SOLID MATERIAL CONTAINER AND SOLID MATERIAL PRODUCT IN WHICH SAID SOLID MATERIAL CONTAINER IS FILLED WITH A SOLID MATERIAL

Abstract

A solid material container 1 which gasifies and supplies a solid material 25 contained therein has a carrier gas introduction pipe 11, a solid material discharge pipe 12, a metal outer unit 21, an inner unit 22 which is filled with the solid material 25 and in which at least those sections which are in contact with the solid material are made out of a nonmetal material, and a lid unit 23 in which at least those sections which are in contact with the solid material 25 are made out of a nonmetal material. The inner unit 22 and the lid unit 23 are contained inside the outer unit 21.

Claims

1. A solid material container for gasifying and supplying a solid material contained therein, comprising a solid material discharge pipe that discharges a vapor of the solid material out of the solid material container, a metal outer unit, an inner unit which is filled with the solid material and in which at least those sections in contact with the solid material are made out of a nonmetal material, and a lid unit which is disposed on top of the inner unit, and in which at least those sections in contact with the solid material are made out of a nonmetal material, wherein the inner unit and the lid unit are contained inside the outer unit.

2. The solid material container as claimed in claim 1, wherein protrusions are formed on the inside of the outer unit, and the bottom of the inner unit has an inner unit fitting section which removably fits into the outer unit on the projections.

3. The solid material container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lid unit has at least one upper ventilation section through which the vapor of the solid material passes.

4. The solid material container of claim 1, wherein the lid unit has a lid fitting section which removably fits onto the top of the inner unit.

5. The solid material container of claim 1, wherein the inner unit has inner unit side walls and an inner unit bottom section, and the inner unit side walls have a bottom section fitting section which removably fits onto the inner unit bottom section.

6. The solid material container claim 1, wherein an inner section bottom plate is disposed in the inner unit bottom section, and the inner unit bottom plate has one or more bottom ventilation sections through which a carrier gas passes.

7. The solid material container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inner unit side walls have plate section top surface fitting sections which removably fit onto a bottom plate top surface section disposed on the top surface of the inner unit bottom plate, and the inner unit bottom section has a plate section bottom surface fitting section which removably fits with a bottom plate bottom surface fitting section disposed on a bottom surface of the inner unit bottom plate.

8. The solid material container of claim 1, wherein the inner unit is configured by a plurality of trays which are disposed at fixed intervals vertically, which are filled with the solid material, and at least those sections thereof which come in contact with the solid material are made out of a nonmetal material.

9. The solid material container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of trays comprise at least one first tray which has an outer supporting section on side edges thereof and is smaller than the inner dimension of the outer unit, and at least one second tray, which has an inner supporting section in a central section thereof and is smaller than the outer dimension of the first tray for forming an outer flow path, wherein the first tray is disposed so as to form an overlapping vertical stack with a neighboring second tray, and fluid flow path is provided between the first tray and the second tray passing through an outer flow path.

10. The solid material container according to claim 9, wherein the first tray has an outer supporting section top fitting section provided to the top of the outer supporting section, and an outer supporting section bottom fitting section provided to the bottom of the outer supporting section, the second tray has an inner supporting section top fitting section provided to the top of the inner supporting section, and an inner supporting section bottom fitting section provided to the bottom of the inner supporting section, the outer supporting section top fitting section of at least one of the first trays is removably fitted so as to be stacked on the outer supporting section bottom fitting section of at least one of the vertically neighboring first trays, and the inner supporting section top fitting section of at least one of the first trays is removably fitted so as to be stacked on the inner supporting section bottom fitting section of at least one of the vertically neighboring first trays.

11. The solid material container of claim 1, wherein the nonmetal material is at least one material selected from the group consisting of ceramic materials, glass, polymer materials, metal nitride containing materials, metal oxide containing materials, carbon containing materials, and quartz.

12. The solid material container of claim 11, wherein the nonmetal material is the ceramic material which comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, barium titanate, hydroxyapatite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, titanium oxide, yttrium oxide, and fluorite.

13. The solid material container of claim 1, wherein the inner unit, the lid unit, the inner unit side walls, the inner unit bottom section, the inner unit bottom plate, and/or the trays have a surface layer made out of a nonmetal material on at least part of the surface of a metal material.

14. A solid material product in which a solid material fills the solid material container as claimed in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] For a further understanding of the nature and objects for the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:

[0082] FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0083] FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0084] FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a lid unit of the solid material container.

[0085] FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a lid unit of the solid material container.

[0086] FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0088] FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0089] FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0090] FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

[0091] FIG. 10 is a view of an example of a configuration of a first tray and a second tray; and

[0092] FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a solid material container.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0093] Several embodiments of the present invention are described below. The embodiments described below describe examples of the present invention. The present invention is not limited in any way to the following embodiments, and includes variations implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. Note that all the configurations described below are not necessarily essential configurations of the present invention.

Embodiment 1

[0094] A solid material container 1 according to Embodiment 1 is described below, with reference to FIG. 1. The solid material container 1 is a solid material container for gasifying and supplying a solid material 25 contained therein.

[0095] The solid material container 1 has a carrier gas introduction pipe 11 which introduces a carrier gas into the solid material container 1, a solid material discharge pipe 12 which discharges vapor of the solid material 25 out of the solid material container 1, a metal outer unit 21, an inner unit 22 which is filled with the solid material 25 and in which at least those sections which are in contact with the solid material 25 are made out of a nonmetal material, and a lid unit 23 which is disposed on top of the inner unit 22 and in which at least those sections which are in contact with the solid material 25 are made out of a nonmetal material.

