ROTATING AND HOLDING APPARATUS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE AND CONVEYING APPARATUS OF ROTATING AND HOLDING APPARATUS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE

Abstract

A holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus for a semiconductor substrate.

A susceptor is fixed to a rotational driving shaft to be attachable and detachable in a vertical direction, the opening portions are formed to extend through the susceptor in a thickness direction of the susceptor, and a meshing portion which meshes with the substrate holders releasably in a vertical direction so that the substrate holder can rotate according to rotation of the susceptor is provided below the susceptor.

Claims

1. A rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate which is used within a reacting furnace in order to form a film on a semiconductor substrate in a vapor-phase state by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and which has a susceptor formed in a disc shape to be rotationally moved, a plurality of substrate holders formed in a disc shape, attachably and detachably disposed within a plurality of opening portions provided in the susceptor in an opened fashion and formed to rotate within the opening portions according to rotation of the susceptor, and having upper face portions on which semiconductor substrates are put, and a rotational driving shaft provided below the susceptor and rotating the susceptor, wherein the susceptor is fixed to the rotational driving shaft to be attachable and detachable thereto in a vertical direction, the opening portions are formed to extend through the susceptor in a thickness direction of the susceptor, and a meshing portion with which the substrate holders mesh releasably in the vertical direction to rotate the substrate holders within the opening portions according to rotation of the susceptor is provided below the susceptor.

2. The rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein the meshing portion is formed in a ring shape as a whole, a plurality of first meshing projections is disposed on an upper face portion of the meshing portion radially at constant intervals along a circumferential direction of the meshing portion and a plurality of second meshing projections which can mesh with the first meshing projections is disposed on a lower face portions of the substrate holders radially along peripheral edge portions of the substrate holders, so that when the substrate holders are disposed within the opening portions, the second meshing projections are disposed so as to project below the opening portions to mesh with the first meshing projections.

3. The rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to claim 2, wherein the first meshing projections are formed of a plurality of slender rectangular parallelepiped portions projecting upward along the thickness direction of the meshing portion and the second meshing projections are formed of a plurality of slender rectangular parallelepiped portions projecting downward along the thickness directions of the substrate holders.

4. The rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to claim 3, wherein a clearance size between adjacent ones of the first meshing projections is formed to be a clearance size larger than a width size of the second meshing projections, and a clearance size between adjacent ones of the second meshing projections is formed to be a clearance size larger than a width size of the first meshing projections, so that the first meshing projections and the second meshing projections mesh with each other with a gap therebetween.

5. The rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to claim 2, wherein the opening portions are formed such that diametrical sizes thereof are approximately equal to a radial size of the susceptor, and the opening portions are composed of three opening portions disposed at equal intervals, and the substrate holders are disposed in the opening portions, respectively.

6. The conveying apparatus of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of projection portions are provided at an upper end portion of the rotational driving shaft and a plurality of recessed portions in which the projection portions can be releasably inserted in an engaging fashion in the vertical direction is formed at a central portion of the susceptor.

7. A conveying apparatus of a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate, which is used for forming a film on a semiconductor substrate in a vapor-phase state by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, where a susceptor formed in a disc shape, attachably and detachably engaging a rotational driving shaft disposed below the susceptor, and having substrate holders having semiconductor substrates put on upper faces of the substrate holders and rotatably disposed in a plurality of opening portions provided in an opened fashion is detachably attached to the rotational driving shaft or conveyed out, wherein a conveying arm portion holding the susceptor is provided.

8. The conveying apparatus of a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to claim 7, wherein the conveying arm portion is configured to hold a peripheral edge portion of the susceptor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention in a plan view aspect;

[0046] FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and corresponding to a line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

[0047] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing a substrate holder slip ring;

[0048] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing a susceptor main body;

[0049] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and corresponding to line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

[0050] FIG. 6 is a back view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing the susceptor main body;

[0051] FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention, corresponding to line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and showing an arrangement state of heaters;

[0052] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing a meshing portion;

[0053] FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and corresponding to line 9-9 in FIG. 8;

[0054] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing a susceptor slip ring;

[0055] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing a substrate holder;

[0056] FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and corresponding to line C-C in FIG. 11;

[0057] FIG. 13 is a back view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention and showing the substrate holder;

[0058] FIG. 14 is a conceptual sectional view showing an embodiment of a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention, showing a case where the susceptor is conveyed to be attached to a rotational driving shaft using a conveying apparatus, and corresponding to line 2-2;

