, SX devices have become increasingly highly integrated and fast, and large-diameter substrates from 6 inches to 8 inches and even 12 inches have come to be used.

As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, high-quality, high-precision insulating films are required, and it has become difficult for normal pressure CVD methods to meet these demands. Therefore, plasma CVD methods that utilize plasma chemistry are attracting attention.

Plasma CVD uses a compound gas (e.g. SiH4 and N20) containing the constituent atoms of the produced film (e.g. SiOx film).
A thin film is formed at a low temperature (e.g. around 300°C) by subjecting it to plasma wiping and decomposing it into chemically active ions and radicals (chemically active neutral atoms or molecular species). It's a way to grow.

While the conventional CVD method performs the decomposition and reaction of gas molecules purely thermally at a high substrate temperature, the plasma CVD method is characterized by keeping the substrate temperature low with the help of electrical energy from discharge. There is.

This method has the advantages of good step coverage (wrapping or coverage of pattern steps), strong film strength, and excellent moisture resistance. Further, the film formation rate (deposition rate) by the plasma CVD method is extremely fast compared to the low pressure CVD method.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Some conventional plasma CVD apparatuses employ a so-called capacitive coupling method that uses parallel plate electrodes.

For this, a discharge occurs between the upper electrode and the grounded substrate electrode, and the flow of reactive gas radially enters from the F part of the substrate electrode and exits from the center, and the reactive gas flows from the center of the lower part of the substrate electrode. There is an AMT type in which the substrate electrode is rotated by a magnetic rotation mechanism.

All of these apparatuses are unsuitable for film formation on large-diameter wafers because the gas flow pattern within the reaction chamber tends to be non-uniform and the plasma discharge density is difficult to maintain constant. Further, due to the rotation of the substrate electrode, foreign matter is likely to be generated in the reaction chamber.

Furthermore, with these devices, a so-called cassette-to-cassette system, in which wafers are automatically fed from a cassette and finished products are stored in the cassette again, is not possible. Therefore,
Improving throughput is difficult.

The plasma CVD method and the plasma etching method differ only in the reaction gases used, and the configuration and/or structure of the apparatus itself for carrying out the method is basically the same.

[Object of the Invention] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to make the flow pattern of the reaction gas uniform in the reaction chamber, to keep the plasma discharge density constant at all times, and to form a film of excellent quality on large diameter wafers. An object of the present invention is to provide a gas phase reactor that can perform membrane processing and has a high throughput.

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems and achieving the object of the present invention, the present invention has a reaction chamber having a substantially square cross section, and the reaction chamber has a substantially square cross section. A circular wafer mounting table is arranged approximately in the center of the reaction chamber, and a wafer handling mechanism that can be raised and lowered and whose tip extends to the upper surface of the wafer mounting table is arranged at each corner of the reaction chamber. A reactor is provided.

[Function] As described above, the reaction chamber in the gas phase reactor of the present invention has a square cross section. That is, it is a symmetrical reaction chamber. A circular wafer mounting table is arranged approximately in the center of the symmetrical reaction chamber.

As a result, the flow pattern of the reaction gas introduced from the upper part of the reaction chamber becomes uniform, and the reaction gas evenly contacts the wafers on the wafer apparatus stage. In addition, when plasma discharge is performed, the discharge density on the wafer surface is always constant, and a film with excellent film quality can be obtained even on a large diameter wafer of, for example, 8 inches or more.

Since the reaction chamber in the gas phase reaction apparatus of the present invention is square, a wafer handling mechanism that can be raised and lowered to place and remove the wafer onto the wafer mounting table can be provided at each corner of the reaction chamber. Since the space within the reaction chamber is effectively utilized, the entire gas phase reactor becomes extremely compact, contributing to floor space savings.

When the gas phase reaction apparatus of the present invention is a single wafer type, a wafer handling mechanism is essential to improve throughput. The presence of this wafer handling mechanism enables a so-called cassette-to-cassette system in which wafers are automatically supplied from a cassette and finished products are automatically stored in the cassette again, and throughput can be significantly improved.

[Example 1] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway schematic perspective view of the reaction chamber of the gas phase reactor of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the reaction chamber; FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the gas phase reaction apparatus of the present invention. It is.

Figure 1 is drawn with the top cover removed so that the inside of the reaction chamber can be viewed sufficiently.

As shown in FIG. 1, the reaction chamber 100 in the gas phase reactor of the present invention has a square cross section. Reaction chamber 10
A wafer mounting table 110 is arranged approximately at the center of the wafer 0. Wafer handling mechanism 120 at each corner of the reaction chamber
is installed.

Further, a shutter ring 130 is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer mounting table 110.

