Pendulum valve positioning jig assembly and semiconductor processing apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a pendulum valve positioning jig assembly and a semiconductor processing equipment, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor vacuum equipment installation jigs, and is designed to solve the problems of poor installation precision of existing valve bodies and the like. The pendulum valve positioning jig assembly comprises a positioning scale disc, a plurality of concentric positioning rings and a center point marking portion located at the center of the positioning rings are arranged on the positioning scale disc, and the spacing between any two adjacent positioning rings is equal. The pendulum valve positioning jig assembly and the semiconductor processing equipment can determine whether the installation is qualified by whether the center of the positioning scale disc and the center of the valve body are aligned, and if the center of the positioning scale disc and the center of the valve body are not aligned, it indicates that the installation of the pendulum valve is deviated and needs to be adjusted. The pendulum valve is accurately installed through adjustment, and the situation that the installation of the pendulum valve is deviated due to the experience difference of operators is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor vacuum equipment mounting fixture technology, and more particularly to a pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly and a semiconductor processing equipment including the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly. Background Technology

[0002] A pendulum valve is a type of valve used to control the opening degree of a pipeline, typically found in semiconductor devices. Specifically, a pendulum valve consists of a plate-shaped valve body and a columnar pendulum rod. A drive mechanism propels the valve body in a pendulum motion via the pendulum rod. This pendulum motion involves the valve body rotating in a fan-shaped pattern around a reference point on the pendulum rod, thereby changing the area of ​​the valve body within the pipeline and thus altering the ratio of the open to the closed area, ultimately regulating the pipeline opening.

[0003] When installing a pendulum valve, it is crucial to ensure that the center of the valve body coincides with the pipeline axis (the line connecting the centers of all radial sections of the pipeline). If the valve body is initially off-center, subsequent adjustments to the pipeline opening will result in significant errors. Currently, installers rely on touch and visual inspection to determine if the valve body is centered, which is heavily influenced by personal subjective judgment and experience, leading to substantial installation errors and potential valve body misalignment, resulting in poor installation accuracy for the pendulum valve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly that facilitates quick and accurate installation of the valve body.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fast and accurate semiconductor processing apparatus for valve body installation.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0007] A pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly includes a positioning scale, on which a plurality of concentric positioning rings are provided and a center point marking part located at the center of the positioning rings, and the distance between any two adjacent positioning rings is equal.

[0008] In particular, the positioning dial is provided with two mutually perpendicular positioning lines, and multiple scale lines are provided on at least one of the positioning lines.

[0009] In particular, the scale accuracy of the scale line is 2mm.

[0010] In particular, the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly also includes an automatic deviation compensation device for detecting the positional deviation of the pendulum valve in real time and automatically compensating for it.

[0011] In particular, the automatic deviation compensation device includes: a position sensor for real-time detection of the position deviation of the pendulum valve; a control device connected to the position sensor; and a drive device connected to the control device and driving the pendulum valve. The control device can control the drive device to drive the pendulum valve to swing for position compensation based on the position deviation detected by the position sensor.

[0012] In particular, there are two position sensors, and the detection directions of the two position sensors are perpendicular to each other.

[0013] On the other hand, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0014] A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a pendulum valve and the aforementioned pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly.

[0015] In particular, a positioning mark is provided at the center of the valve body of the pendulum valve, and the positioning mark coincides with the center point mark.

[0016] In particular, the semiconductor processing equipment includes a chamber connected to a reaction gas storage device via an inlet pipe, a stage for supporting silicon wafers is provided in the chamber, the chamber is connected to a turbo pump via a chamber pipe, and a pendulum valve is disposed between the chamber and the turbo pump.

[0017] In particular, the valve body is the same size as the positioning dial.

[0018] The positioning scale of the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly of this invention is provided with multiple concentric positioning rings and a center point mark located at the center of the positioning rings. The installation is judged by whether the center of the positioning scale is aligned with the center of the valve body. If the center of the positioning scale is not aligned with the center of the valve body, it indicates that there is a deviation in the installation of the pendulum valve and adjustment is required. The specific offset direction and offset amount are determined by the positioning rings and positioning scale lines on the positioning scale. The pendulum valve is adjusted according to the offset direction and offset amount, so that the installation process is accurate and avoids different judgment results due to differences in operator experience.