[0059] FIG. 15 is a conceptual sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and the conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and showing a state where the susceptor is conveyed to be attached to the rotational driving shaft using the conveying apparatus, where complete meshing of a meshing projection portion is not achieved and the susceptor has been slightly inclined;

[0060] FIG. 16 is a conceptual sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and the conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and showing a state where the susceptor is conveyed to be attached to the rotational driving shaft using the conveying apparatus, where complete meshing of the meshing projection portion is not achieved and the susceptor is rotating in an inclined state thereof;

[0061] FIG. 17 is a conceptual sectional view showing the embodiment of the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and the conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and showing a state where the susceptor is conveyed to be attached to the rotational driving shaft using the conveying apparatus, where meshing of the meshing projection portion is achieved and the susceptor is rotating in a horizontal state;

[0062] FIG. 18 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and corresponding to the line 2-2;

[0063] FIG. 19 is a conceptual sectional view showing the embodiment of a rotating holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and showing a case where the susceptor is conveyed using the conveying apparatus and semiconductor substrate replacement is performed, where the susceptor has been lifted up by a conveying arm portion;

[0064] FIG. 20 is a conceptual sectional view showing the embodiment of a rotating holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and showing a case where the susceptor is conveyed using the conveying apparatus and semiconductor substrate replacement is performed, where the susceptor has been lifted up by a conveying arm portion;

[0065] FIG. 21 is a conceptual sectional view showing the embodiment of a rotating holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus thereof according to the present invention and showing a case where the susceptor is conveyed using the conveying apparatus and semiconductor substrate replacement is performed, where detachment of the susceptor has been completed;

[0066] FIG. 22 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and a conveying apparatus thereof; and

[0067] FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing the example of the conventional rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate and the conveying apparatus thereof, and corresponding to line D-D in FIG. 22.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0068] The present invention will be described in detail below based upon embodiments shown in accompanying drawings.

[0069] [Overall Configuration]

[0070] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate 10 according to an embodiment is used in a reacting furnace for forming a film on a semiconductor substrate in a vapor-phase state by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and has a susceptor 12 formed in a disc shape to be rotationally moved, a plurality of substrate holders 14 formed in a disc shape, attachably and detachably disposed within three opening portions 13 provided in the susceptor 12 in an opened fashion and formed to be rotated within the opening portions 13 according to rotation of the susceptor 12, and having upper faces on which semiconductor substrates are put, and a rotational driving shaft 15 provided below the susceptor 12 and rotating the susceptor 12.

[0071] The susceptor 12 is fixed to the rotational driving shaft 15 to be attachable and detachable in a vertical direction and the opening portions 13 are formed to extend through the susceptor 12 in a thickness direction of the susceptor 12, and a meshing portion 16 releasably meshing with the substrate holders 14 in the vertical direction and allowing rotations of the substrate holders 14 according to rotation of the susceptor 12.

[0072] [Susceptor]

[0073] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the susceptor 12 is composed of a thin disc-shaped susceptor main body 17 and a susceptor ring 18 fixed to a peripheral upper edge portion of the susceptor main body 17 over a whole circumference thereof.

[0074] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the susceptor 12 is formed to have a diameter of 145 mm, the opening portions 13 have a diametrical size of 55.2 mm, and a radius L between the center of the susceptor 12 and the center of each opening portion 13 is 37 mm, the opening portions 13 are provided by three at equal intervals in an opening fashion, and the substrate holders 14 are disposed in the opening portions 13, respectively. In this embodiment, the opening portions 13 are disposed at angular positions of 120° from one another.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 5, the opening portion 13 is opened to extend through the susceptor main body 17 along a thickness direction of the susceptor main body 17 and a sectional configuration thereof is formed in such a taper shape that a diameter thereof is reduced toward a back face of the susceptor.

[0076] In the opening portion 13, a substrate holder slip ring 19 shown in FIG. 3 is disposed. The substrate holder slip ring 19 is made of glass-like carbon, is formed in an approximately-ring-like shape in plan view, and is configured to be capable of rotatably receiving the substrate holder 14 therein.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate holder slip ring 19 has an outer sectional contour shape equal to a sectional shape of the opening portion 3, and it has an inner peripheral portion formed with a stepped portion 20.