[0096] There is a clearance of about 1 mm between the side surfaces of the inner unit 22 and the outer unit 21, but the clearance may have any width. It is possible to provide a clearance which takes into account thermal expansion of the materials used in the inner unit 22 and the outer unit 21 at the temperature at which the solid material container 1 is used. If there is no thermal expansion to take into account, then it is also possible for there to be no clearance.

[0097] The vapor of the solid material 25 may be discharged from the solid material container 1 just as vapor by applying vacuum depressurization after the solid material container 1, or a carrier gas may be introduced into the solid material container 1 and the vapor of the solid material 25 may be discharged accompanied by the carrier gas.

[0098] The inner unit 22 is provided with a pipe cover unit 24 which is disposed around the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 and in which at least those sections which come in contact with the solid material 25 are made out of a nonmetal material.

[0099] If no carrier gas is introduced, the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 and the pipe cover unit 24 may not be provided.

[0100] The inner unit 22, the lid unit 23, and the pipe cover unit 24 are contained inside the outer unit 21.

[0101] Note that in this specification, the inner unit 22 includes a section where the solid material 25 fills the inner unit 22 and a space where the inner unit 22 is not filled with the solid material 25, and the outer unit 21 includes a section where the inner unit is contained, and a space where the inner unit 22 is not contained.

[0102] In the specification, the nonmetal material is any metal other than metals constituted solely by metal elements, namely a material in which the ratio of metal elements is 95 wt. % or less.

[0103] The metal outer unit 21 need only have a volume capable of containing the inner unit 22, and may be cylindrical or cubed. The outer unit 21 is made out of metal. The carrier gas introduction pipe 11 and the solid material discharge pipe 12 need only be pipes which allow gas to pass therethrough, and may be made out of metal.

[0104] If the outer unit 21, the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 and the solid material discharge pipe 12 are made out of metal, they may be made out of, but not limited to, stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, or copper alloys, for example. Examples of products in common circulation include, but are not limited to, Inconel™, Monel™, and Hastelloy™.

[0105] The solid material 25 may be a precursor used in depositing a semiconductor layer. The solid material 25 may be the precursor itself, or the solid material 25 carried on a carrier body such as beads, etc. The solid material 25 may be in a solid state when being filled, it may be a solid material 25 when the solid material container 1 is being transported, and it may be in a liquid state when being filled or when being heated after being filled. There is no particular limitation on the solid material 25, which may be a material including a compound selected from the group consisting of an organic compound, an organic metal compound, a metal halide, and mixtures of these. It may be AlCl.sub.3, HfCl.sub.4, WCl.sub.6, WCl.sub.5, NbF.sub.5, TiF.sub.4, XeF.sub.2, or carboxylic acid anhydride, for example.

[0106] The solid material product is obtained by filling the solid material container 1 with the solid material 25.

[0107] The carrier gas is not limited to any particular gas, and may be nitrogen, argon, helium, dry air, or hydrogen, or a combination thereof. An inert gas which does not cause a chemical reaction with the solid material is selected.

[0108] The inner unit 22 has a volume capable of being contained in the outer unit 21, and is the section where the solid material 25 can be filled. The inner unit 22 has a bottom section and side surfaces, and an opening through which the solid material 25 is filled. In the inner unit 22 shown in FIG. 1 the bottom section and the side surfaces are formed as a single unit, but it is also possible to dispose the bottom section and the side surfaces of the inner unit separately but without gaps therebetween, and adhere the separate bottom section and the side surfaces together.

[0109] It is preferable for at least those sections of the inner unit 22 which come in contact with the solid material 25 to be made out of a nonmetal material. The entire inner unit 22 may be made out of a nonmetal material, and may also have a surface layer in which only those sections of the inner unit 22 which come in contact with the solid material are made out of a nonmetal material. The surface layer need only be formed so as to cover at least part of the metal surface. The surface layer may be formed by depositing, applying, adhering, or spraying a nonmetal material onto the metal surface, for example, although this is not a limitation.

[0110] The lid unit 23 is disposed so as to prevent the solid material 25 filling the inner unit 22 from coming in contact with the metal outer unit 21 by covering the opening on the top of the inner unit 22. If the inner unit 22 is cylindrical, the lid unit 23 is disk-shaped.

[0111] One or more upper ventilation sections 41 through which the vapor of the solid material 25 passes are disposed in the lid unit 23. The vapor of the solid material 25 may be accompanied by a carrier gas. The upper ventilation sections 41 may be any shape through which gas can pass, such as slit-shaped or in the shape of cylindrical holes. As shown in FIG. 3, there may be a showerhead arrangement in which a plurality of cylindrical holes are arranged a predetermined intervals.

[0112] The lid unit 23 may be a flat disk as shown in FIG. 3, or it may be Petri-dish-shaped, with a raised surrounding edge 23A as shown in FIG. 4. If it is Petri-dish-shaped, then it is possible for a fitting section (not shown in the drawings) to be formed on a bottom edge 23B of the surrounding edge 23A of the lid unit 23 allowing removable fitting with the top of the inner unit 22.

[0113] The pipe cover unit 24 may be disposed so as to cover the metal sections of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11, being, for example, cylindrical as shown in FIG. 1, with the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 disposed so as to be contained inside the pipe cover unit 24.

[0114] If there is a great deal of fluctuation in the amount of the solid material vapor discharged from the solid material container 1 and it is desirable to increase the precision of the amount of solid material gasified relative to the heat input from the heater (not shown in the drawings) which heats the solid material container 1, or if it is desired to quickly heat or cool the solid material 25, the heat conductivity can be improved by making the nonmetal material silicon carbide, for example, which has good heat conductivity.

[0115] A nonmetal material which does not contain metal elements can be selected in order to reduce metal contamination of the solid material 25, by minimizing admixture of metal elements in the solid material 25. It is possible to select silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, titanium oxide, or glass, for example.