[0019] The semiconductor processing equipment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly. A positioning scale with a positioning ring is used to quantitatively characterize the valve body, which does not have obvious position markings. The installation is judged to be qualified by whether the center of the positioning scale is aligned with the center of the valve body, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of valve body installation. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning scale provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning dial in use according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the position setting of the position sensor provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In the picture:

[0025] 1. Positioning dial; 3. Chamber; 4. Silicon wafer; 5. Stage; 6. Turbopump; 7. Plasma; 8. RF power supply; 11. Positioning ring; 12. Center point marker; 13. Positioning line; 14. Scale line; 15. Position sensor; 21. Valve body; 22. Rocker arm; 23. Drive unit; 24. Fixing frame; 31. Inlet pipe; 32. Chamber pipe; 211. Positioning indicator. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] This embodiment discloses a pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly and a semiconductor processing apparatus including the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor processing equipment includes a chamber 3. The upper part of the chamber 3 is connected to a reactive gas storage device via an inlet pipe 31 for introducing reactive gas into the chamber 3. Plasma 7 is formed inside the chamber 3 (plasma is a substance in a plasma state that does not exist fixedly in a certain space or location). Figure 1 (The reference numeral 7 is used only to illustrate the presence of plasma). Specifically, the gas inlet pipe 31 introduces the reactive gas, which is ionized by the radio frequency power supply 8 to generate plasma 7. The stage 5 carries a silicon wafer 4, and the plasma 7 is deposited on the silicon wafer 4. After multiple depositions, the required film layer is formed on the silicon wafer 4. The lower part of the chamber 3 is connected to the turbo pump 6 for extracting gas through the chamber pipe 32. A pendulum valve is set between the chamber 3 and the turbo pump 6, and the opening of the chamber pipe 32 is adjusted by the pendulum valve.

[0028] In semiconductor processing equipment with vacuum devices, a pendulum valve is usually required. The pendulum valve changes the ratio of the open area to the closed area in the chamber pipe 32, thereby controlling the concentration of the reactive gas in the chamber 3, and thus precisely controlling the linewidth value and uniformity of the silicon wafer 4 after processing.

[0029] The pendulum valve includes a valve body 21, a pendulum rod 22, and a fixed frame 24 connected together. The annular fixed frame 24 is located above the valve body 21 and is fixed on the chamber pipe 32 or on other structures of the semiconductor processing equipment. The drive device 23 can drive the valve body 21 to perform pendulum motion by driving the pendulum rod 22.

[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly preferably includes a positioning dial 1 made of transparent material, through which the operator can see the valve body 21 below; the positioning dial 1 is provided with a plurality of concentric positioning rings 11 and a center point marking part 12 located at the center of the positioning rings 11, and the distance between any two adjacent positioning rings 11 is equal; the positioning dial 1 is also provided with two positioning lines 13, which are perpendicular to each other, and a plurality of scale lines 14 are provided on at least one positioning line 13, preferably, the scale accuracy of the scale lines 14 is 2mm.

[0031] When installing the pendulum valve, the positioning scale 1 of the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly is fixed to the fixing frame 24. The annular fixing frame 24 can support the edge of the positioning scale 1 without affecting the transparency of the center of the positioning scale 1. Preferably, the valve body 21 and the positioning scale 1 are the same size, which makes it easier to determine whether the valve body 21 is installed in place.

[0032] The positioning dial 1 quantifies the positional offset of the valve body 21. It adds a marker to the valve body 21, which lacks clear positional indications, allowing installers to more accurately determine if the valve body 21 is properly installed. When the valve body 21 shifts, the offset can be accurately measured using the scale line 14 and the positioning ring 11, and the position of the valve body 21 can be adjusted accordingly. The positioning ring 11, positioning line 13, and scale line 14 on the positioning dial 1 are clear and stable, allowing operators to accurately determine the positional offset of the valve body 21. This ensures that the operator's subjective judgment and experience do not lead to different conclusions, nor does the result vary depending on the equipment used.

[0033] After precisely installing the valve body 21 in the center position, the air extraction efficiency in chamber 3 can be controlled more accurately, resulting in better linewidth and uniformity on the silicon wafer 4. Specifically, a slight misalignment of the valve body 21 will affect the daily leak detection of chamber 3; a large misalignment of the pendulum valve will seriously affect the working efficiency of the turbine pump 6. Through the quantitative display on the positioning dial 1, operators can accurately and quickly install the valve body 21, avoiding the aforementioned problems.