[0078] [Susceptor •Joining Portion]

[0079] As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the susceptor main body 17 has a joining portion 21 with the rotational driving shaft 15 provided at a central portion thereof on a back face side thereof in a projecting fashion and a peripheral edge projection portion 22 formed at a peripheral edge lower portion thereof.

[0080] The joining portion 21 is composed of a short cylindrical bulging portion 23 formed below the susceptor 12 and two recessed portions 24 and 24 formed within the budging portion 23 and opened in the back face direction. The pair of recessed portions 24 and 24 is formed in a diametrical direction in a paired fashion. Further, a peripheral edge of a surface portion of the susceptor is formed with a stepped portion 25 to which the susceptor ring 18 shown in FIG. 2 is fixed.

[0081] [Susceptor •Rotational Shaft Portion]

[0082] As shown in FIG. 2, the rotational driving shaft 15 is formed in a slender column shape as a whole, and it is joined to a proper rotational driving portion to be disposed within the reacting furnace.

[0083] A joining receiving portion 26 for the susceptor 12 is formed at an upper end portion of the rotational driving shaft 15. As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 21, the joining receiving portion 26 is formed to have a diameter larger than the diameter of a rotational driving shaft main body portion 27, and it is composed of an annular holding portion 29 provided to project from a peripheral edge portion of a joining upper end face portion 28 upward and holding the bulging portion from the outside of the bulging portion and two projection portions 30 and 30 provided within the annular holding portion 29 so as to project upward and arranged within the two recessed portions in an engaging fashion.

[0084] Therefore, when the susceptor 12 is joined to the rotational driving shaft 15, the two projection portions 30 and 30 are arranged within the two recessed portions 24 and 24 in an engaging fashion, so that rotational driving force of the rotational driving shaft 15 is transmitted to the susceptor 12 to rotate the susceptor 12.

[0085] Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of heaters 31 is arranged around the rotational driving shaft 15 over a whole area in a diametrical direction of the susceptor 12 so as to heat the susceptor 12 from below.

[0086] [Meshing Portion]

[0087] As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 7, FIG. 14, FIG. 20 or FIG. 21, a meshing portion 16 meshing with the substrate holders 14 to rotate the substrate holders 14 when the susceptor 12 is joined to the rotational driving shaft 15 is disposed below a peripheral edge portion of the susceptor 12.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the meshing portion 16 is formed in an approximately-ring-like shape as a whole to have an outer diameter of 132.6 mm and an inner diameter of 117 mm. The meshing portion 16 is composed of a susceptor-putting portion 32 formed in an inversed L shape in lateral section, a number of first meshing projections 33 formed on an upper face of the susceptor-putting portion 32 radially, and an annular susceptor slip ring 34 disposed on the susceptor-putting portion 32 outside in lengthwise directions of the meshing projections 33 and shown in FIG. 10.

[0089] The first meshing projections 33 are composed of a plurality of slender rectangular parallelepiped portions projecting upward along a thickness direction of the meshing portion 16, they are formed to have a length size of 3.5 mm, a width size of 1 mm, and a height size of 1.3 mm, and the number thereof is 60 as a whole in this embodiment.

[0090] The first meshing projections 33 are formed on an inner half of the upper face portion 35 of the meshing portion 16 in a widthwise direction of the meshing portion 16, and the susceptor slip ring 34 shown in FIG. 10 is fixed on the susceptor-putting portion 32 in an outer half of the upper face portion 35 in the widthwise direction.

[0091] The susceptor slip ring 34 is formed in a flat ring shape and when the susceptor slip ring 34 is disposed on the susceptor-putting portion 32, it abuts on the peripheral edge lower face portion of the susceptor main body 17 so that susceptor 12 is rotated smoothly.

[0092] [Substrate Holder]

[0093] As shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 13, the substrate holder 14 disposed in the opening portion 13 is formed in a small-sized thin disc shape, and it is composed of a substrate holder main body 36 and a substrate-putting portion 37 formed at an upper portion of the substrate holder main body 36 to be larger in diameter than the substrate holder main body 36.

[0094] A number of second meshing projections 38 capable of meshing with the first meshing projections 33 formed on the susceptor-putting portion 37 are radially formed on a peripheral edge of a lower face portion of the substrate holder main body 36. Further, a recessed portion 39 on which a substrate is to be put is formed approximately over a whole region of an upper face portion of the substrate-putting portion 37.