[0116] By selecting a nonmetal material containing the same element as the element contained in the solid material 25, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which even admixture of part of the nonmetal material in the solid material 25 would not result in an impurity. For example, if the solid material 25 is aluminum chloride, it is possible to select alumina as the nonmetal material. As another example, if the solid material 25 is zirconium chloride, it is possible to select zirconia as the nonmetal material. If the solid material 25 is hafnium chloride, it is possible to select hafnia as the nonmetal material. As yet another example, if the solid material 25 is amino silicon, it is possible to select silicon nitride as the nonmetal material. By combining solid materials with nonmetal materials in this way, the effect of any nonmetal material getting mixed into the solid material 25 as a metal impurity (reducing the purity of the solid material, metal contamination of a thin film formed using the solid material) can be reduced. The nonmetal material can be selected according to the requirements of the characteristics of the solid material 25, the heating temperature of the solid material container 1, and the process using the solid material 25. For example, if the process using the solid material 25 is a process which requires avoiding admixture of aluminum, then a material not containing any aluminum can be selected.

[0117] In the solid material container 1 shown in FIG. 1, the inner unit 22 is fitted into the outer unit 21 and the pipe cover unit 24 is disposed, after which the inner unit 22 is filled with the solid material 25 and then the lid unit 23 is fitted onto the inner unit 22. Thereafter, the lid of the outer unit 21, having the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is closed. The carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is inserted into the pipe cover unit 24 at this point. The lid of the outer unit 21 may be secured with screws 91. The solid material product is obtained by filling the solid material container 1 with the solid material 25.

[0118] The carrier gas introduced through the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is fed to the bottom section of the inner unit 22 through an outlet of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11. The carrier gas thus fed comes in contact with the solid material 25 filling the inner unit 22, passes through the upper ventilation sections 41 disposed in the lid unit 23 accompanied by the vapor of the solid material 25, and is discharged through the solid material discharge pipe 12.

[0119] The solid material 25 filling the inner unit 22 comes in contact only with the inner unit 22, the pipe cover unit 24, and the lid unit 23, which are made out of a nonmetal material while being filled into the solid material container 1, and does not come in contact with the carrier gas introduction pipe 11, the outer unit 21, or the solid material discharge pipe 12, which are made out of metal. Therefore, there is no risk of corrosion products being produced by a reaction between the metal material and the solid material 25 or any metal components originating in the metal material from getting mixed into the solid material 25, thereby making it possible to minimize metal contamination of the solid material 25.

Embodiment 2

[0120] A solid material container 2 according to Embodiment 2 is described below, with reference to FIG. 2. Elements having the same reference numerals as in the solid material container 1 in Embodiment 1 perform the same functions, and therefore descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0121] The solid material container 2 according to Embodiment 2 has projections 31 formed on the bottom surface of the outer unit 21, and the bottom surface of the inner unit 22 has inner unit fitting sections 32 which removably fit with the outer unit 21 on the projections 31.

[0122] In FIG. 2, the projections 31 are formed on the bottom section of the inside of the outer unit 21, but they may also be formed on side surfaces of the inside of the outer unit 21. The projections 31 may be round or rectangular pillar-shaped protrusions formed on the inside of the outer unit 21, and they may be protrusions formed as a ring on the bottom section of the inside of the outer unit 21. The projections 31 may also be recesses formed on the inside of the outer unit 21.

[0123] The inner unit fitting sections 32 may be formed so as to removably fit onto the projections 31, and if the projections 31 are protrusions, then the inner unit fitting sections 32 may be recesses. If the projections 31 are recesses, then the inner unit fitting sections 32 may be protrusions.

[0124] The lid unit 23 of the solid material container 2 has a lid unit fitting section 33 which removably fits onto the top of the inner unit 22. There is no particular limitation on the shape of the fitting sections, but if the top of the inner unit 22 is convex, then the lid unit fitting section 33 may be made concave, so as to allow fitting therebetween. If the top of the inner unit 22 is concave, then the lid unit fitting section 33 may be formed so as to be convex, thereby allowing fitting therebetween. In FIG. 2, the center of the lid unit 23 is formed circularly thicker (reference numeral 34 in FIG. 2) around the inner edges of the cylindrical inner unit 22 and the outer edges of the lid unit 23 (reference numeral 33 in the drawing FIG. 2) are formed thinner, thereby forming the lid unit fitting section 33 and allowing fitting onto the top of the inner unit 22.

[0125] With the solid material container 2, the outer unit 21 and the inner unit 22 are secured by fitting onto the projections 31. Therefore, damage to the lid unit 23 or the pipe cover unit 24 due to the inner unit 22 shifting inside the outer unit 21 can be prevented. Moreover, the inner unit 22 can be prevented from being damaged due to the outer unit 21 and the inner unit 22 bumping into each other.

Embodiment 3

[0126] A solid material container 3 according to Embodiment 3 is described below, with reference to FIG. 5. Elements having the same reference numerals as in the solid material container 1 in Embodiment 1 and the solid material container 2 in Embodiment 2 perform the same functions, and therefore descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0127] The inner unit 22 of the solid material container 3 according to Embodiment 3 has inner unit side walls 22A and an inner unit bottom plate 22B, the inner unit side walls 22A having a bottom section fitting section 22C which removably fits onto the inner unit bottom plate 22B.