[0034] like Figure 4As shown, based on the above structure, the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly also includes an automatic deviation compensation device for real-time detection of the position deviation of the valve body 21 and automatic compensation. The automatic deviation compensation device preferably includes a position sensor 15, a drive device 23, and a control device (not shown). The position sensor 15, used for real-time detection of the pendulum valve's position deviation, is mounted on a fixed component such as the inner wall of the machine tool. The control device is signal-connected to the position sensor 15, and the drive device 23 is signal-connected to the control device and drives the pendulum valve.

[0035] Preferably, the automatic deviation compensation device includes two position sensors 15, the detection directions of the two position sensors 15 are perpendicular to each other, located at the nine o'clock position (i.e., the direction indicated by the hour hand at nine o'clock) and the twelve o'clock position (i.e., the direction indicated by the hour hand at twelve o'clock), respectively. The so-called "perpendicular detection directions" means that one position sensor 15 forms a first line with the center of the valve body 21, and the other position sensor 15 forms a second line with the center of the valve body 21, and these two lines are perpendicular to each other.

[0036] Two position sensors 15 can monitor the position of the valve body 21 in real time. When the semiconductor processing equipment is running, if the position of the valve body 21 deviates, the position sensors 15 can detect it in time and send feedback information to the control device. The control device sends a signal to the drive device 23 of the pendulum valve assembly. The drive device 23 drives the valve body 21 to perform pendulum motion through the swing arm 22 until the valve body 21 returns to the set position, maintaining the continuous normal operation of the semiconductor processing equipment and avoiding inaccurate control of the plasma concentration in the cavity 3, thereby avoiding affecting the linewidth and uniformity on the silicon wafer 4.

[0037] It should be noted that the number of position sensors 15 in the automatic deviation compensation device is not limited to two; one, three, or more are also acceptable. Two position sensors 15 provide higher monitoring accuracy, and they can detect deviations in the valve body 21 more promptly. Therefore, this structure with two position sensors 15 is more recommended.

[0038] When the automatic deviation compensation device includes three or more position sensors 15, all position sensors 15 are set at intervals of two, with the nine o'clock, twelve o'clock, three o'clock, and six o'clock positions being preferred settings. A greater number of position sensors 15 results in more accurate monitoring, but excessive placement of position sensors 15 increases the cost of the automatic deviation compensation device. Furthermore, the improvement in accuracy obtained from monitoring results with three or more position sensors 15 compared to those obtained with two position sensors 15 is relatively limited.

[0039] When there is only one position sensor 15 in the automatic deviation compensation device, the accuracy requirement of the position sensor 15 itself is relatively high, resulting in fewer products to choose from. Consequently, if the position sensor 15 is damaged, it may be impossible to find a suitable replacement or to find a suitable replacement in time, causing the entire automatic deviation compensation device to become unusable.

[0040] As described above, the pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly mainly consists of two parts: a positioning scale 1 and a position sensor 15. When the semiconductor processing equipment is running normally, the position sensor 15 is in working condition, monitoring the position of the valve body 21 in real time. When the position of the valve body 21 deviates, the drive device 23 can promptly drive the valve body 21 to perform a pendulum motion until the valve body 21 returns to the set position.

[0041] When semiconductor processing equipment malfunctions or undergoes maintenance, the valve body 21 of the pendulum valve needs to be reinstalled. During reinstallation, it is difficult for operators to accurately install the valve body 21 by visual inspection alone. Therefore, it is necessary to first fix the positioning dial 1 in the designated position and then determine whether the valve body 21 is properly installed by checking whether the center point mark 12 of the positioning dial 1 aligns with the positioning mark 211 on the valve body 21, thus achieving accurate installation.

[0042] The specific usage method of the positioning dial 1 is as follows: Step S1, the operator first fixes the fixing frame 24 to the chamber pipe 32 or to other structures of the semiconductor processing equipment, and then roughly places the valve body 21 in the center position. The function of the fixing frame 24 is to provide support for the positioning dial 1 and also to position the positioning dial 1.

