An exhaust pipe and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the same

Abstract

An exhaust pipe comprises: an exhaust pipe body, which is a cylindrical structure with both ends open; and a shielding pipe, which is embedded in the interior of the exhaust pipe body; wherein the end of the shielding pipe does not protrude from the exhaust pipe body, and the shielding pipe and the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body are neither in direct contact nor in indirect contact. The shielding pipe prevents the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body from being contaminated, prolongs the insulation time of the exhaust pipe, and can prevent the occurrence of unstable conditions of high voltage during the operation of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an exhaust pipe and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the same. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, the exhaust pipe connected to the vacuum pump within the potential difference range of an ion implantation device is made as an insulator, and this exhaust pipe needs to maintain its insulating state at all times. However, during semiconductor manufacturing, byproducts generated are discharged through the vacuum pump and adhere to the inside of the exhaust pipe. As the process continues and the equipment operates for an extended period, these byproducts accumulate and eventually compromise the insulation of the exhaust pipe.

[0003] Public content

[0004] According to one or more embodiments, an exhaust pipe includes: an exhaust pipe body, which is a cylindrical structure open at both ends; and a shielding tube embedded inside the exhaust pipe body; wherein the end of the shielding tube does not protrude from the exhaust pipe body, and there is a gap between the outer wall of the shielding tube and the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body.

[0005] According to one or more embodiments, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber; a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum chamber; and an exhaust pipe as described above connected to the vacuum pump. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0007] Figure 1 The diagram shows the installation location and structure of a vacuum pump exhaust pipe in the prior art.

[0008] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an exhaust pipe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the effect of maintaining insulation in an exhaust pipe with and without a shielding pipe, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] [Symbol Explanation]

[0011] [Primary Technology]

[0012] 1-Dry pump; 2-Turbine pump; A-High pressure application end; B-Reference potential; 3-Vacuum chamber; 4-Exhaust pipe;

[0013] [This announcement]

[0014] 10-Exhaust pipe body; 11-First straight section; 12-Folded section; 13-Second straight section; 14-Connecting part; 15-Shielding tube; 16-Fastening part; 161-First fastening part; 162-Second fastening part. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0016] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematics according to embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0017] In the context of this disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being "above" another layer / element, the layer / element may be directly above the other layer / element, or there may be an intermediate layer / element between them. Additionally, if a layer / element is "above" another layer / element in one orientation, then when the orientation is reversed, the layer / element may be "below" the other layer / element.

[0018] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the installation location and structure of a vacuum pump exhaust pipe in the prior art. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, in the ion implantation machine, vacuum chamber 1 is connected to turbopump 2, turbopump 2 is connected to dry pump 3, and two exhaust pipes are led out from dry pump 3. One exhaust pipe is connected to the main exhaust pipe at the top, and the other exhaust pipe is connected to the main exhaust pipe at the bottom. On each exhaust pipe, A is the high-voltage application terminal, and B is the reference potential. The exhaust pipe 4 installed between the high-voltage application terminal and the reference potential needs to maintain an insulation state of at least 100MΩ to maintain a stable voltage. However, after the ion implantation machine has been running for a period of time, the inside of exhaust pipe 4 becomes contaminated, and byproducts adhere to the inner wall of exhaust pipe 4, making exhaust pipe 4 a conductor. Exhaust pipe 4 can only achieve an insulation state of a few kΩ. The destruction of the insulation state makes it impossible to maintain a stable high voltage, which in turn makes the energy of ion implantation unstable, ultimately affecting the quality of the manufactured semiconductor devices.

[0019] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides an exhaust pipe and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the same. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the exhaust pipe according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust pipe includes an exhaust pipe body 10, which is a cylindrical structure with open ends. The exhaust pipe body 10 may include a first straight segment 11, a pleated segment 12, and a second straight segment 13 connected in sequence. The structural form of the exhaust pipe body 10 is not limited to this. It may also be a straight pipe that only includes straight segments, a pleated pipe that only includes pleated segments, or other forms. It can be selected according to the convenience of installation and manufacturing.

[0020] The first straight segment 11, the pleated segment 12, and the second straight segment 13 can be independent cylindrical structures fixedly connected by welding or fusion, or they can be integrally formed. The exhaust pipe body 10 is made of a transparent or semi-transparent material, which allows for easy observation of the internal contamination of the exhaust pipe body 10, achieving a visualization effect. Of course, using an opaque material for the exhaust pipe body 10 is also entirely feasible. In one embodiment, the exhaust pipe body 10 is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rigid Teflon. These materials have good heat resistance and insulation, allowing the exhaust pipe body 10 to meet insulation requirements while allowing direct observation of the internal contamination from the outside. Teflon can be, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP), or perfluoroalkyl compound (PFA). In one embodiment, the first straight segment 11 and the second straight segment 13 are cylindrical.

[0021] Connecting portions 14 are installed at both ends of the exhaust pipe body 10, which connect the exhaust pipe to the exhaust pipes at both ends. Specifically, one end of the exhaust pipe body 10 is connected to a vacuum pump via the connecting portion 14, and the other end is connected to the main exhaust pipe at the top via the connecting portion 14; another end of the exhaust pipe body 10 is connected to a vacuum pump via the connecting portion 14, and the other end is connected to the main exhaust pipe at the bottom via the connecting portion 14. In one embodiment, the connecting portion 14 has a straight section that fits onto the inner or outer wall of the exhaust pipe body 10. The connecting portion 14 is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rigid Teflon.