[0095] A thickness size of the substrate-putting portion 37 is formed to have the same size as a distance size between a surface of the stepped portion 20 of the substrate holder slip ring 19 shown in FIG. 3 and a surface 44 of the substrate holder slip ring 19, and a thickness size of the substrate holder main body 36 is formed to have the same size as a distance size between the surface of the above-described stepped portion and a back face 45 of the substrate holder slip ring 19.

[0096] Therefore, when the substrate holder 14 is received in the substrate holder slip ring 19 fixed to the opening portion 13 of the susceptor 12, a surface portion of the substrate-putting portion 37 is disposed to be flash with the surface 44 of the substrate holder slip ring 19, and the second meshing projections 38 are disposed to project below the back face 45 of the substrate holder slip ring 19 to be capable of meshing with the first meshing projections 33.

[0097] The second meshing projections 38 are formed to have a length size of 3.5 mm, a width size of 1 mm, and a height size of 1.3 mm in the same manner as the first meshing projections 33, and in this embodiment, 24 second meshing projections 38 are radially arranged by 24 as a whole.

[0098] In this embodiment, the substrate holder 14 is made of SiC (silicon carbide), and the recessed portion 39 is formed to have a size in which a sheet of 2-inch substrate can be fitted.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 1, three substrate holders 14 are arranged along a circumferential direction of the susceptor 12 at equal intervals, and a diametrical size of the substrate holder 14 is formed to be approximately equal to a distance size between the peripheral edge projection portion 22 of the susceptor 12 and the joining portion 21.

[0100] A distance size between the first meshing projections 33 and 33 adjacent to each other is formed to have a distance size larger than the width size of the second meshing projections 38, and a distance size between the second meshing projections 38 and 38 adjacent to each other is formed to be larger than a width size of the first meshing projections 33.

[0101] As a result, the first meshing projections 33 and the second meshing projections 38 mesh with each other with a clearance formed therebetween.

[0102] [Conveying Apparatus]

[0103] Further, as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, a susceptor conveying apparatus 41 is provided with a pair of conveying arm portions 42 and 42 for holding the susceptor 12. The conveying arm portions 42 and 42 is configured to hold the peripheral edge projection portion 22 of the susceptor 12, and they are provided with approximately-L-shaped supporting portions 43 in inside sectional shape so as to be capable of supporting the peripheral edge projection portion 22 from below.

[0104] In this embodiment, the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 are configured to be arranged in a paired manner in a diametrical direction of the susceptor 12 at a conveying time of the susceptor 12.

[0105] The susceptor conveying apparatus 41 is provided with an actuator with a proper configuration (not shown), the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 driven by the actuator, and a sensor with a proper configuration feeding a detection signal of the actuator so as to be capable of performing such movement control that the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 grasp the peripheral edge projection portion 22 of the susceptor, and it is configured so as to be capable of grasping the susceptor 12 placed outside the reacting furnace to convey the same into the reacting furnace and join the susceptor 12 to the rotational driving shaft 15 and cause the susceptor 12 to engage the meshing portion 16, and detaching the susceptor 12 from the rotational driving shaft 15 to convey the susceptor 12 outside the reacting furnace.

[0106] [Operation]

[0107] A case where the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate according to this embodiment is used to form a film on a semiconductor substrate in a vapor-phase state by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition will be described below.

[0108] First of all, the substrate holder slip rings 19, 19, and 19 shown in FIG. 3 are fitted into the three opening portions 13, 13, and 13 of the susceptor 12, respectively. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the respective substrate holders 14 are fixed on the substrate slip rings 19 to the respective opening portions 13, 13, and 13.

[0109] In this case, the peripheral edge lower portion 40 of the substrate-putting portion 37 of the substrate holder 14 is engaged with the stepped portion 20 of the substrate holder slip ring 19 to be disposed rotatably. Further, the 2-inch semiconductor substrate is fixed to the recessed portion 39 of the substrate holder-putting portion 37 formed on the upper portion of the substrate holder 14 in an engaging fashion.

[0110] Thereafter, the susceptor 12 is conveyed into the reacting furnace using the susceptor conveying apparatus 41. As shown in FIG. 14, in the susceptor conveying apparatus 41, the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 are driven by the actuator (not shown) and the peripheral edge projection portion 22 of the susceptor 12 is held by the conveying arm portions 42 and 42, the joining portion 21 formed on the back face portion of the susceptor 12 is conveyed up to a position just above the rotational driving shaft 15 disposed within the reacting furnace, thereafter, the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 are lowered by the actuator, the bulging portion 23 of the joining portion 21 is grasped by the annular holding portion 29 of the joining receiving portion 26, and the pair of projection portions 30 and 30 of the rotational driving shaft 15 is inserted and disposed in the pair of recessed portions 24 and 24 of the joining portion 21. Thereby, the susceptor 12 is joined to the rotational driving shaft 15 via the joining portion 21 and the joining receiving portion 26 so that a rotational driving force of the rotational driving shaft 15 is transmitted to the susceptor 12.