[0128] The inner unit side walls 22A and the inner unit bottom plate 22B are made separately, so machining is easier than when forming the inner unit 22 which is a single unit. In FIG. 5, steps are formed in the inner unit bottom plate 22B, and the inner unit side walls 22A are disposed so as to fit into the steps. The inner unit side walls 22A and the inner unit bottom plate 22B are fitted in the bottom section fitting section 22C, and therefore the solid material 25 filling the inner unit 22 does not leak out of the inner unit 22. The inner unit side walls 22A and the inner unit bottom plate 22B can be adhered together. Note that in FIG. 5, an enlarged view of the vicinity of the bottom section fitting section 22C is given. In order to make the enlarged view easier to see, the inner unit side walls 22A, the inner unit bottom plate 22B, and the outer unit 21 are grayed out or cross-hatched.

[0129] The shape of the fitting section 22C is not limited to a step shape. For example, recesses can be provided to the inner unit bottom plate 22B, and protrusions, which are the bottom section fitting section 22C, can be formed in the inner unit bottom plate 22B so as to fit into the recesses.

Embodiment 4

[0130] A solid material container 4 according to Embodiment 4 is described below, with reference to FIG. 6. Elements having the same reference numerals as in the solid material containers 1-3 in Embodiments 1-3 perform the same functions, and therefore descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0131] An inner unit bottom plate 42 is disposed in the bottom section of the inner unit 22 of the solid material container 4 according to Embodiment 4, and the inner unit bottom plate 42 has one or more bottom ventilation sections 43 through which carrier gas flows.

[0132] The inner unit bottom plate 42 is disposed a predetermined distance away from the inner unit bottom plate 22B. The predetermined distance may be any distance allowing the carrier gas to flow therethrough, and may be between 1 mm and 30 mm, inclusive, for example. The inner unit bottom plate 42 may be affixed to the pipe cover unit 24 and/or the inner unit side walls 22A.

[0133] The inner unit bottom plate 42 may be a flat disk or it may be shaped like a Petri-dish with a raised surrounding edge. If the inner unit bottom plate 42 has a raised surrounding edge, the inner unit bottom plate 42 may be disposed such that the surrounding edge is disposed on the inner unit bottom plate 22B (see FIG. 7). The carrier gas introduced through the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is fed to the inner unit bottom plate 22B through the outlet side of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11, passes through the bottom ventilation sections 43 of the inner unit bottom plate 42, and comes in contact with the solid material 25 filling the inner unit 22.

[0134] The bottom ventilation sections 43 need only have a shape allowing the carrier gas to pass therethrough, e.g., a slit shape, and one or more cylindrical holes may be disposed. The carrier gas fed out of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is dispersed by passing through the bottom ventilation sections 43, and can therefore come in contact with the solid material 25 more uniformly.

Embodiment 5

[0135] A solid material container 5 according to Embodiment 5 is described below, with reference to FIG. 8. Elements having the same reference numerals as in the solid material containers 1-4 in Embodiments 1-4 perform the same functions, and therefore descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0136] The inner unit side walls 22A of the solid material container 5 according to Embodiment 5 has a plate section top surface fitting section 51 which removably fits with a bottom plate top surface fitting section 52 disposed on the top surface of the inner unit bottom plate 42. The inner unit bottom plate 22B has a plate section bottom surface fitting section 54 which removably fits with a bottom plate bottom surface fitting section 53 which is disposed on the bottom surface of the inner unit bottom plate 42. An enlarged view of the vicinity of the bottom plate top surface fitting section 52 is shown at bottom left. Note that to make the enlarged view easier to see, spaces are included between the inner unit side walls 22A and the inner unit bottom plate 42 and between the inner unit bottom plate 42 and the inner unit bottom plate 22B, but in reality these sections are in contact with each other.

[0137] The bottom plate top surface fitting section 52 need only be formed so as to be removably fitted onto the plate section top surface fitting section 51. If the bottom plate top surface fitting section 52 is a protrusion, the plate section top surface fitting section 51 may be a recess. If the bottom plate top surface fitting section 52 is a recess, then the plate section top surface fitting section 51 may be a protrusion.

[0138] Similarly, the bottom plate bottom surface fitting section 54 need only be formed so as to be removably fitted onto the plate section bottom surface fitting section 53. If the bottom plate bottom surface fitting section 54 is a protrusion, the plate section bottom surface fitting section 53 may be a recess. If the bottom plate bottom surface fitting section 54 is a recess, then the plate section bottom surface fitting section 53 may be a protrusion.

[0139] In the solid material container 5 according to Embodiment 5, the carrier gas is introduced through the carrier gas introduction pipe 11, and is fed from the outlet end of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 to the inner unit bottom plate 22B. The carrier gas passes through the bottom ventilation sections 43 of the inner unit bottom plate 42 and comes in contact with the solid material 25 filling the inner unit 22.

[0140] The inner unit side walls 22A, the inner unit bottom plate 42, and the pipe cover unit 24 are made out of a nonmetal material. Therefore the solid material 25 comes in contact with the inner unit side walls 22A which is made out of a nonmetal material, the inner unit bottom plate 42 which is made out of a nonmetal material, and the pipe cover unit 24 which is made out of a nonmetal material, but does not come in contact with members which are made out of metal. Accordingly, there is no metal contamination of the solid material 25 originating in metal members.

[0141] The carrier gas fed out of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is dispersed by passing through the bottom ventilation sections 43, and can therefore come in contact with the solid material 25 more uniformly.

[0142] The inner unit bottom plate 22B is fitted into and affixed to the outer unit 21 by the projections 31.

[0143] The inner unit bottom plate 42 is affixed to the inner unit bottom plate 22B by the plate section bottom surface fitting section 53 and the bottom plate bottom surface fitting section 54 being fitted together.

[0144] The inner unit side walls 22A is affixed to the inner unit bottom plate 42 by the plate section top surface fitting section 51 being fitted to the bottom plate top surface fitting section 52.

[0145] Therefore, in the outer unit 21, the inner unit side walls 22A, the pipe cover unit 24, the inner unit bottom plate 42, and the inner unit bottom plate 22B, which make up the inner unit 22, are fixed so as not to shift, preventing the solid material 25 from leaking out of the inner unit 22 into the outer unit 21.