The wafer handling mechanism 120 is for automatically receiving and removing wafers from the loader F1 carrier and automatically receiving and transferring wafers to the unloader wafer carrier. The wafer 1 handling mechanism 120 has a claw 122 for the wafer holder. The receiver consists of an arm 124 that supports the claw and a horizontal bar 126 that supports the arm.

On the two sides of the wafer mounting table 110, there are claws 1.
A groove 112 having sufficient width, depth, and length is provided so that the wafer 22 can be inserted therein and not protrude from the upper surface of the wafer mounting table.

The shutter ring 130 is for defining a circular reaction space around the inside of the wafer holding warehouse.

The shutter ring 130 is held by a holding part 132. This holding part 132 is supported by a horizontal bar 134. A slot 136 is cut into the side wall surface of the shutter ring 130 into which the wafer holder claw 122 can fit.

The wafer handling mechanism 120 and the shutter ring 130 are configured to be able to move up and down.

The horizontal bars 126 and 134 are connected to, for example, an air cylinder. Air for driving an air cylinder for raising and lowering the horizontal bar 126 is supplied from a valve 300a, and the horizontal bar 134 is supplied from a valve 300b.

The level of elevation of the cylinder for the horizontal bar 126 is regulated by an actuator 302a, and the level of elevation of the horizontal bar 134 is regulated by an actuator 302b. The actuator 302a is provided with a photosensor 304a for detecting the upper limit and a photosensor 308a for detecting the lower limit of the raising and lowering of the wafer support claw. Similarly, the actuator 302b is provided with a photosensor 304b and a photosensor 308b for detecting the upper and lower limits of the elevation of the shutter ring 130.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 described later, the claw of the wafer holder can be screwed onto the arm.

As a result, the wafer support can have its claws replaced depending on the diameter of the wafer used. For example, for a 6-inch wafer, the longest wafer holder uses the claw 122a, for an 8-inch wafer, the intermediate length holder uses the claw 122b, and for a 12-inch wafer, the shortest holder uses the claw 122c. use.

Loader section 22 (fifth section) for loading wafers into the reaction chamber
Connected to the reaction chamber 100 are a first preparatory chamber 12 accommodating a wafer (see figure) and a second preparatory chamber 14 accommodating an unloader section 46 (see Fig. 5) for unloading a film-formed wafer from the reaction chamber. There is.

The plasma CVD method is carried out under vacuum conditions of around 1-0.4 Torr. Therefore, loading and unloading of wafers must be performed by a loader section and an unloader section housed in a preliminary chamber separated from the reaction chamber by a gate valve. That is, after the pressure in the reaction chamber and the pressure in the loader section or unloader section in the preliminary chamber are equalized, the gate valve is opened and the wafer is loaded or unloaded.

The first preliminary chamber is separated from the reaction chamber by a gate valve 15a,
The second preliminary chamber is separated from the reaction chamber by a gate valve 15b. The connection configuration of the first auxiliary chamber 12 and the second auxiliary chamber 14 is not limited to the nearly right-angled L-shaped arrangement shown in the figure, but a 180'' straight-line arrangement is also possible. Extremely high tsubo efficiency (the entire device can be assembled into a compact shape).

A window 140 can be provided on the side wall of the reaction chamber to visually observe the situation inside the chamber. The window portion 140 is, for example,
The quartz glass 141 is screwed onto the side wall surface of the reaction chamber by a fixing member 143 with an O-ring 142 for airtightness interposed therebetween.

If necessary, a cutout portion may be provided in the side wall portion of the shutter ring 130 at a position corresponding to the location where the gate valve and the window portion are provided.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wafer mounting table 110 and the wafer handling mechanism 120.

The wafer mounting table 110 has a susceptor table 114. An aluminum heat soaking plate 116 is screwed to approximately the center of the top surface of the table using aluminum screws 119a (four screws in total). A groove 112 is cut into the soaking plate 116 and is used for a wafer holder. A fan-shaped insulating cover 118 (total of 4 sheets) having the same height as the centrally protruding circular base of the heat soaking plate 116 is in contact with the outer periphery of the centrally protruding circular base, and the Micalex screws 119b ( (8 pieces in total) are screwed together.

The straight edge of the fan-shaped insulating cover 118 corresponds to the groove 11 of the soaking plate 116.
Matches the straight edge of 2. The fan-shaped insulating cover 118 can be made from a material such as Micarex, for example.

The wafer handle pawl 122 of the wafer handling mechanism is manufactured from a material such as Hastelloy. The claw 122 of the wafer holder is screwed onto the arm 124 with a hexagon socket bolt 128 made of stainless steel, for example, so that the claw 122 can be replaced according to the diameter of the wafer used.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the reaction chamber 100 with the top cover 400 closed.