[0111] Further, the susceptor main body portion 17 is put on the meshing portion 16 via the susceptor slip ring 34 and the second meshing projections 38 of the substrate holder 14 are disposed between adjacent the first meshing projections 33 formed on the meshing portion 16, respectively.

[0112] In this state, when the rotational driving shaft 15 starts to rotate by a rotational driving force from the rotational driving shaft, for example, at a rate of two rotations per minute, the susceptor 12 starts to rotate on the susceptor slip ring 34 of the meshing portion 16 at a rate of two rotations per minute. In this case, since the second meshing projection portions 38 of three substrate holders 17 mesh with the first meshing projections 33 of the meshing portion 16, the three substrate holders 17 also start to rotate within the opening portions 13 according to rotation of the susceptor 12.

[0113] Incidentally, when the joining portion 21 of the susceptor 12 is joined to the joining receiving portion 26, such a case may occur that the second meshing projections 38 of any one of the three substrate holders 17 are disposed to overlap with the first meshing projections 33.

[0114] When the second meshing projections 38 are disposed to overlap with the first meshing projections 33 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 15, an end portion A of the susceptor 12 on the overlapping arrangement side of the susceptor 12 becomes slightly high on the meshing portion 16 and an end portion B of the susceptor 12 where the second meshing projections 38 are disposed between the first meshing projections 33 becomes low, so that the susceptor 12 is disposed on the meshing portion 16 in a slightly inclined fashion along a diametrical direction. In this embodiment, a height of the end portion A obliquely lifted up in the inclined fashion is 1.1 mm.

[0115] In this state, when the rotational driving shaft 15 starts to rotate by the rotational driving force from the rotational driving portion, for example, at a rate of two rotations per minute, the susceptor 12 starts to rotate on the susceptor slip ring 34 on the meshing portion 16 at a rate of two rotations per minute. In this case, since the second meshing projections 38 of any of the three substrate holders 17 mesh with the first meshing projections 33 of the meshing portion 16, even if the second meshing projections 38 are disposed to overlap with the first meshing projections 33, the first meshing projections 33 disposed on the second meshing projections 38 drop from the second meshing projections 38 to mesh with the second meshing projections 38 due to inertia or vibrations according to rotation of the susceptor 21, as shown in FIG. 17.

[0116] In this embodiment, since the distance size between the first meshing projections 33 and 33 adjacent to each other is formed to have a distance size larger than the width size of the second meshing projection 38 and the distance size between the second meshing projections 38 and 38 adjacent to each other is formed to have a distance size larger than the width size of the first meshing projection 33, the first meshing projections 33 and the second meshing projections 38 mesh with each other in a loosely fitted state formed therebetween, so that even if any of the first meshing projections 33 is put on the second meshing projections 38, a meshing state can be secured easily according to rotation of the susceptor 12, as described above.

[0117] Thereafter, rotation of the rotational driving shaft 15 is increased up to 10 rotations per minute, so that while each substrate holder 14 revolves on the susceptor 12 at a rate of 10 rotations per minute, it simultaneously rotates within the opening portion 13 at a rate of 25 rotations per minute.

[0118] For example, according to a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, mixed gas of hydrogen gas, ammonia gas, and trimethyl gallium (TMG) is supplied into the sealed reacting furnace and crystals of gallium nitride are caused to grow on semiconductor substrates disposed on the three substrate holders 14 under a temperature condition of 1100° C.

[0119] When crystals of gallium nitride are formed on the semiconductor substrates in a film state in this manner, as shown in FIG. 18 to FIG. 21, after the rotation of the rotational driving shaft 15 is stopped, the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 are caused to come close to the susceptor 12 from below the peripheral edge projection portion 22 by driving the conveying arm portions 42 and 42 by the susceptor conveying apparatus 41 and the peripheral edge projection portion 22 is supported from below by the supporting portions 43 of the conveying arm portions 42 to lift up the susceptor 12 upward and convey the susceptor 12 out of the reacting furnace according to a procedure reversed to the above procedure.