Embodiment 6

[0146] A solid material container 6 according to Embodiment 6 is described below, with reference mainly to FIG. 9. Elements having the same reference numerals as in the solid material containers 1-5 in Embodiments 1-5 perform the same functions, and therefore descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0147] The solid material container 6 according to Embodiment 6 has first trays 61 and second trays 62 which are disposed at fixed intervals vertically, are filled with the solid material 25, and at least those sections of which are in contact with the solid material 25 are made out of a nonmetal material.

[0148] The first trays 61 have an outer supporting section 61A on side edges (indicated by the cross-hatching in FIG. 11). The outer dimension of the first trays 61 is smaller than the inner dimension of the outer unit 21.

[0149] As shown in FIG. 11, the second trays 62 have an inner supporting section 62A (indicated by the shading in FIG. 11). The outer dimension of the second trays 62 is configured so as to be smaller than the outer dimension of the first trays 61 so as to form an outer flow path 71 (see FIG. 10).

[0150] The first trays 61 are disposed so as to form a vertical overlapping stack with the second trays 62.

[0151] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part of the left-hand side of the inner structure of FIG. 9.

[0152] A fluid flow path is provided between the first trays 61 and the second trays 62, along the outer flow path 71.

[0153] The first tray 61(a) disposed on top has an outer supporting section top fitting section 61B(a) provided on top of an outer supporting section 61A(a), and an outer supporting section bottom fitting section 61C(a) which is provided to the bottom of an outer supporting section 61A(a).

[0154] The first tray 61(b) disposed on the bottom has an outer supporting section top fitting section 61B(b) provided on top of an outer supporting section 61A(b), and an outer supporting section bottom fitting section 61C(b) which is provided to the bottom of an outer supporting section 61A(b).

[0155] The second tray 62(a) disposed on top has an inner supporting section top fitting section 62B(a) provided on top of an inner supporting section 62A(a), and an inner supporting section bottom fitting section 61C(a) which is provided to the bottom of the inner supporting section 62C(a).

[0156] The second tray 62(b) disposed on the bottom has an inner supporting section top fitting section 62B(b) provided on top of an inner supporting section 62A(b), and an inner supporting section bottom fitting section 62C(b) which is provided to the bottom of the inner supporting section 62A(b).

[0157] The outer supporting section top fitting section 61B(b) of the bottom first tray 61(b) is removably fitted so as to be stacked on the outer supporting section bottom fitting section 61C(a) of at least one of the vertically neighboring first trays 61(a) so as to be stacked. The shape of the outer support section top fitting section 61B(a) or 61B(b) may be a round or squared protrusion or recess. The outer supporting section bottom fitting section 61C(a) may be any shape which allows fitting with the shape of the outer supporting section top fitting section 61B(b), and may be a round or squared recess or protrusion.

[0158] The inner supporting section top fitting section 62B(b) of the bottom second tray 62(b) is removably fitted so as to be stacked on the inner supporting section bottom fitting section 62C(a) of at least one of the vertically neighboring second trays 62(a) so as to be stacked. The shape of the inner support section top fitting section 62B(a) or 62B(b) may be a circular or squared protrusion or recess. The inner supporting section bottom fitting section 62C(a) may be any shape which allows fitting with the shape of the inner supporting section top fitting section 62B(b), and may be a round or squared recess or protrusion.

[0159] The first trays 61 and the second trays 62 are alternatingly stacked from the bottom upward in this order: first tray 61(b), second tray 62(b), first tray 61(a), and second tray 62(a).

[0160] The bottommost second tray 62(b) is fixed in a predetermined location inside the outer unit 21 by being removably fitted to the projections 31 provided to the bottom surface of the outer unit 21 (see FIG. 9). The bottommost first tray 61(b) is fixed in a predetermined location inside the outer unit 21 by being removably fitted to another of the projections 31 provided to the surrounding edge of the bottom section of the outer unit 21 (see FIG. 9).

[0161] Gas flow in the solid material container 6 is described next, with reference mainly to FIG. 9.

[0162] The carrier gas is introduced into the solid material container 6 through the carrier gas introduction pipe 11. The carrier gas introduction pipe 11 is made out of metal but is covered by the pipe cover unit 24 formed by stacking the inner supporting sections 62A (see FIG. 11) of the second trays 62, and therefore the solid material 25 does not come in contact with the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 which is made out of metal.

[0163] The carrier gas supplied through the outlet end of the carrier gas introduction pipe 11 passes through a flow path 81 provided to the bottom of the inner supporting section 62A of the bottommost second tray 62, and enters a bottom space 82 of the bottommost second tray 62. Thereafter, the carrier gas passes through the outer flow path (71 in FIG. 10) and enters the second trays 62.

[0164] The carrier gas, which has passed over the solid material 25 filling the second trays 62 flows into the first trays 61 along the inner supporting section 62A of the second trays 62. The carrier gas which has flowed into the first trays 61 flows over the solid material 25 filling the first trays 61 and flows into the first trays 61 via the outer flow path 71. The carrier gas thus alternatingly passes through the first trays 61 and the second trays 62, through the upper ventilation sections 41, and is discharged through the solid material discharge pipe 12.

[0165] In FIG. 9, the lid unit 23 is removably fitted onto the outer support section bottom fitting section 61B (see FIG. 10) of the first trays 61. The center of the lid unit 23 has the upper ventilation sections 41 so as to form a fluid flow path with the inner supporting sections 62A (see FIG. 10) of the second trays 62.