[0022] The connecting part 14 is tightly connected (or fixedly connected) to the exhaust pipe body 10 via the fastening part 16. A detailed description will be given using the example of the straight section of the connecting part 14 fitting onto the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10. The fastening part 16 includes a first fastening part 161 and a second fastening part 162. The first fastening part 161 is at least partially located between the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10 and the outer wall of the straight section of the connecting part 14, preventing relative rotation between the exhaust pipe body 10 and the connecting part 14. The second fastening part 162 is at least partially located on the outer wall of the exhaust pipe body 10.

[0023] When the straight section of the connecting part 14 is fitted onto the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10, the end of the straight section of the connecting part 14 that is fitted into the exhaust pipe body 10, that is, the end opposite to the end of the connecting part 14 that is away from the exhaust pipe body 10, is connected to a shielding tube 15. The shielding tube 15 has a cylindrical structure and a certain length. The side wall of the shielding tube 15 is close to the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10. This prevents byproducts from adhering to the part of the exhaust pipe body 10 corresponding to the shielding tube 15, prevents contamination of the inner wall, prolongs the insulation time of the exhaust pipe, and can prevent high voltage instability during equipment operation.

[0024] In one embodiment, the shielding tube 15 is fixedly connected to the connecting part 14 by welding or fusion. Alternatively, the shielding tube 15 can be embedded inside the exhaust pipe body 10 in other ways, as long as the length of the shielding tube 15 is less than the length of the exhaust pipe body 10 and the end of the shielding tube 15 does not protrude beyond the exhaust pipe body 10. Here, length refers to the axial length along the cylindrical structure. The shielding tube 15 does not contact the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10; that is, there is a gap between them. This is because if the shielding tube 15 were in contact with the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10, and the inner wall of the shielding tube 15 were covered with contaminants, it would still form a conductor, damaging the insulation. It should be noted that "no contact" includes both direct and indirect contact. The length of the shielding tube 15 should be as long as possible so that more area of ​​the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10 remains uncontaminated, thus better preventing the exhaust pipe body 10 from becoming a conductor.

[0025] In one embodiment, a shielding tube 15 is provided correspondingly within the interval between the first straight segment 11 and the second straight segment 13. This can be understood as the shielding tube 15 not extending beyond the interval of the straight segments. The shielding tube 15 is made of a material with excellent insulation and heat resistance. It can be made of the same material as the connecting part 14, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rigid Teflon. Preferably, the shielding tube 15 and the connecting part 14 are integrally formed, referring to the case where the straight section of the connecting part 14 is fitted onto the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body 10. The shielding tube 15 has the same shape as the first straight segment 11 and the second straight segment 13, for example, a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the shielding tube 15 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first straight segment 11 and the second straight segment 13.

[0026] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the effect of maintaining insulation in an exhaust pipe with and without a shielding pipe, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, without shielding tube 15, such as Figure 3As shown in (a), over time, contaminants accumulate on the inner walls of the straight and folded sections of the exhaust pipe body 10, gradually causing contaminants to adhere to the entire inner wall. The black lines on the inner wall in the figure represent the areas where contaminants adhere, eventually forming a conductive function and causing insulation damage. Figure 3 As shown in (b), due to the obstruction of the shielding tube 15, no contaminants (circled portions) are attached to the inner walls of the first straight segment 11 and the second straight segment 13, preventing them from forming conductors and achieving the goal of maintaining the insulation state. The black lines on the inner walls in the figure represent the areas where contaminants are attached.

[0027] In this invention, by embedding an extended contamination shielding tube inside the exhaust pipe body, contamination of the inner wall is prevented, the insulation of the exhaust pipe installed in the high voltage application range can be maintained, thereby stably maintaining the acceleration energy of the ion implantation machine, extending the contamination cycle, shortening the equipment downtime, and thus improving the equipment's operating rate.

[0028] In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, such as an ion implanter, is also provided, including a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum chamber, and the aforementioned exhaust pipe connected to the vacuum pump. The exhaust pipe is located between the high-voltage application terminal and a reference potential. During operation of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, byproducts generated adhere to the inner wall of the exhaust pipe, causing contamination. The shielding tube inside the exhaust pipe prevents the inner wall from becoming covered with contaminants, thus preventing the exhaust pipe from becoming a conductor and maintaining its insulating state, thereby stably maintaining the acceleration energy of the ion implanter.

[0029] The above description does not provide detailed explanations of the technical aspects of each layer's patterning, etching, etc. However, those skilled in the art should understand that various technical means can be used to form layers and regions of the desired shape. Furthermore, to form the same structure, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not entirely identical to those described above. Additionally, although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination.

[0030] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An exhaust pipe, characterized in that, include: The main body of the exhaust pipe is a cylindrical structure with openings at both ends; A shielding tube is embedded inside the main body of the exhaust pipe; A connecting part is used to connect the exhaust pipe to the exhaust pipes at both ends. The connecting part is fixedly connected to the shielding pipe or integrally formed. A fastening part is provided for connecting the connecting part to the exhaust pipe body; the fastening part is at least partially located between the exhaust pipe body and the connecting part; wherein... The end of the shielding tube does not protrude from the exhaust pipe body, and there is a gap between the outer wall of the shielding tube and the inner wall of the exhaust pipe body.

2. The exhaust pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust pipe body includes a straight section and / or a folded section.

3. The exhaust pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust pipe body includes a straight section, and the shielding pipe is located within the interval corresponding to the straight section.

4. The exhaust pipe according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the straight segment and the shielding tube are cylindrical, and the outer diameter of the shielding tube is smaller than the inner diameter of the straight segment.

5. The exhaust pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust pipe body is made of a transparent or semi-transparent material.

6. The exhaust pipe according to claim 5, characterized in that, The exhaust pipe body is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or Teflon.

7. The exhaust pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part and the shielding tube are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or Teflon.

8. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, include: Vacuum chamber; A vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum chamber; The exhaust pipe according to any one of claims 1-7 is connected to the vacuum pump.

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