blog about JTEKT Launches Advanced Vertical Furnaces for Semiconductor Production

In the precision-driven world of micro-scale manufacturing, the creation of semiconductor devices relies on a series of stringent thermal processes. Vertical furnaces, serving as core equipment in wafer processing, play a pivotal role in critical stages such as thin-film deposition, annealing, and resin curing. With their distinctive vertical architecture and superior process control capabilities, these systems have become indispensable components in modern semiconductor production lines.

A vertical furnace is a batch processing system designed for semiconductor device fabrication, characterized by its vertically oriented quartz tube. Wafers are positioned within the quartz tube's perimeter and undergo precisely controlled heating processes to complete various manufacturing steps. The wafers are loaded onto quartz boats, which are inserted and removed from the bottom of the process tube.

This design minimizes particulate generation while delivering exceptional temperature uniformity and atmospheric control, ensuring consistent wafer processing quality and efficiency. Automated wafer and boat handling systems further enhance production throughput.

Traditional horizontal furnaces exhibit limitations when processing larger wafers, often resulting in inconsistent film thickness across batches and wafer surfaces, along with particulate contamination and native oxide formation. Additionally, their footprint expands significantly with increasing wafer sizes. Vertical furnaces effectively address these challenges, contributing to their widespread adoption in semiconductor manufacturing.

The development of advanced thermal processing systems traces back to 1970 when Tempress Japan first introduced horizontal heat treatment systems to the semiconductor equipment market. Continuous innovation has yielded a comprehensive portfolio of thermal processing technologies that have significantly contributed to semiconductor advancements globally.

• VF-5900 300mm High-Volume Vertical Furnace: Designed for 300mm wafer mass production with high throughput and uniformity. Capable of processing 100 wafers per batch with 16 FOUP storage positions, enhancing automation and productivity. Applications span semiconductors, SiC power devices, MEMS, VCSEL, and photovoltaic technologies.
• VF-5700 300mm Small-Batch Vertical Furnace: Optimized for 300mm wafer R&D and specialized processes, handling 50 wafers per batch.
• VF-5300 8-inch High-Volume Vertical Furnace: Suitable for 6-inch to 8-inch wafer production, processing 150 wafers per batch with 20 cassette storage positions.
• VF-5100 8-inch Multi-Purpose Vertical Furnace: Flexible configuration for 4-inch to 8-inch wafers, with maximum capacity of 150 wafers and 4-8 cassette storage positions.
• VF-3000 8-inch Cost-Effective Small-Batch System: Compact design for 4-inch to 8-inch wafer processing, handling up to 50 wafers (8-inch) or 75 wafers (4-6 inch) with 4-8 cassette storage.
• VF-1000 Compact R&D Vertical Furnace: For small-scale production and research applications, processing up to 25 wafers (max 8-inch).
• VFS-4000 Large-Diameter Vertical Furnace: Expanded process chamber for specialized applications, handling 20-25 wafers, primarily used in flat panel display manufacturing for processes including metal contact annealing, glass frit sintering, and dehydrogenation.

• Flexible equipment configurations with alternative gas cabinet placement
• Support for atmospheric liquid source processing
• Selenization/sulfurization process capabilities
• Large-diameter vacuum processing (G4+)
• Carbon nanotube growth equipment
• Thin wafer (≥80μm) handling
• Fan-out wafer support
• Large FPD polyimide curing panel substrates
• Wet and dry vacuum processing with oxygen partial pressure control
• In-situ cleaning using ClF3
• Quartz cassette batch transfer systems
• Planar polysilicon processing (temperature gradient-free)

Advanced demonstration and testing laboratories enable process verification and equipment performance evaluation. These facilities maintain class 10 or superior cleanroom conditions to accurately simulate production environments, allowing for process optimization and parameter refinement.

The continued advancement of vertical furnace technology demonstrates the semiconductor industry's commitment to precision manufacturing, with thermal processing systems playing an increasingly vital role in enabling next-generation device fabrication across multiple technology sectors.