SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, ITS MANUFACTURE, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR SETTING SEMICONDUCTOR IN FURNACE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress formation of natural oxide films on the surface of semiconductor substrates when the substrates are set in a furnace by filling up the furnace with inert gases, etc., by efficiently replacing an atmosphere in the furnace when the semiconductors are set in the furnace, by introducing an inert gas having a molecular weight larger than that of oxygen and another inert gas having a molecular weight smaller than that of oxygen or nitrogen gas in the furnace. SOLUTION: After a plurality of wafers 304 are set to a quartz board 303 put on a pedestal 302, the board 303 is lifted by means of a board lifter 305, and at the same time, argon gas Ar and helium gas He are made to flow into a quartz tube 301 as inert gases through a gas inlet port 306. When the helium gas He, having a molecular weight smaller than that of the air fills up the tube 301, the argon gas Ar having a molecular weight larger than that of the air efficiently replaces the air among the wafers 304. In addition, when the board 303 completely enters into the tube 301 and the tube 301 is closed, the inert gases fill up inside the tube 301 and are partially evacuated through an evacuating section 307.