[0043] Step S2: Then, place the positioning dial 1 on the fixed frame 24 and observe it through the transparent positioning dial 1 to determine whether the center point mark 12 of the positioning dial 1 is aligned with the positioning mark 211 on the valve body 21. When the center point mark 12 of the positioning dial 1 is aligned with the positioning mark 211 on the valve body 21, the valve body 21 is determined to be installed in an accurate position; when the center point mark 12 of the positioning dial 1 is not aligned with the positioning mark 211 on the valve body 21, the valve body 21 is determined to be installed in a deviated position.

[0044] Step S3: Because the positioning dial 1 has a structure of positioning ring 11, positioning line 13 and scale line 14, when the center point mark 12 of the positioning dial 1 is not aligned with the positioning mark 211 on the valve body 21, the operator can clearly know that the valve body 21 has been installed with a deviation and can accurately know the direction and amount of the deviation.

[0045] Specifically, scale lines 14 are provided on the positioning lines 13 on both sides of the center point marking part 12. By determining whether the positioning mark 211 on the valve body 21 is located within the range of the left scale line 14 or the right scale line 14, it can be known whether the valve body 21 is biased to the left or the right, thus determining the direction of deviation.

[0046] The scale line 14 includes a plurality of short lines that are equally spaced in pairs. Each short line or a short line spaced apart can indicate the distance value between the point and the center point marker 12. The operator can know the offset by reading the distance value on the short line at the location of the positioning marker 211.

[0047] Of course, since the area of ​​the positioning dial 1 is limited and it is difficult to make and clean values ​​on transparent materials, the distance between the point and the center point mark 12 may not be marked on the short lines. The operator can also obtain the distance between the center point mark 12 and the positioning mark 211 by counting the number of short lines between the location of the positioning mark 211 and the center point mark 12, and multiplying the number of short lines by the distance between two adjacent short lines.

[0048] Step S4: After the operator obtains the required adjustment angle and offset of the valve body 21 according to the value of the scale line 14, the operator sends the angle and offset to the control device. The control device sends a signal to the pendulum valve drive device 23. The drive device 23 drives the valve body 21 to perform pendulum motion through the pendulum rod 22 until the valve body 21 returns to the set position, so that the center of the valve body 21 coincides with the axis of the chamber pipe 32.

[0049] Specifically, when the valve body 21 is tilted to the left, the drive device 23 uses the swing rod 22 to make a pendulum motion to the right of the valve body 21 in order to reduce the offset of the valve body 21 to zero; when the valve body 21 is tilted to the right, the drive device 23 uses the swing rod 22 to make a pendulum motion to the left of the valve body 21 in order to reduce the offset of the valve body 21 to zero.

[0050] Note that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising a pendulum valve, characterized in that, It also includes a pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly; The semiconductor processing equipment includes a chamber (3), which is connected to a reaction gas storage device through an air inlet pipe (31). A stage (5) for supporting a silicon wafer (4) is provided in the chamber (3). The chamber (3) is connected to a turbo pump (6) through a chamber pipe (32). The pendulum valve assembly is located between the chamber (3) and the turbo pump (6). The pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly includes a positioning dial (1), on which a plurality of concentric positioning rings (11) are provided and a center point marking part (12) located at the center of the positioning rings (11), and the spacing between any two adjacent positioning rings (11) is equal; The positioning dial (1) is fixed to the fixed frame (24); The annular fixing frame (24) is located above the valve body (21); The pendulum valve positioning fixture assembly also includes an automatic deviation compensation device for real-time detection and automatic compensation of the pendulum valve's positional deviation. The automatic deviation compensation device includes: Position sensor (15) is used to detect the position deviation of the pendulum valve in real time; The control device is signal-connected to the position sensor (15); and, The drive device (23) is signal-connected to the control device and drives the pendulum valve; The control device can control the drive device (23) to drive the pendulum valve to swing for position compensation based on the position deviation detected by the position sensor (15).

2. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A positioning mark (211) is provided at the center of the valve body (21), and the positioning mark (211) coincides with the center point mark (12).

3. The semiconductor processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The valve body (21) is the same size as the positioning dial (1).

4. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning dial (1) is also provided with two mutually perpendicular positioning lines (13), and multiple scale lines (14) are provided on at least one of the positioning lines (13).

5. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The graduation accuracy of the scale line (14) is 2mm.

6. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of position sensors (15) is two, and the detection directions of the two position sensors (15) are perpendicular to each other.

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