Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
A process for high pressure oxidation of silicon with high uniformity in the thickness of the oxide film, said process comprising the steps of: spacing silicon wafers apart from each other in a quartz capsule in the form of a tube with one end closed; feeding a predetermined pressure of an oxidizing gas into said quartz capsule; sealing said quartz capsule gas-tightly by fusing; and heating said quartz capsule to an elevated temperature to generate a high pressure oxidizing atmosphere therein and to form said high uniformity oxide film on said silicon wafers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
A process for high pressure oxidation of silicon with high uniformity in the thickness of the oxide film, said process comprising the steps of: spacing silicon wafers apart from each other in a quartz capsule in the form of a tube with one end closed; feeding a predetermined pressure of an oxidizing gas into said quartz capsule; sealing said quartz capsule gas-tightly by fusing; and heating said quartz capsule to an elevated temperature to generate a high pressure oxidizing atmosphere therein and to form said high uniformity oxide film on said silicon wafers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 1 said oxidizing gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process according to claim 2 comprising adding a gas selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid gas and a chlorine gas of from 0.1 to 10 vol % into said oxidizing gas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 2, said oxidizing gas comprising dry oxygen gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 1 comprising evacuating said quartz capsule before said feeding step.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 1, said sealing operation comprising the steps of inserting a quartz plug into said quartz capsule and fusing said quartz capsule and plug gas-tightly by a flame.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process according to claim 6, said feeding step resulting in said oxidizing gas having higher than ambient pressure in said capsule, said process comprising the step of cooling said oxidizing gas with a cooling agent before said sealing step.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 7, said cooling agent comprising liquid nitrogen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 6, said flame comprising an oxyhydrogen flame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein said elevated temperature is from 500° to 1200° C. and said generated pressure is from 1 to 15 kg/cm 2 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 10, said heating step comprising heating to a temperature from 800° to 1000° C.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 10 or 11, said heating step comprising generating said pressure from 2 to 10 kg/cm 2 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1 said heating step comprising forming said oxide film to form a gate oxide film of an MOS semiconductor device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1 said spacing step comprising standing said silicon wafers on edge on a quartz holder at intervals of from 2 to 10 mm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 comprising forming said oxide on said wafers to have said uniformity in thickness of at least ±2%.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The process of claim 1 comprising placing at least 50 of said wafers in said quartz capsule at intervals in the range from 2 to 10 mm, and forming said oxide on said wafers to have said uniformity in thickness of at least ±2%.