For example, the top cover 400 is attached to the reaction chamber 100 by a hinge member 402. One side is tightened by a screw tightening mechanism 404, for example. An O-ring 406 is interposed between the lower surface of the cover 400 and the upper surface of the reaction chamber to improve airtightness.

An electrode support mechanism 410 is located approximately in the center of the top cover 400.
is surrounded and attached to an insulating member 412. A capacitor 414 and a high frequency power source 416 are connected to the upper part of the electrode support mechanism 410. Electrode support mechanism 410
A reaction gas supply means 420 is disposed inside the reaction chamber, and for example, SiH<+, N20 and N2 or CF
Inject gas such as q.

The outer periphery of the electrode 430 inside the reaction chamber is covered with an insulating ring 414. Electrode 430 is supported by electrode support mechanism 410. The electrode 430 has a large number of microholes, and the reaction gas supplied from the reaction gas supply means 420 is uniformly showered onto the wafer 24 on the soaking plate 116 to generate plasma discharge. A CVD film is formed. The electrode 430 has the same shape as the top surface of the wafer mounting table (it has a circular shape, and has a diameter that can support film formation on a 12-inch wafer.

The plasma CVD method is carried out under vacuum conditions of around 1-0.4 Torr. Therefore, at least one clean air exhaust means 440 is provided in the lower part of the reaction chamber, preferably four in total on each side wall surface. The pump system for evacuation can be shared.

A heater 450 is disposed on the contact surface of the susceptor table 114 with the soaking plate 116, and heats the wafer to about 300°C.

Horizontal bars 126 and 134 are air cylinders 460a
and 460b, respectively, and the wafer receiver allows the claws and shutter ring to be raised and lowered.

The operation of placing the wafer 24 on the soaking plate 116 and removing the wafer from the soaking plate after the film forming process will be described.

When placing a wafer, the gate valve 15a separating the reaction chamber from the first preliminary chamber in which the loader section is accommodated is opened, and the wafer carrier arm 22a enters the reaction chamber. When carrier play 1-22b reaches soaking plate 116-1-, the wafer carrier arm stops advancing. The claws 122 of the wafer receiver, which had been fitted into the grooves of the soaking plate, rise and lift the wafer 24 held by the carrier plate 22b to near the electrode surface. The wafer carrier arm from which the wafer has been removed moves out of the reaction chamber through the gate valve. Thereafter, the gate valve 15a is closed, and the claws 122 of the wafer receiver begin to descend. When the wafer is lowered to a position where it is completely inserted into the groove 112, the wafer is placed on the soaking plate 116.

In order not to obstruct the loading of wafers, the shutter ring 130 is raised to near the bottom surface of the top cover during the wafer loading operation. When the loading process is completed and the wafer is placed on the soaking plate, the shutter ring is lowered and
A reaction space between the electrode and the wafer mounting table is defined in a circular shape.

When transporting a film-formed wafer from the reaction chamber, first raise the shutter ring to near the bottom of the top cover.
Next, the claws of the wafer holder lift the wafer up to near the electrode surface. The second gate valve 15b opens, the carrier arm of the unloader section enters the reaction chamber, and when the carrier plate reaches the soaking plate, the wafer holder's claw lowers. Once the film-formed wafer is transferred to the carrier plate, the carrier arm is moved back and out of the reaction chamber, and the second gate valve is closed.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the gas phase reactor of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the reaction chamber is also shown in a state with the top cover removed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the gas phase reactor of the present invention has a reaction chamber 100, a first preliminary chamber 12 and a second preliminary chamber 14.
are arranged in an L-shape so that they are substantially orthogonal.

Since the reaction chamber has already been sufficiently explained, it will be omitted here.

A loader section 22 for loading wafers into the reaction chamber is housed inside the first preliminary chamber 12.

The loader section 22 can be moved forward and backward by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided in the reserve chamber.

The loader section 22 has a wafer carrier arm 22a and a wafer carrier plate 22b. The carrier plate 22b is screwed onto the carrier arm 22a.

The second preparatory chamber 14 accommodates an unloader section 46 for unloading the film-formed wafer from the reaction chamber. The unloader section 46 can be moved forward and backward by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided in the preliminary chamber. The unloader section 46 has a wafer carrier arm 48a and a wafer carrier plate 46b. The carrier plate 46b is screwed onto the carrier arm 48a.

In the apparatus of the present invention, feeding wafers from a cassette,
The operation up to storing the wafer in the cassette will be explained with reference to FIG.

