A substrate processing apparatus, provided with a substrate carrier support to support a substrate carrier thereon. The carrier support comprises a top support surface to support the substrate carrier; a thermally insulating body of thermally insulating material; and, a primary heater to heat the carrier support. The thermally insulating body is provided at least between the support surface and the primary heater.

There is provided an injector that extends in a longitudinal direction, including: a gas introduction part having a circular or a regular polygonal shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and having no discharge holes; and a gas supply part having a protruded portion in one direction in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and having a plurality of discharge holes formed in a leading end of the protruded portion along the longitudinal direction, wherein a first end of the gas supply part in the longitudinal direction is connected to the gas introduction portion.

Semiconductor wafers with an epitaxial layer are produced in a deposition chamber by placing a substrate wafer in the edge region of the rear side of the substrate wafer onto a placement area of a susceptor; loading the deposition chamber with the susceptor and the substrate wafer lying on the susceptor by contacting the susceptor and transporting the susceptor and the substrate wafer lying on the susceptor from a load lock chamber into the deposition chamber; depositing an epitaxial layer on the substrate wafer; and unloading the deposition chamber by contacting the susceptor and transporting the susceptor and a semiconductor wafer with epitaxial layer, the semiconductor wafer having been produced in the course of depositing the epitaxial layer and lying on the susceptor, from the deposition chamber into the load lock chamber.

Described herein is a technique capable of reducing the time necessary for stabilizing the inner temperature of the processing furnace. A substrate processing apparatus may include: a wafer retainer configured to support a plurality of wafers; an upright cylindrical process vessel; a seal cap configured to cover an opening at a lower end of the process vessel; a first heater configured to heat an inside of the process vessel from a lateral side thereof; an insulating unit disposed between the seal cap and the wafer retainer; and a second heater facing at least one of the plurality of wafers and configured to heat the at least one of the plurality of wafers, the second heater including: a pillar penetrating centers of the seal cap and the insulating unit; an annular member connected to and concentric with the pillar; a pair of connecting parts connecting end portions of the annular member to the pillar; and a heating element disposed inside the annular member.

Wafer processing with no dummies is described. A apparatus includes: a boat that hold a product substrates in array at all of positions where substrates can be held; a tubular reactor that houses the boat; a furnace surrounding an upper side and a lateral side of the reactor; a heater provided in the furnace and adapted to heat a side portion of the reactor; a ceiling heater provided in the furnace and adapted to heat a ceiling of the reactor; and a cap heater provided inside the reactor and below the boat; a gas supply mechanism individually supplying a gas to a top side of each of the product substrates.

A wafer boat includes at least one support member, at least one set of at least one first fixture member, at least one set of at least one second fixture member, and at least one set of at least one third fixture member. The support member extends in a direction. The set of the first fixture member, the set of the second fixture member, and the set of the third fixture member are supported by the support member and sequentially arranged in the direction. The set of the first fixture member is separated from the set of the second fixture member by a first pitch, and the set of the second fixture member is separated from the set of the third fixture member by a second pitch, in which the first pitch is smaller than the second pitch.

A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes: a substrate holder including a column, substrate holding parts configured to hold the substrates, and gas flow guide parts installed in the column in a corresponding relationship with the substrates; an elevator stand configured to support the substrate holder and to load the substrate holder into the reaction vessel from below the reaction vessel; a rotating mechanism installed in the elevator stand and configured to rotate the substrate holder about a vertical axis; a process gas supply port and an exhaust port respectively formed at a rear side and a front side of a substrate holding region; and a plurality of baffle parts installed independently of the substrate holder so that the baffle parts protrude from the outside toward spaces between the gas flow guide parts adjoining each other and run into the spaces.

In various embodiments, a wafer box is provided. The wafer box may include a housing with a receiving space for receiving a stack comprising a plurality of wafers, each arranged above a housing base. The wafers are to be arranged with their main surfaces parallel to the housing base. The receiving space is delimited by the housing base and side walls arranged thereon. The wafer box may further include at least one base opening, arranged in the housing base, for receiving a guide structure of a wafer stacking aid. The guide structure is to be arranged in such a way that, on a side of the housing base on which the side walls are arranged, it extends out of the housing base in order to limit tilting of a wafer raised or lowered in the receiving space in a manner guided by the guide structure.

Semiconductor substrate adaptor configured to adapt a substrate of a first dimension to a second dimension, such that the substrate can be properly supported by a supporting mechanism (e.g., a wafer cassette) customized for substrates of the second dimension. The substrate adaptor may be made of quartz. The combination of the substrate adaptor and a substrate fitting therein causes no perturbation in various aspects of a semiconductor process. Therefore, the substrate adaptor conveniently enables a substrate of the first dimension to be processed in the same processing equipment and conditions as a substrate of the second dimension. A vertical substrate adaptor may have a semicircular body with a semicircular cutout for accommodating a wafer and can support a wafer vertically. A horizontal substrate adaptor may have a circular body with a circular cutout for accommodating an entire wafer and supporting the wafer horizontally.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a boat capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates taken out from a storage container, a reactor capable of housing the boat and processing the plurality of substrates, and first and second arms that transfer the plurality of substrates. The boat accommodates the substrates in a first direction intersecting surfaces of the substrates. The first arm holds both ends of one substrate in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and is capable of transferring the one substrate between the storage container and the second arm. The second arm has a first holder that can support two substrates in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions, and is capable of transferring the two substrates between the first arm and the boat.