[0166] The first trays 61 and the second trays 62 are disposed so as to be alternatingly stacked in a vertical direction. The first trays 61 and the second trays 62 may be disposed inside the outer unit 21 one at a time, or two or more sets may be disposed, one set being made up of one first tray 61 and one second tray 62. The number of the first trays 61 and the second trays 62 disposed inside the outer unit 21 may be any number according to the height of the outer unit 21, the characteristics of the solid material 25, the filling amount of the solid material 25, and so on. For example, there may be two each, three each, or four each of the first trays 61 and the second trays 62, and the number may be increased. There may be the same number of the first trays 61 and the second trays 62, or there may be one fewer of the second trays 62 than the first trays 61. The lid unit 23 is disposed on the first trays 61 or the second trays 62 disposed at the very top.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0167] Using the solid material container 4 according to Embodiment 4, a solid material product was made, using aluminum chloride as the solid material.

[0168] Three different types of material were used for the outer unit 21.

[0169] (1) Stainless steel (SUS 316L) (henceforth sometimes “SS”),

[0170] (2) Electropolished stainless steel (henceforth sometimes “EP”), or

[0171] (3) Fluorine-passivated and electropolished stainless steel (henceforth sometimes “passivated steel”).

[0172] Fluorine passivation is carried out by submerging electropolished stainless steel in a 0.5%-concentration solution of hydrogen fluoride at 20° C. for 30 min and washed with ultrapure water.

[0173] The following three types of materials were used for the inner unit side walls 22A, the inner unit bottom plate 22B, the inner unit bottom plate 42, and the pipe cover unit 24 making up the inner unit 21.

[0174] (A) A ceramic material (alumina, 99.5% purity),

[0175] (B) Stainless steel (SUS 316L) having an alumina surface layer on sections which come in contact with the solid material (henceforth sometimes “alumina covering”)

[0176] (C) Glass.

[0177] The alumina covering is formed by depositing alumina on the stainless steel to thickness of 200 nm using chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

[0178] The outer dimensions of the outer unit 21 in the solid material container 4 are a diameter of 200 mm and a height of 185 mm. The outer dimensions of the inner unit 22 are 186 mm and a height of 132 mm.

[0179] Aluminum chloride having a purity of 99.999% was used for the aluminum chloride. 1.1 kg of the aluminum chloride was filled.

[0180] Inside a glove box having a nitrogen atmosphere, the inner unit 22 contained in the outer unit 21 was filled with the aluminum chloride, and the lid unit 23 was closed. The outer unit 21 was sealed with the screws 91, and a solid material product in which the solid material container 4 was filled with aluminum chloride was obtained. The solid material product was removed from the glove box, and the solid material container was placed in a vehicle and transported 200 km to test the strength thereof. After transportation, the solid material product was heated to 150° C. for 14 days using an electric oven. After heating, the solid material produced was left to cool until the solid material container 4 reached 20° C., and then the contents were checked inside the glove box which was filled with a nitrogen atmosphere.

[0181] Table 1 gives the results of visual observation of damage (cracks) to various parts of the inner unit.

[0182] The aluminum chloride filling the inner unit was removed, and observations were made of any changes in the metal components in the aluminum chloride. Table 1 gives these results, too.

[0183] The metal components in the aluminum chloride were measured as follows.

[0184] 1 g of the aluminum chloride was collected and dissolved with a solution in which hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, and water were mixed at a 1:1:18 volume ratio. The metal was analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) on the aluminum chloride solution. Table 1 gives the results. A PerkinElmer NexION 300S was used as the ICP-MS.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Metal Analysis Results Outer Unit Inner Unit Inner Unit Fe Cr Ni Material Material Damage (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) Before use — — — 0.2 0.0 0.0 Example 1-1 SS Alumina No 0.4 0.0 0.0 Example 1-2 SS Alumina No 0.5 0.0 0.2 covering Example 1-3 SS Glass No 0.2 0.0 0.0 Example 1-4 EP Alumina No 0.4 0.0 0.0 Example 1-5 EP Alumina No 0.5 0.0 0.2 covering Example 1-6 EP Glass No 0.2 0.0 0.0 Example 1-7 Passivated Alumina No 0.4 0.0 0.0 steel Example 1-8 Passivated Alumina No 0.5 0.0 0.2 steel covering Example 1-9 Passivated Glass No 0.2 0.0 0.0 steel Comparison ex. 1 SS SS No 37.0 1.0 4.1 Comparison ex. 2 — Alumina Yes — — — (cracking) Comparison ex. 3 — Alumina Yes — — — covering (cracking)

[0185] When (1) the stainless steel (SUS 316), (2) the electropolished stainless steel, and (3) the fluorine-passivated and electropolished stainless steel, which are metal materials, were used for the outer unit, no cracking, splitting, or other damage were observed in the inner unit, whichever of the three nonmetal materials were used for the inner unit (alumina, alumina covering, or glass) (Examples 1-1 to 1-9). Accordingly, when a metal material is used for the outer unit and a nonmetal material is used for the inner unit, it can be said that there is sufficient strength for transportation and heating.

[0186] The three types of metal—iron (Fe), chrome (Cr), and nickel (Ni)—thought to have an adverse effect on formation of aluminum oxide thin films or aluminum nitride thin films in terms of metal impurities in the aluminum chloride were measured, and changes in the metal impurity content before and after heating in the solid material container were observed. The metal impurities in the aluminum chloride prior to filling the solid material were 0.2 ppm of iron, 0 ppm of chrome, and 0 ppm of nickel.

[0187] When glass was used in the inner unit, there were no changes in the metal impurity concentrations after heating, irrespective of the material of the outer unit (Examples 1-3, 1-6, and 1-9). It can therefore be said that when a glass inner unit is used, there was absolutely no metal contamination of the solid material.