A wafer 24 supplied from a wafer cartridge (not shown) is placed on the hopper table 26 of the first wafer transport mechanism 25, and is advanced by a belt drive or an air bear to the wafer track 30 of the wafer transport fork 28.
reach. When the first wafer detector detects a wafer, the first wafer transfer arm 32 vacuum-chucks the wafer from below, rotates in the =18- state, and transfers the wafer to the lower part of the first lid part 34. The wafer receiver transfers the wafer to the transfer claw 36 and places the wafer on the transfer claw. The first lid portion 34 has a viewing window 38 . The first lid part 34 is a movable arm 42 of the first lid opening/closing mechanism 40.
Screwed or fixed to. When the wafer 24 is placed on the transfer claw 36 of the wafer receiver, the liftable arm 42 is lowered to open the first opening 44 formed in the upper part of the first preliminary chamber 12.
The wafer enters the preliminary chamber through the steps and places the wafer on the carrier plate 22b. The movable arm 42 is further lowered, and the first lid portion 34 covers the first opening 44 and seals the first preliminary chamber 12.

After the first preliminary chamber is sealed, the first preliminary chamber is evacuated to equal pressure with the reaction chamber. When the pressure becomes equal, the first gate valve 15a separating the first preliminary chamber and the reaction chamber is opened, and the carrier plate 22b is advanced to the wafer mounting table 16 inside the reaction chamber.

When the carrier plate 22b reaches a predetermined position, the claws 122 of the wafer receiver rise to pick up the wafer from the carrier plate 22b. Thereafter, the carrier arm 22a is moved out of the reaction chamber, the first gate valve is closed, and the film forming reaction process is started.

After the film-forming reaction process is completed and the pressure in the second preliminary chamber 14 is made equal to the pressure in the reaction chamber 100, the second gate valve 15b separating the reaction chamber and the second preliminary chamber is opened. In the wafer holder, claws 122 lift the wafer that has undergone film formation from the wafer mounting table. The carrier arm 46a of the unloader section 46 moves forward, and the wafer receiver enters under the wafer being lifted by the claws 18. The claws 122 of the wafer receiver descend to place the wafer on the carrier plate 46b.

Thereafter, the carrier arm 46a leaves the reaction chamber, and the wafer holder with the carrier plate 48b disposed below the second lid 48 stops moving back when it reaches the position of the transfer claw (not shown). When the carrier plate 48b is completely removed from the reaction chamber, the second gate valve is closed. The second lid portion 48 also has a viewing window 54 . Second lid part 48
is screwed or fixed to the movable arm 52 of the second lid opening/closing mechanism 50.

After the pressure in the second preliminary chamber 14 is returned to atmospheric pressure, the liftable arm 52 of the second lid opening/closing mechanism 50 is raised. Second
A second opening 58 is provided in the upper part of the preliminary chamber at a position where the second lid is closed. The wafer held by the transfer claw of the wafer holder passes through this second opening 58 and exits from the second preliminary chamber.

Thereafter, the second wafer transfer mechanism 80 vacuum-chucks the wafer held by the transfer claw and transfers it to the second wafer transfer mechanism 82 . When the second wafer detector 88 detects that the wafer is placed on the wafer track 64 of the second wafer transport mechanism 62, the wafer is sent to the magazine stacker table 88 by a conveyor, air conveyor, or the like. Then, it is stored in a cassette (not shown),
A series of operations for one wafer is completed.

As mentioned above, the device of the invention can be configured in a so-called cassette-to-cassette format.

The apparatus of the present invention is a so-called "single wafer type" in which wafers are loaded and unloaded one by one on a wafer mounting table in a reaction chamber. The single-wafer method is particularly suitable for forming a CVD film with a uniform thickness on the surface of a large diameter wafer of 8 inches or more. However, it can also be applied to conventional batch type reaction chambers. However, while batch reaction chambers are good for small-diameter wafers, for large-diameter wafers the difference in film thickness becomes too large, which tends to cause variations in product quality. In particular, in the case of the plasma CVD method, a batch method is not preferable because the discharge density will not be constant and the yield will decrease.

Wafer handling mechanism, shutter ring.

A near cylinder can be used to drive the lid opening/closing mechanism and the loader/unloader section. Therefore, peripheral drive systems such as an exhaust system and a near compressor necessary for driving the apparatus of the present invention can be arranged in the space surrounded by the first preliminary chamber and the second preliminary chamber. In this way, an extremely compact CVD thin film forming apparatus that can manufacture high quality semiconductor elements while maintaining high throughput and has excellent basis efficiency in terms of equipment design can be obtained.