Advantageous Effect of Embodiment

[0120] In this embodiment, therefore, as described above, since the susceptor 12 is fixed to the rotational driving shaft 15 to be attachable and detachable in the vertical direction and the planetary mechanism where the second meshing projections 38 formed on the lower face of the substrate holders 14 and the first meshing projections 33 formed on the upper face of the meshing portion 16 mesh with each other in the vertical direction is constituted without using the planetary mechanism using spur gears like the conventional manner, attaching and detaching of the susceptor 12 to and from the rotational driving shaft 15 in the vertical direction can be made easy.

[0121] As a result, it becomes unnecessary to open the reacting furnace to manually take the semiconductor substrates having a film which has been formed within the reacting furnace by supplying vapor-phase materials into the reacting furnace out of the reacting furnace and attach semiconductor substrates to be newly processed to the substrate holders 14 on the susceptor 12 within the reacting furnace, which is different from the conventional technique, the susceptor 12 having the semiconductor substrates which have been put on the substrate holders 14 can be taken out of the reacting furnace using the susceptor conveying apparatus 41, and the substrate holders 14 which have semiconductor substrates to be newly subjected to film formation process and which have been disposed on the susceptor 12 can be conveyed and set within the reacting furnace using the susceptor conveying apparatus 41.

[0122] Further, since, while the semiconductor substrates which have been put on the substrate holders 14 are rotating on the substrate holders 14, they are revolved on the susceptor 12 by the planetary mechanism, a temperature distribution acting on the respective semiconductor substrates can be made even within the reacting furnace, and a film pressure distribution to be formed can be made even.

[0123] Further, in this embodiment, since the planetary mechanism is constituted according to meshing of the meshing projections 33 and 38 with each other in the thickness direction of the susceptor 12, which is different from the planetary mechanism utilizing spur gears like the conventional art, the diameter of the susceptor 12 can be reduced, which is different from the rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate utilizing the conventional planetary mechanism using spur gears.

[0124] As a result, since the opening portions 13 in which the substrate holders 14 are put are formed such that their diametrical sizes are approximately equal to the radial size of the susceptor 12, they are provided at equal intervals by three in an opened fashion, and the substrate holders 14 are disposed in the opening portions 13, respectively, a large space are not formed at a central portion of the susceptor between the respective substrate holders, which is different from the case where the planetary mechanism is constituted of spur gears in the conventional manner.

[0125] As a result, when a plurality of kinds of vapor-phase materials is supplied into the reacting furnace, such a situation that the vapor-phase materials do not contribute to film formation on the semiconductor substrates due to staying of the vapor-phase materials in the space portion can be prevented, so that the vapor-phase materials are not wasted and a supply efficiency of the vapor-phase materials can be improved.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0126] The present invention can be widely applied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for forming a film on a semiconductor substrate in a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and a conveying apparatus of a rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0127] 10 rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate [0128] 12 susceptor [0129] 13 opening portion [0130] 14 substrate holder [0131] 15 rotational driving shaft [0132] 16 meshing portion [0133] 17 susceptor main body [0134] 18 susceptor ring [0135] 19 substrate holder slip ring [0136] 20 stepped portion [0137] 21 joining portion [0138] 22 peripheral edge projection portion [0139] 23 bulging portion [0140] 24 recessed portion [0141] 25 stepped portion [0142] 26 joining receiving portion [0143] 27 rotational driving shaft main body [0144] 28 joining upper end face portion [0145] 29 annular holding portion [0146] 30 projection portion [0147] 31 heater [0148] 32 susceptor-putting portion [0149] 33 first meshing projection [0150] 34 susceptor slip ring [0151] 35 upper face portion [0152] 36 substrate holder main body [0153] 37 substrate-putting portion [0154] 38 second meshing portion [0155] 39 recessed portion [0156] 40 peripheral edge lower portion [0157] 41 susceptor conveying apparatus [0158] 42 conveying arm portion [0159] 43 supporting portion [0160] 44 surface [0161] 45 back face [0162] 60 rotating and holding apparatus for a semiconductor substrate [0163] 61 susceptor [0164] 62 opening portion [0165] 63 substrate holder [0166] 64 ring-like frame portion [0167] 65 opening portion [0168] 66 rotational shaft portion [0169] 67 teeth [0170] 68 spur gear [0171] 69 spur gear [0172] 71 teeth