[0188] When alumina, which is a ceramic material, was used in the inner unit, the iron increased from 0.2 ppm (before heating) to 0.4 ppm (after heating), irrespective of the material of the outer unit (Examples 1-1, 1-4, and 1-7). It can therefore be said that when the alumina inner unit was used, there was extremely little metal contamination of the solid material.

[0189] When the alumina covering was used in the inner unit, the iron grew from 0.2 ppm (before heating) to 0.5 ppm (after heating), and the Ni grew from 0 ppm (before heating) to 0.2 ppm (after heating), irrespective of the material of the outer unit (Examples 1-2, 1-5, and 1-8). It can therefore be said that when the alumina-covered inner unit was used, there was extremely little metal contamination of the solid material.

[0190] The reason there was slightly more metal contamination than when alumina or glass was used is possibly because visually unobservable cracks were caused by the heating, and contact occurred between the metal outer unit and the solid material through those cracks.

[0191] While the degree of metal contamination of the solid material differs depending on the material of the inner unit, the material of the outer unit was not observed to have any effect on metal contamination in these examples. However, depending on the characteristics of the solid material, it is more preferable to use EP, which can reduce the production of corrosion products, and yet more preferable to use EP and fluorine-passivated stainless steel.

Comparison Example 1

[0192] We conducted a similar test as in Example 1 using stainless steel in the outer unit 21 and the inner unit 22.

[0193] No damage was seen in the inner unit when it was checked after heating.

[0194] On the other hand, when a metal analysis was done of the aluminum chloride after heating, high concentrations of the metal elements iron, chrome, and nickel, were detected, as shown in Table 1.

[0195] When a metal material is used in the inner unit 22, it was observed that metal contamination of the solid material present occurs.

Comparison Example 2

[0196] An alumina inner unit 22 was made without using the outer unit 21. The alumina inner unit was placed in a vehicle and transported 200 km to check the strength thereof. When the inner unit was observed after transportation, visual confirmation was made of multiple cracks, as shown in Table 1.

[0197] This result confirms that inner units which are made out of a nonmetal material and are not contained in a metal outer unit have low strength and cannot withstand transportation.

Comparison Example 3

[0198] An inner unit 22 covered in alumina was made without using the outer unit 21. The inner unit 22 was made by using CVD to cover the stainless steel SUS 316L with 200 nm of alumina.

[0199] The alumina-covered inner unit was placed in a vehicle and transported 200 km to check the strength thereof. When the inner unit was checked after transportation, no cracking was observed. However, as shown in Table 1, multiple cracks were observed in the covering alumina.

[0200] As shown in Table 1, no cracking was observed in Example 1-2, Example 1-5, and Example 1-8, but cracking was observed when the outer unit 21 was not used.

Example 2

[0201] Using the solid material container 6 according to Embodiment 6, a solid material product was made, using aluminum chloride as the solid material.

[0202] A same test as in Example 1 was conducted, using the stainless steel outer unit 21 and alumina for the first trays 61, the second trays 62, and the lid unit 23 making up the inner unit 22.

[0203] The outer dimensions of the outer unit 21 in the solid material container 6 are a diameter of 200 mm and a height of 310 mm. The outer dimensions of the inner unit 22 are 191 mm and a height of 274 mm.

[0204] The tray outer diameter of the first trays 61 was 175 mm, the height of the inner supporting section 62A was 50 mm, and the depth of the trays was 15 mm.

[0205] The tray outer diameter of the second trays 62 was 189 mm, the height of the outer supporting section 61A was 50 mm, and the depth of the trays was 18 mm.

[0206] The trays were stacked vertically and alternatingly in the order first tray 61, second tray 62, first tray 61, and second tray 62 from the bottom inside the inner unit 22. Six of the first trays 61 and five of the second trays 62 were stacked. The first tray 61 was disposed at the top, and the lid unit 23 was disposed on that topmost first tray 61.

[0207] Aluminum chloride having a purity of 99.999% made by Konjundo Chemical Laboratory Co., Ltd., was used for the aluminum chloride. 6 kg of the aluminum chloride was filled.

[0208] As in Example 1, after heating to 150° C. for 14 days, the first trays 61, the second trays 62, and the lid unit 23 were visually observed, and no damage was observed.

[0209] When the aluminum chloride after heating was analyzed, the iron grew from 0.2 ppm (before heating) to 0.4 ppm (after heating), but no changes were seen in the chrome or nickel concentrations.

[0210] These results show that there was sufficient strength in Embodiment 6, and that the metal contamination was successfully minimized to a low level.

Example 3

[0211] Using the solid material container 4 according to Embodiment 4, a solid material product was made, using aluminum chloride as the solid material. The following four materials were used for the inner unit 22.

[0212] (a) A material in which the stainless steel SUS 316L was covered in 500 nm of SiO.sub.2

[0213] (b) A material in which the stainless steel SUS 316L was covered in 20 nm of alumina

[0214] (c) A material in which the stainless steel SUS 316L was covered in 50 nm of alumina

[0215] (d) A material in which the stainless steel SUS 316L was covered in 100 nm of alumina

[0216] The inner unit 22 was filled with 1 kg of the aluminum chloride and heated to 170° C. for five days. The surface of the inner unit 22 after heating was observed using an optical microscope.

[0217] The observations using an optical microscope showed that with (a) and (d) there were almost no changes in the condition of the metal surfaces before filling the aluminum chloride and after filling and heating.

[0218] With (c), the surface was observed to be slightly rougher after filling and heating.

[0219] With (d), the surface was rougher after filling and heating, but no major discoloration or rust was observed.

Comparison Example 4

[0220] Using the solid material container 4 according to Embodiment 4, a solid material product was made, using aluminum chloride as the solid material, and the same test as in Example 3 was carried out. Uncovered stainless steel SUS 316L was used for the inner unit 22.