Although the apparatus of the present invention can be used for any type of CVD, atmospheric pressure, reduced pressure, or plasma, it is especially suitable for plasma CVD.
Preferably used in the method. It can also be used in plasma etching by changing the reaction gas. Furthermore, as a recent technology, the optical CVD method has been actively researched, and some devices that are close to practical devices are being prototyped. Naturally, the cursive arrangement method of the present invention can also be applied to CVD equipment in the future.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, in the gas phase reactor of the present invention, the cross section of the reaction chamber is square. That is, it is a symmetrical reaction chamber. A circular wafer mounting table is arranged approximately in the center of the symmetrical reaction chamber.

As a result, the flow pattern of the reaction gas introduced from the upper part of the reaction chamber becomes uniform, and the reaction gas evenly contacts the wafers on the wafer mounting table. In addition, when plasma discharge is performed, the discharge density at the wafer L is always constant,
For example, even with a large diameter wafer of 8 inches or more, a film with very excellent film quality can be obtained.

Since the reaction chamber in the gas phase reaction apparatus of the present invention is square, a wafer handling mechanism that can be raised and lowered to place and remove the wafer onto the wafer mounting table can be provided at each corner of the reaction chamber. Since the space within the reaction chamber is effectively utilized, the entire gas phase reactor becomes extremely compact, contributing to floor space savings.

From the point of view of symmetry alone, a circular reaction chamber is preferable. However, when arranging a wafer handling mechanism in the reaction chamber in order to configure the gas phase reaction apparatus into a cassette-to-cassette system, the wafer handling mechanism is We need the diameter of the circumscribed circle that touches the outermost part of .

As a result, wasted space increases in the chamber compared to a square reaction chamber like the one according to the present invention.

In order to bring the square reaction chamber closer to the circular reaction chamber, in the present invention, a shutter ring that can be raised and lowered is disposed adjacent to the outer periphery of the wafer mounting table. Therefore, when performing a film forming reaction, a circular reaction space can be defined between the electrode and the wafer mounting table by moving the shutter ring. Thus, the reaction chamber of the present invention exhibits a film forming effect equivalent to that of a circular reaction chamber, and also saves space.

The first preparatory chamber containing the loader section and the second preparatory chamber containing the unloader section are arranged in an L direction so as to be almost orthogonal to the reaction chamber.
When arranged in a shape of a letter and connected to the reaction chamber, various peripheral support devices for the exhaust system and drive system can be accommodated within this L-shaped space. As a result, the entire gas phase reactor is assembled into a square shape, resulting in an extremely compact device with high basis efficiency. Therefore, it becomes possible to install a large number of units on the floor of a semiconductor manufacturing factory where space is limited.

The wafer holder's claws and wafer mounting table are configured to accommodate changes in the diameter of the wafer, so even when moving from 6-inch wafers to 12-inch wafers, for example, the line configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing factory itself does not need to be changed. None.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway schematic perspective view of the reaction chamber of the gas phase reactor of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the reaction chamber; FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the gas phase reaction apparatus of the present invention. It is. 12...First auxiliary room 14...Second auxiliary room 15a
and 15b...gate valve 22...loader section 22a and 48a...wafer carrier arm 22b
and 46b... wafer carrier plate 24...
Wafer 25... First wafer transfer mechanism 26... Hopper table 28... Wafer transfer fork 30 and 64... Wafer track 32... First wafer transfer arm 34... First lid portion 36... ...Wafer holders are passing claws 38 and 54...Peeping window 40...1st M
Opening/closing mechanism 42 and 52... Liftable arm 44
...First opening [1 part 46... Unloader part 48.
...Second lid part 50...Second lid opening/closing mechanism 58...Second opening [1 part 60...Second wafer transfer mechanism 62...
Second wafer transport mechanism 66...second wafer inspection 26-

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A wafer handling mechanism having a reaction chamber with a substantially square cross section, a circular wafer mounting table disposed approximately in the center of the reaction chamber, and a movable wafer handling mechanism whose tip extends to the upper surface of the wafer mounting table. A gas phase reaction apparatus, characterized in that the reaction chamber is disposed at each corner of the reaction chamber. (2) The gas phase reaction according to claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is a single-wafer type for performing plasma CVD or plasma etching treatment, and has circular parallel plate electrodes. Device. (3) The reaction chamber has a shutter ring that can be raised and lowered,
The gas phase reaction apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is provided adjacent to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer mounting table. (4) The reaction chamber includes a first preparatory chamber that accommodates a loader section for loading wafers into the reaction chamber, and a second preliminary chamber that accommodates an unloader section for unloading wafers from the reaction chamber.
4. The gas phase reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preliminary chambers are connected to each other.