[0221] In Comparison Example 2, the surface of the stainless steel after filling with aluminum chloride and heating to 170° C. for 5 days was significantly rougher, and discoloration and rust were observed on the surface.

Example 4

[0222] An aluminum oxide film was formed on a semiconductor substrate using a solid material product filled with aluminum chloride as the solid material, using the solid material container 6 (having the stainless steel outer unit 21 and the inner unit 22 having the alumna-covered first trays 61 and the alumina-covered second trays 62) according to Embodiment 6 and the container (the container in which the alumina inner unit 22 was disposed inside the stainless steel outer unit 21) used in Example 1-1.

[0223] These two containers were heated to 120° C., and argon gas was caused to flow therethrough at a flow rate of 500 SCCM as the carrier gas, thereby supplying aluminum chloride vapor over the semiconductor substrate. Ozone was used as an oxidizing agent, and the aluminum oxide film was formed on the silicon substrate using ALD to a thickness of 3 mm.

[0224] Table 2 shows the results of a TXRF (total reflection X-ray fluorescence) analysis of the metal components (chrome, iron, and nickel) on the aluminum oxide film which resulted.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Analysis results Outer unit Inner unit Metal (atoms/cm.sup.2) Container type material material Cr Fe Ni Embodiment 6 Stainless steel Alumina 8.00 × 10.sup.10 4.00 × 10.sup.10 2.00 × 10.sup.11 (SUS 316L) covering Example 1-1 Stainless steel Alumina 6.20 × 10.sup.9 5.50 × 10.sup.9  3.40 × 10.sup.9 (SUS316L) or less or less

[0225] The results of Example 3 and Comparison Example 4 confirmed that the material in which the stainless steel was covered in SiO.sub.2 or alumina was suitable as the nonmetal material for the solid material container, and in particular that the material in which the stainless steel was covered with the alumina to a thickness of 100 nm was suitable. Furthermore, when the solid material container in which the outer and inner units were both made out of stainless steel was filled with the aluminum chloride and an aluminum oxide film was made as in Example 4, at least 1.00×10.sup.11 atoms/cm.sup.2 were detected of chrome, iron, and nickel in the aluminum oxide film which resulted.

[0226] These results indicate that metal impurities were observably reduced in the resulting films using containers filled with the solid material when a nonmetal material was used in the inner unit, which comes in contact with the solid material, and nonmetal materials were used the first trays, the second trays, and the lid unit.

EXPLANATION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0227] 1. Solid material container [0228] 2. Solid material container [0229] 3. Solid material container [0230] 4. Solid material container [0231] 5. Solid material container [0232] 6. Solid material container [0233] 11. Carrier gas introduction pipe [0234] 12. Solid material discharge pipe [0235] 21. Outer unit [0236] 22. Inner unit [0237] 22A. Inner unit side walls [0238] 22B. Inner unit bottom section [0239] 22C. Bottom section fitting section [0240] 23. Lid unit [0241] 23A. Raised surrounding edge [0242] 23B. Bottom edge [0243] 24. Pipe cover unit [0244] 25. Solid material [0245] 31. Projections [0246] 32. Inner unit fitting section [0247] 33. Lid unit fitting section [0248] 41. Upper ventilation sections [0249] 42. Inner unit bottom plate [0250] 43. Bottom ventilation sections [0251] 51. Plate section top surface fitting section [0252] 52. Bottom plate top surface fitting section [0253] 53. Plate section bottom surface fitting section [0254] 54. Bottom plate bottom surface fitting section [0255] 61. First trays [0256] 61(a). First tray [0257] 61(b). First tray [0258] 61A. Outer supporting section [0259] 61A(a). Outer supporting section [0260] 61A(b). Outer supporting section [0261] 61B. Outer supporting section top fitting section [0262] 61B(a). Outer supporting section top fitting section [0263] 61B(b). Outer supporting section top fitting section [0264] 61C. Outer supporting section bottom fitting section [0265] 61C(a). Outer supporting section bottom fitting section [0266] 61C(b). Outer supporting section bottom fitting section [0267] 62. Second trays [0268] 62(a). Second trays [0269] 62(b). Second trays [0270] 62A. Inner supporting section [0271] 62A(a). Inner supporting section [0272] 62A(b). Inner supporting section [0273] 62B. Inner supporting section top fitting section [0274] 62B(a). Inner supporting section top fitting section [0275] 62B(b). Inner supporting section top fitting section [0276] 62C. Inner supporting section bottom fitting section [0277] 62C(a). Inner supporting section bottom fitting section [0278] 62C(b). Inner supporting section bottom fitting section [0279] 71. Outer flow path [0280] 81. Flow path [0281] 82. Bottom space [0282] 91. Screws

[0283] While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. The present invention may suitably comprise, consist or consist essentially of the elements disclosed and may be practiced in the absence of an element not disclosed. Furthermore, if there is language referring to order, such as first and second, it should be understood in an exemplary sense and not in a limiting sense. For example, it can be recognized by those skilled in the art that certain steps can be combined into a single step.

[0284] The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0285] “Comprising” in a claim is an open transitional term which means the subsequently identified claim elements are a nonexclusive listing (i.e., anything else may be additionally included and remain within the scope of “comprising”). “Comprising” as used herein may be replaced by the more limited transitional terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of” unless otherwise indicated herein.

[0286] “Providing” in a claim is defined to mean furnishing, supplying, making available, or preparing something. The step may be performed by any actor in the absence of express language in the claim to the contrary.

[0287] Optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not occur.

[0288] Ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value, along with all combinations within said range.

[0289] All references identified herein are each hereby incorporated by reference into this application in their entireties, as well as for the specific information for which each is cited.